About Us

Our Church History and Beliefs

It is important to know where we came from and where God is leading us. Through His guidance we strive to make passionate followers of Jesus.

 

 

Church History

When you get right down to it EverGreen is all about making passionate followers of Jesus. Around EverGreen a passionate follower is someone who serves others, who loves the text (i.e. the Bible), knows the text, lives the text, and speaks the text. They live authentically and deal with the hurts and habits that keep them from following hard after Jesus. In this pursuit they find strength through prayer and by living in community.

Some highlights along this journey:

+ Our first worship service was held in September of 1993 at a local elementary school.
+ More than 100 people have committed their lives to Christ over the years.
+ Our partnership with the Alpha Company of Marines stationed in Iraq. We were able to support their families here in the states.
+ Our annual Christmas party for needy families.
+ Our corners offering that began in 2006 that annually raises more than $20,000 dollars for the poor.
+ Our partnership with orphanages in Mexico and Uganda.
+ Missionary partnerships in Uganda, India, and the U.S.
+ Moving out of rented facilities and into a permanent facility in 2005.
+ A Recovery Ministry that serves more than 250 people as they recover from addictions.
+ Youth programs, events, retreats and service projects.
+ "Love Your Neighbor Day" where more than 200 people from EverGreen went into our community and served in a variety of ways.
+ Kidfest - a fall festival of arts, games, and more for local families.
+ "What if it were True" - an outreach advertising campaign that invited people to discover the truth of the gospel.
+ A three year cycle of teaching and learning called Getting Dusty where we read through and study the entire Bible.
+ Small groups that bring both care and study.
+ An emphasis on the arts that proclaims that God declares that all creation is his.
+ A partnership with Kid's Hope that brings EverGreen people into tutoring relationships with kids at a local elementary school.

 

 

Summary of Beliefs

Mission:

EverGreen Ministries is a community of faith that exists to be and create passionate followers of Jesus.

Some of the things we live by as we do ministry:

+ This is a place for empty and broken people.
+ All are invited to come and become passionate followers of Jesus.
+ We believe in multi-generational interaction and ministry as often and in as many ways as possible.
+ We believe that ministry outside the "four walls" of the church is as important as what happens inside the "four walls".
+ We have a "loose grip" on the resources God has given us. Therefore we see our facility as an important resource to be used by the community, as well as, the ministries of EverGreen.
+ We believe all space in the church is "shared space" so no one has their "own" room or "owns" the church when they are using it.
+ "We can do so much more than we think because God's power enables us."
+ Failure is not "having something not work," it is "not having tried something we should have tried."

Star Focus:

Service: We are devoted to showing love by doing good.
Text: We are devoted to studying and living out the Scriptures.
Authenticity: We are devoted to living genuine lives before God, others and the world.
Recovery: We are devoted to healing and being healed of our addictions, hurts, and destructive habits.

Context of EverGreen's Mission and Focus:

Community: We believe that being part of a caring group of believers is essential to being a passionate follower of Jesus who lives out the STAR focus.
Prayer: We believe that being a person of prayer is essential to being a passionate follower of Jesus who lives out the STAR focus.

This We Believe

The 19th century theologian and statesman, Abraham Kuyper, said, "There is not one square inch of this world that God does not say, 'That belongs to me'."

+ We believe that God is at work reclaiming all that belongs to him and turning his universe right side up. (See Colossians 1). The centerpiece of this work comes through Jesus Christ who by his death and resurrection brings about the forgiveness of sins, brings people into his kingdom, and renews all of creation.
+ We believe that as forgiven sinners and members of his kingdom, God calls us to join him in this great work of reclaiming his creation and turning the world right side up.
+ We believe that God empowers us for this work through his Spirit and that he changes not only the world by his Spirit, but also transforms us look more like Jesus.
+ We believe that God calls us to be part of a local body of believers where we live our faith and our call in a committed and caring community.

EverGreen joyfully lives out all of this in the context of the historic Christian faith. Further, we are a body of believers which comes out of the Reformed/Presbyterian family of the faith. Because of our historic roots we are pleased to find our statements of faith not only in our own words, but also in the words of those who have gone before us and on whose shoulders we stand.

The Apostles' Creed The most basic and oldest of these statements of faith is the Apostles Creed. This creed dates from the 4th century and contains a summary of the apostles' teachings. One person has said, "It sets forth their doctrine in sublime simplicity, in unsurpassable brevity, in beautiful order and with liturgical solemnity." More than any other Christian creed, it may justly be called an ecumenical symbol of faith.

The Apostles' Creed

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

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come 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.

*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places

The Nicene Creed - Read it

Another creed of the early church that expresses the beliefs of EverGreen is the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed, is a statement of the orthodox faith of the early Christian church in opposition to certain heresies. These heresies, which disturbed the church during the fourth century, concerned the doctrine of the trinity and of the person of Christ. In its present form this creed goes back partially to the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) with additions by the Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381). It was accepted in its present form at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The creed is a majestic formulation of our faith as explained by Nicea.

The Heidelberg Catechism - Read it

If you are looking for a more in depth statement of our faith The Heidelberg Catechism written in the 16th century during a time of persecution and religious change gives a very good overview of what we believe.

Our World Belongs to God - Read it

If you are looking for a more contemporary expression of the faith we invite you to explore Our World Belongs to God.