“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.”
Ephesians 2:20-21
We are a Christian congregation of believers with our children. We would like to introduce ourselves to you and invite you to join us in worship, Bible study, and fellowship.
Our History
The First Protestant Reformed Church of Holland has been in existence since 1929. As part of the Reformed family of churches (Calvinistic in nature), our roots actually go back to 16th century and the great Protestant Reformation. At that time God brought His church back to His Holy Word, and thus to the sound doctrines and godly practices of the apostolic church. Especially did God restore to His church the pure gospel of sovereign grace. This is the line of church history to which we gratefully and unashamedly belong.
The denomination of churches to which we belong is known as the Protestant Reformed Churches in America, and was formed in 1924. As a denomination, we number nearly 30 churches with approximately 7,500 members. Most of our congregations are right here in Michigan, but we are spread over the United States and also have three congregations in Canada. The Lord has blessed us with faithfulness to the truth of His Word and with steady growth through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our own congregation began as a small flock of 10 families and 46 members, but has now grown to approximately 220 members. We are made up of all age groups, from newborn babies to elderly saints.
Our Beliefs
Th whole of our faith is based on the Bible, which we believe is God’s infallibly inspired revelation to His people. His book is truth, void of all lies and deception. Because of this, the Bible is the only standard for our beliefs and for our practices. We strive to follow the Bible in all we do.
We believe that the true God is Jehovah, the great Triune God, Who is three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in one Being. He is the Creator of this world and the One Who upholds it and provides for it by His sovereign power. We stress God’s perfect control of all creatures and events, believing this for our comfort and peace in this world of sin and suffering.
We also believe and emphasize that this Jehovah God is the covenant God. He is pleased to make a gracious relationship of friendship and fellowship with His people in Jesus Christ. This covenant of grace defines and determines our whole life. It calls us to dedicate our all to Him. Because of this covenant of God with us, we stress faithful marriage and family life and godly training of children in home, school, and church.
We believe that God alone saves sinners fallen in Adam. Man is totally lost in his sin and cannot save himself by any means. God sovereignly delivers sinners by eternally choosing them in Christ, by effectually redeeming them in the death of Jesus Christ, by powerfully calling them out of sin and death in time, and by faithfully preserving them unto everlasting life. This is what we call salvation by sovereign grace. This is the beauty of the Reformed faith or Calvinism. It gives all the glory to God.
Our beliefs are summarized in certain creeds or confessions to which we hold. These creeds are the Ecumenical Creeds of the Christian church: the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and the Creed of Chalcedon. As a Reformed church, we also embrace the teachings contained in the Three Forms of Unity: the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dordt.
Our Government
Our congregation is governed by a body of men known as the Council. It consists of our pastor, six elders, and five deacons. All of these men care for the members, but in different ways: the pastor by teaching them, the elders by overseeing them, and the deacons by assisting the poor and needy through the gifts of the members. Our members willingly submit themselves to these men as Christ commands, and do so for their spiritual welfare.
Our Witness
Because we have been saved by God’s sovereign grace, we want to witness of Him in our community and beyond. We strive to do this by our personal witness in the world, as well as by means of an active Evangelism Committee. Through them we send out literature (English and Spanish), sermon recordings, and other materials. We would be happy to send you a list of our materials if you desire this.
We also help sponsor a radio program in the area, called The Reformed Witness Hour. It can be heard Sundays on WFUR FM (102.9) and on WFUR AM (1570). We encourage you to listen in to the messages of the radio pastor.
Our Church Life
We have a busy and full church life. Our fellowship, both formal and informal, centers in the Word of God. We visit with one another and strive to minister to one another in the love of Christ. We offer Bible studies for the adults and young people, catechism classes in Bible history and doctrine for the children and young people, and Sunday school for the children.
Our Worship
On the Lord’s Day (Sunday) we come together twice to worship and praise our blessed God. Our services are orderly, reverent, and simple. We focus on the preaching of the Word, but also worship God by means of singing (psalms), giving, and prayer. Our children join us and participate actively.
Our Invitation
We cordially invite you to visit us sometime, whether or not you already have a church home. We believe that you will find a warm welcome and an edifying worship service.