Hi, my name is Brian Kratz. I’m
the minister here at First Associate Reform Presbyterian Church. I’ve
been a minister here for three years. I’ve been in the ordained
gospel ministry for 15 years, and it’s my privilege to serve
here. We’re a church that loves to be together. We love to be
together as a community, as a family. We eat together, we sing together,
we laugh together, we have fun together. But we also serve one
another. We’re a community that cares
about one another and each other’s needs. If someone is sick, we
help. If someone is in need of service,
we serve. If someone is lonely, we visit. And we want to help everyone
who will enter our doors, no matter their struggles, their
hardships, no matter their ups and downs, their losses or their
crosses. We want to help them. Follow Jesus and become like
Him as the Word and the Holy Spirit shape their lives and
conform them into the image of our Savior, Jesus Christ. My
name is Ben Gregory, and how I see the future at this church,
it’s a church that wants to attract more people my age. Being a millennial,
I know my generation, we’re very anti-authoritarian. And a church
like this actually has people that want to be involved in your
life. It’s not an inconvenience, it’s a blessing. My name is Mandy
Crotts, and I’m the pastor’s wife. At First Associate Reform
Presbyterian Church, we have the opportunity to learn through
Sunday school, Sunday morning and evening worship. Cat Kids
is an opportunity for children. On Wednesdays, there’s Table
Talk for 20s and 30s. There’s ladies’ Bible studies,
men’s Bible studies, and also there’s numerous fellowship opportunities. We have ice cream socials, ladies’
tea parties, kickball games with the pastor. You can go on and
on. Ladies have the opportunity to come alongside our deacons
and other volunteers in our church to serve. There’s so many different
ways you can serve your church community, and ladies can jump
right in in any of those areas. It’s an exciting place to be.
We’re involved locally with feeding those who are without food, giving
shelter to those in need of a roof over their heads. We’re involved
in the local pregnancy care center. We’re also involved in food banks
and other ministries that meet the needs of those who are without
or who are in crisis. Also, we’re involved in foreign
missions. are involved with folks who are in the country of Wales,
Spain, Turkey, and Africa, to Mexico, to China, Papua New Guinea.
And so we believe that the mercy of Christ needs to leave these
doors and reach our community and go to the ends of the earth.
Another important distinction about our church is that we are
a Word-centered church. We believe the Word of God As
our only rule of faith and practice, we believe that teaching God’s
Word, learning God’s Word, knowing God’s Word, hiding it in our
hearts, will be the truth that gets us safely to heaven. I’m
Jay Snow. If you remember the Bible verse,
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, that’s
what we do here at First ARP. We preach the Word of God, unabridged,
not with anything added or anything taken away. And we really appreciate
that purity of the Reformed faith. My name is James Constable. We
are constant in what we believe and what we practice. The denomination
holds to biblical values that have not been affected by culture
over the decades, even centuries. At First Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Church, I appreciate the fact that we sing out of a hymnal.
As I’ve grown up, I’ve appreciated all kinds of music, modern, contemporary,
classical, but I feel like in a worship service it’s a great
opportunity to worship as a group with all the ages. Hymns that
are scripturally based are valuable and important because a lot of
times your hymn writers wrote not only for themselves but for
people who are suffering, people who are having, you know, difficulty
understanding the Bible. It’s a huge support as you grow
as a Christian. Jesus said, come unto me all
you who are weary. all you who are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. And so that is what we offer
here at this congregation. We offer the rest that is offered
in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we welcome you to come and
to visit, to see who we are and what we’re all about. And we
welcome you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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