Pastoral Help
Our pastors, Bruce and Carolyn
Gillette, welcome all questions about faith and life. They have
been pastors for twenty years and one of the most joyful parts of
their ministry is helping people learn more about the Christian
faith. Bruce and Carolyn both have M.Div. degrees from Princeton
Theological Seminary. Carolyn's undergraduate degree was in Religion
from Lebanon Valley College. Bruce has a Th.M. degree in Systematic
Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. Please call Bruce and
Carolyn at the church (302-994-5646) or at home (302-994-0220) or
email them at
bcgillette@comcast.net
if you have a question or simply would enjoy a visit with them
sometime soon.
Creeds
Limestone Presbyterians use a
variety of Statements of Faith in our worship services, both ancient
and modern, including the ancient ecumenical creeds that are used by
many other Christian denominations.
The Apostles' Creed (Pastor Carolyn
Gillette has written a
hymn that is a paraphrase of this creed)
The
Book of Confessions, which is the
first part of our church constitution, also includes Statements of
Faith from the Reformation as well as more modern statements. Among
these are:
The Brief Statement of Faith is the most
recent creed for our church and is used in our Inquirer's Group to
explain the basics of the faith.
What Presbyterians Believe Presbyterians Today
magazine has an ongoing series of online articles on "What
Presbyterians Believe" that explores the Biblical and
theological foundations of our faith:
The seal of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is
comprised of the symbol, the basic components of which are the
cross, scripture, a descending dove at the upper part of the cross,
and flames on either side of the lower part of the cross. The name
of the denomination (Presbyterian Church U.S.A.) encircles the symbol.
A special web page explains in greater detail each part of this
important symbol of our church.
Catechisms
For many generations, the Heidelberg, with the Westminster Larger
and Shorter Catechisms, has helped Christians understand their faith
from the perspective of our Reformed faith. These statements of
faith can be found in our Book of Confessions. The 210th General
Assembly (1998) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved new
catechisms for use in the church. The new catechisms are available
as individual
books and
online.
Belonging to God is intended for
children in the third or fourth grade. The Study Catechism is for
youth and adults, and is also available in a Confirmation
edition for youth Confirmation classes.
Links to More Information about the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):
