What We Believe
Gilbert Presbyterian Church is called to be Christ-centered covenant family, nurtured by the Holy Spirit, to worship God and share and God’s love with EVERYONE.
We believe:
Gilbert Presbyterian Church is a member congregation of the Presbytery of Grand Canyon Presbyterian Church (USA)
We believe:
- In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, The Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.
- Jesus, fully human, fully God, proclaimed the reign of God through his works of compassion on earth, calling all to repent and believe the gospel.
- Jesus gave his life for the sins of the world that we might die to sin and be reconciled to God.
- God raised Jesus from the dead, breaking the power of sin and evil, raising us from death to eternal life.
- The Holy Spirit justifies us by grace through faith and binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the Church.
- The Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit and are the authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the church universal and God’s Word to us.
- The same Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles calls women and men to all ministries of the Church.
- In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives.
Gilbert Presbyterian Church is a member congregation of the Presbytery of Grand Canyon Presbyterian Church (USA)
Virtual Communion for Those Who Watch Online
Why celebrate the Lord’s Supper online?
The session has the responsibility of seeing that the sacrament of Communion (or The Lord’s Supper) is celebrated at least quarterly. “The principles of the Directory for Worship include guidance on the theology underlying the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. The Directory for Worship assumes that the Lord’s Supper will be administered in person in a gathered assembly, after which it may be taken beyond the initial worship service to those who are home-bound or shut in, as an extension of that worship service, by two persons in ordered ministry.” (These are the offices of deacon and ruling elder.)
The Sacraments are both physical signs and spiritual gifts, including words and actions, surrounded by prayer, in the context of the Church's common worship. They employ ordinary things-the basic elements of water, bread, and wine-in proclaiming the extraordinary love of God.
Because of efforts to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, worship in person is suspended until safety measures can be appropriately developed and adequately administered. In the meantime, online worship continues, and we will include virtual Communion once a month for the benefit of those worshiping with us from their homes.
How do I prepare?
To prepare for the Lord’s Supper, first you need elements. They can be as spectacular or ordinary as you like: Bake your grandmother’s favorite bread recipe or grab a box of crackers. Open a bottle of wine you’ve been saving or turn on the faucet. The elements themselves are not what make communion special – it is God’s grace and activity as we remember together.
After the elements have been selected, you might think about what cup and plate to use. You may choose something unique, filled with history and memory or your everyday place settings. Jesus used what was available to him at the time, and God made sure it was enough. It’s what God does: makes the ordinary, holy.
Though we will be physically distant, we will be united at one table. Whether you prepare the dining room with candles or use a well-loved TV tray. When we commune together, we are reminded of the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us. Christ himself is present with us. The important thing about this meal is not the elements themselves, but God’s physical grace that is offered to us at the table.
Why celebrate the Lord’s Supper online?
The session has the responsibility of seeing that the sacrament of Communion (or The Lord’s Supper) is celebrated at least quarterly. “The principles of the Directory for Worship include guidance on the theology underlying the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. The Directory for Worship assumes that the Lord’s Supper will be administered in person in a gathered assembly, after which it may be taken beyond the initial worship service to those who are home-bound or shut in, as an extension of that worship service, by two persons in ordered ministry.” (These are the offices of deacon and ruling elder.)
The Sacraments are both physical signs and spiritual gifts, including words and actions, surrounded by prayer, in the context of the Church's common worship. They employ ordinary things-the basic elements of water, bread, and wine-in proclaiming the extraordinary love of God.
Because of efforts to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, worship in person is suspended until safety measures can be appropriately developed and adequately administered. In the meantime, online worship continues, and we will include virtual Communion once a month for the benefit of those worshiping with us from their homes.
How do I prepare?
To prepare for the Lord’s Supper, first you need elements. They can be as spectacular or ordinary as you like: Bake your grandmother’s favorite bread recipe or grab a box of crackers. Open a bottle of wine you’ve been saving or turn on the faucet. The elements themselves are not what make communion special – it is God’s grace and activity as we remember together.
After the elements have been selected, you might think about what cup and plate to use. You may choose something unique, filled with history and memory or your everyday place settings. Jesus used what was available to him at the time, and God made sure it was enough. It’s what God does: makes the ordinary, holy.
Though we will be physically distant, we will be united at one table. Whether you prepare the dining room with candles or use a well-loved TV tray. When we commune together, we are reminded of the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us. Christ himself is present with us. The important thing about this meal is not the elements themselves, but God’s physical grace that is offered to us at the table.