What Kind of Church is NDPC?
There are lots of different kinds of churches out there. What kind are we? We read the Holy Scriptures, share the sacraments of baptism and communion, and model our individual and collective lives on the servant Christ. What else should you know about us?
- We’re Presbyterian (PCUSA), which means that power for setting church direction and policy belongs to the people in the pews.
- We’re “family-sized.” We have about 300 members, about 180 are in worship each week. We know each other and care for one another as a family.
- Children have always been a tremendously important part of our congregation. We value their safety, their education, and their growth in faith.
- We believe that Christians are supposed to make the world a better place. Our members have been involved in nearly every initiative to alleviate the effects of poverty and suffering in our community and we have founded or co-founded several of them.
- We are part of a global community, with active relationships in Guatemala and Colombia. Included in our membership are several retired missionaries who have served in Asia, South America, and Africa.
- We are politically active: we believe in “upstream” ministry that works to change state and national government policy to promote peace, justice, and human rights.
- We welcome LGBTQ Christians, their partners, and their children without question. We have been a gay-friendly church for decades and we believe that Jesus wants it that way.
- Our sign on the corner of Scott and North Decatur has portrayed our ethos. In the 50s, it said: “A Contemporary Church Serving the Contemporary Christ in the Contemporary World.” Now, it says, “We Welcome All.” Both are true today.
Sanctuary stained glass, ca. 1966