Our denomination's twelve point doctrinal statement is available here. It covers the "basics" on which most evangelical Christians agree. But the points below describe some important distinctives of our Elverson congregation.

The Grandeur and Glory of God
God is infinitely above us, his thoughts beyond ours, "his paths beyond all tracing out." He is by far the most important person in the universe. We exist for him, not vice versa. Worship is not primarily to comfort us but to magnify him. Yet amazingly, God has arranged that what glorifies him benefits us. Only as we lose ourselves in admiring and serving him do we discover true life, and stumble upon real joy. "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen" (Rom 11:36).

The Absolute Sovereignty of God Over All Things
Some people view God and Satan as equally matched in an arm-wrestling contest. At times Satan wins and bad things happen; on other days God wins, and good things occur. But the Bible teaches that nothing ever takes place apart from God's holy plan. Sorrow, pain, joy, pleasure -- all are ordained by God for our good and his glory. "Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?" (Lam 3:38). "...I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things" (Isa 45:7). "The Lord works out everything for his own ends, even the wicked..." (Prov 16:4). Yet amazingly, because he is infinitely powerful and good, God accomplishes his own ends in a manner totally without sin and without forcing his creatures to act against their wills.

Jesus Christ as the Theme of the Entire Bible
The Old Testament (the first half of the Bible) largely tells of creation, mankind's fall into sin, and God's dealings with the nation of Israel. But these are told to lay the foundation for the New Testament story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, the Old Testament is a book about Jesus. A faithful handling of any Old Testament passage will always point in some way to him. True, God loves the Jewish people and hints at future plans for them as a race. But Jews are saved -- and always have been -- only as they are "grafted into" Christ, and Gentiles are included in the promise that "all those who believe are children of Abraham" (Rom 11:24; Gal 3:7).

The Five "Solas" of the Reformation
For centuries following the earliest years of Christianity, the church seriously drifted from core biblical doctrines. By the Medieval period, Europe languished in deep spiritual darkness. Biblical knowledge decreased even as pomp in public worship increased. As in our day, "spirituality" was high, but knowledge of God's Word was low. But a remarkable return to scriptural roots was born in the sixteenth century under Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others. This return came to be called the Reformation. The Reformation's major scriptural re-discoveries were summarized by five Latin phrases which capture well the message of salvation: