Baptism

“Baptism enacts and seals what the Word proclaims: God’s redeeming grace offered to all people. Baptism is at once God’s gift of grace, God’s means of grace, and God’s call to respond to that grace. Through Baptism, Jesus Christ calls us to repentance, faithfulness, and discipleship. Through Baptism, the Holy Spirit gives the Church its identity and commissions the Church for service in the world.

     Baptism is the bond of unity in Jesus Christ. When we are baptized, we are made one with Christ, with one another, and with the Church of every time and place. In Christ, barriers of race, status, and gender are overcome; we are called to seek reconciliation in the Church and world, in Jesus’ name.

     Both believers and their children are included in God’s covenant love. The baptism of believers witnesses to the truth that God’s gift of grace calls for our grateful response. The baptism of our young children witnesses to the truth that God claims people in love even before they are able to respond in faith. These two forms of witness are one and the same Sacrament…

     Baptism marks the beginning of new life in Christ. The new way of life to which God calls us is one of deep commitment, disciplined discernment, and growth in faith. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, given with and through Baptism, equip and strengthen us for the challenges of Christian faith and life.”

(W-3.0402 Theology of Baptism, in “Directory for Worship,” Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Part II:  Book of Order, 2023 – 2025.)

Church Music Program

It is so easy to take our Music Program for granted, so please tell our Music Director (Shay VanWinkle), the Organist/Pianist (Jeanette West), and the Choir members a special ‘Thank You’ if you enjoy their work.

The church’s members and friends are in-vited to join the choir, first and foremost, because they love to sing. The goal is not to be a performance, but to add to the worship service. Our pastor is very involved in helping to select hymns that will add to the message.

Jeanette West has been a faithful pianist/organist for our congregation, and she chose to become a member of this church when she became our full time player in 2011. She plans the music during the prelude, offertory, and postlude.

It is an inspiration to watch our music program partici-pate in our services with joy, love, and fun. God has truly blessed us with this program!

The Seekers Class

      The Seekers is the co-ed (and singles) adult Bible Class in our church.  We meet on Sunday mornings (execpt for our Summer break) at 9:00 a.m. to discuss a topic and possibly view the video segment tied to the lesson.

      The class is an opportunity for the adults of our church to increase their Biblical literacy, ask questions, ponder other’s points of view and get to know their fellow church members.

      The class meets from September through May. Topics change during the year and may be based on a Book of the Bible or a current topic or popular book.   We welcome everyone to our fellowship.  Coffee is always served most Sundays include a snack.  Please join us!

The Lord's Supper

“The Lord’s Supper enacts and seals what the Word proclaims: God’s sustaining grace offered to all people. The Lord’s Supper is at once God’s gift of grace, God’s means of grace, and God’s call to respond to that grace. Through the Lord’s Supper, Jesus Christ nourishes us in righteousness, faithfulness, and discipleship. Through the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Spirit renews the Church in its identity and sends the Church to mission in the world.

     When we gather at the Lord’s Supper the Spirit draws us into Christ’s presence and unites with the Church in every time and place. We join with all the faithful in heaven and on earth in offering thanksgiving to the triune God. We reaffirm the promises of our baptism and recommit ourselves to love and serve God, one another, and our neighbors in the world.

     The opportunity to eat and drink with Christ is not a right bestowed upon the worthy, but a privilege given to the undeserving who come in faith, repentance, and love. All who come to the table are offered the bread and cup, regardless of their age or understanding. If some of those who come have not yet been baptized, an invitation, when appropriate, to baptismal preparation and Baptism should be graciously extended.

     Worshipers prepare themselves to celebrate the Lord’s Supper by putting their trust in Christ, confessing their sin, and seeking reconciliation with God and one another. Even those who doubt may come to the table in order to be assured of God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ.” 
(W-3.0409 Theology of the Lord’s Supper, in “Directory for Worship,” Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Part II:  Book of Order, 2023 – 2025.)

The Benevolence Program

     The Benevolence committee met quarterly in 2014 with seven members of the church reviewing the needs of local, community, and international agencies. Our commitment to return twenty-five percent of our blessings received from the grace and mercy of our Father was met as we carefully considered the needs of those less fortunate.

The Salado Food Pantry received a twice-monthly giving of bread, as well as a financial contribution and the proceeds of our Giving Basket. In addition to the agencies listed, we supported the First Baptist church's Fall Festival, and the Rotary Club's flag program.

Samaritan's Purse is a  world-wide Christian agency that provides critically needed humanitarian assistance from treating Ebola patients to providing food, medical supplies and support, water wells, and water purification systems-from a straw that purifies water as it is taken in to sophisticated sytems that provide water for villages.