MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to glorify God,
    to grow in Christ,
        to spread the gospel,
            and to serve the Lord in
            Spirit-gifted ministry.

VISION STATEMENT

In grateful dependence on God’s grace,
we glorify Christ
    through worship that is mostly formal,
        yet distinctly evangelical. 
We emphasize God's Word,
        which transforms hearts and minds,
    and we treasure the great hymns
        and Christian music from all ages. 
We grow in Christ
    through small groups
    and other relationships    
        that encourage practical faith. 
We give ourselves to pray and work
    for the spread of the gospel,
        both in our community
        and throughout the world. 
And we seek to equip every believer
    for personal ministries
        that build the church    
        and reach out to others.

In 2013, First Presbyterian Church of Waukegan became part of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), a Christian denomination committed to the truth and authority of the Bible. A distinctive of the EPC is its emphasis on the need for Christians to be unified in the essential teachings of the Christian faith, despite their differences on other matters.

The basic teachings of the Christian faith, as understood at First Presbyterian Church, are summarized in "The Essentials of Our Faith," a document produced by our denomination (the EPC). We believe that the affirmations contained in this brief document arise naturally from Scripture when Scripture is afforded its full authority.

In addition to the basic teachings outlined in "The Essentials of Our Faith," First Presbyterian Church (and the EPC as a whole) represents a specifically presbyterian perspective on theology and practice. This "Reformed" perspective is laid out in detail in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. The distinctives of this perspective are seen in such matters as our form of church government, our understanding of the sacraments (baptism and the Lord's supper), and our emphasis on the sovereignty of God.

The Westminster Confession of Faith and the catechisms are long-standing historic documents, grounding us in a specific spiritual heritage. In addition to this historical grounding, it is also important for us to address contemporary issues in a manner consistent with our understanding of the Bible. To this end, the EPC has published a number of Position Papers specifying our denomination's stance on theological and moral issues of particular contemporary significance.

Oversight of First Presbyterian Church is provided by those ordained as elders. Our congregation elects elders to a three-year term of active service. (“Session” refers to the current board of active elders.) In addition to providing general oversight, session members serve in administrative roles and as leaders of ministry committees.