Our Beliefs

Our foundational beliefs are based on the Apostles’ Creed. Written about 300 years after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, this creed bears witness to the beliefs of the first generation of Christians; it represents what the New Testament refers to as “the faith that was once and for all handed on to the saints.” (Jude 3:1)

  • I believe in God, the Father almighty,
    creator of heaven and earth.

    I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
    He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
    and born of the Virgin Mary.
    He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    was crucified, died, and was buried.
    He descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose again.
    He ascended into heaven,
    and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

    I believe in the Holy Spirit,
    the holy catholic Church,
    the communion of saints,
    the forgiveness of sins,
    the resurrection of the body,
    and the life everlasting. Amen.

It all starts (and ends) with the love of God for those created in God’s image, people like you and me. 

One theologian of the Middle Ages put it this way, "Human beings are God’s obsession." Another early church thinker said it this way, "The joy of God is a human being fully alive!" Jesus put it this way, "I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. . ." John 10;10 - from The Message translation.

One way of summarizing the story of God boils down to this.

God created a world in love. God made human beings in God’s image, created to love and steward our world and our relationships with each other as God’s vice-regents, so to speak. History is a tragic witness to human beings failing in that privileged responsibility.

The good news (the Gospel) is that God redeems and renews human beings, the crown jewel of creation, restoring us to our place as God’s fellow workers in God’s world. Jesus, the God-human, gives birth to a new humanity who, by God’s Spirit, enables us to become more and more like Jesus, as we become more and more absorbed into his cruciform life by following him in faith and repentance. 

There is much more to say about what we believe and why we believe it. We hope that you will join us as we continue to ponder together in community and conversation the faith that was once and for all handed on to all the saints.

Grace Chicago is a part of the Reformed Church in America (RCA) and is a member of the City Classis. The City Classis is a collection of churches within the RCA who support one another. Their Framework for Life Together document helped us think about how to hold our own differences.

For more information about membership at Grace, click here!

If you're unsure about attending a service, and would be more comfortable grabbing coffee with a member of Grace first, head over to the contact us page and send a note. Coffee is on us!