About

We invite you to explore the history and beliefs of First Presbyterian Church of High Point

We would love to meet you!

We are First Pres

The First Presbyterian Church of High Point was founded on September 3, 1859 with eleven charter members and the Reverend Pleasant Hunter Dalton as its first minister. A church building was constructed on English Street at a cost of $1,234.00 for the lot and building. Reverend Dalton served the church on two different occasions, and his ministry ran through Civil War days when the church building was used as a hospital for sick and wounded soldiers. Several of his descendents are current members of this church.

The Power of the Bible

The Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God (2 Peter 1:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is the authoritative witness pointing to God in the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible is a witness to Jesus without equal and is a standard to itself. One cannot grow in his or her faith in Jesus Christ unless he or she studies the Bible.

OUR VISION:

To be a Christ Centered, biblically literate, loving, and compassionate community that is committed to serving others. To achieve this mission we will:

LIVE BOLDLY:

Following in the pattern of Jesus, we will unashamedly share the good news of the kingdom through the witness of our lives and by inviting people to come alongside us in the journey of faith.

WORSHIP PASSIONATELY:

Our worship life is the center of what we do as a community. It encourages us and empowers us for all the other work of our faith. We will invest our whole selves in the worship of God as we seek to live in the presence of God.

GROW INTENTIONALLY

To be a follower of Jesus means to learn his ways and mold ourselves into his image. We will intentionally undertake those practices that will help us grow in our faith and become mature in Christ.

SERVE WILLINGLY

Jesus did not account equality with God as something to hold onto. Instead, he emptied himself and became a servant. We will take up this servant mindset of Jesus and serve those in need with open and willing hearts wherever we might find them.

GIVE GENEROUSLY

Everything that we have is a gift from our loving God. In thankful response to the provision of God, we will give generously of ourselves and our resources to the work of God in the world.

FPC Beliefs

God: We believe in the Triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Indeed, God created all things and is creating still through the Holy Spirit. God has been revealed partially through nature and most fully in the Jesus Christ. God’s supreme revelation of who God is came in the person of Jesus Christ. God is righteous and loving. 2 Peter 3:9

Jesus Christ: God, through the person of Jesus the Christ fully became a human being while still being completely God. Jesus is God’s way of saying “Yes!” to all people and the world He created. Presbyterians believe Jesus Christ bridges the gap between humanity and God as a result of our sin.

The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit leads to conviction of sin, to repentance and faith, and to a desire for a new life. The Spirit enables us to die more and more to sin and live more and more to righteousness. John 3: 3-8, John 16: 7-13. The Holy Spirit brings about the new birth in the individual and gives gifts for the purpose of glorifying God and building up the body of Christ.

Salvation: For our sins Christ died on the cross, taking upon Himself our guilt and the penalty of sin that we might be forgiven and set free (Romans 5: 8, 8:1). The salvation Jesus offers is not just something we “get” when we die and “are in heaven.” The Bible talks about eternal life in the present tense, i.e. it’s something we can experience today. Eternal life is not only “resting in the arms of God” in our death; it’s also a way of seeing, experiencing, and living life the moment we embrace God through Jesus Christ. A synonym for salvation is “wholeness.” Our journey towards wholeness begins in this life when we embrace Christ as Lord and Savior.

Faith: Salvation comes to us only through our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 1:12, John 3:14-15, Acts 16:30-31, Hebrews 7:25

Repentance: Repentance from sin, which is more than sorrow for sin, is a turning away from sin unto newness of life in Christ. Mark 1:14-15, Acts 2:37-38, Matthew 3:8

The Bible: The Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God (2 Peter 1:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is the authoritative witness pointing to God in the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible is a witness to Jesus without equal and is a standard to itself. One cannot grow in his or her faith in Jesus Christ unless he or she studies the Bible.

The Church: The Church is the place where the Word of God is proclaimed, where the sacraments of God are given, and where disciples are made and then sent out into the world to love others in Christ’s name. To be a Christian automatically means one is a part of the community. There is no such thing as an “isolated Christian.” We believe that the voice of God is better heard, interpreted, and understood when it is heard in the community of the Church.

The Sacraments: The Presbyterian Church has two sacraments: The Lord’s Supper and Baptism. Sacraments are outward signs of God’s grace and love for us. They point away from themselves and direct us to God.

The Lord’s Supper (sometimes called the Eucharist or Communion) is a gift of God to all people who confess their sins and need for Jesus and who profess Him as Lord and Savior. The focus of the Lord’s Supper is on the Lord’s Table as opposed to the altar.

Baptism is a washing away of sins, a participation in the Good Friday and Easter event with Jesus, and the giving of God’s Holy Spirit in a very dramatic way. Children of believing parents are welcomed for baptism as Presbyterians see that baptism is a gift of God given by God. The power of baptism comes from God and not from our desire to be baptized. Consequently, if you have been baptized already, you do not need to be baptized again.

Christian Responsibility of Sharing Our Faith: A Christian has the responsibility of witnessing for Christ, and so helping to build a human society permeated by the spirit of Christ. Acts 1:8, John 1: 34-42, 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

The Bodily Resurrection of Christ: The resurrection of Christ was a bodily resurrection. There will also be a bodily resurrection of all people and recognition in life to come. 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4, John 14: 1-3

The Second Coming of Christ: The second coming of Christ will be personal and glorious. It is ours to watch, work and be ready for when He comes. Matthew 24: 42-44

The Final Judgment: There will be final judgment with Christ as the Judge; and there will be eternal blessedness for all those who in this life accept Jesus Christ as Savior and seek to follow Him as their Lord. Acts 10:42, Hebrews 9:27, 2 Corinthians 5:10

Discipleship: A maturing disciple is someone who has said “yes” to God’s love in Jesus Christ and has become an apprentice of Jesus. Our apprenticeship is a lifelong journey of transformation to become like Jesus through the Spirit, growing to love the Triune God above all else and loving others and creation as the Master does. Discipleship is a lifelong process that starts before we take our first breath, and continues as we finally see Jesus face-to-face. It involves the totality of life: all our choices, attitudes, actions, thoughts, and habits. While discipleship cannot be contained to a program, there are ways that we can order our lives together and individually that will create room for the Holy Spirit to transform us. We are calling these the “building blocks” of discipleship.