"In gratitude to God, empowered by the spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God's new heaven and new earth praying, Come, Lord Jesus."
Presbyterians are looking toward the future in the 21st century, and have a vision of ministry in action that is very vibrant and inviting. It reflects the love and justice of Jesus Christ.
The denomination has set four mission priorities for the next phase of our life as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):
- Evangelism - We are called to invite all people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ by working for growth and renewal of individuals and congregational families of faith.
- Justice - We are called to redress wrongs in every aspect of life and the whole of creation, working with the poor and powerless, whom Jesus loves, even at risk to our corporate and personal lives.
- Spiritual Formation - We are called to study and reflect on Holy Scripture, praying with one another for insight and clarity, so that the Holy Spirit might mold our lives more and more into the likeness of Jesus Christ, the living word.
- Partnership - We are called to forge a vital partnership with one another, marked by mutual respect, openness, daily repentance, and forgiveness with the knowledge that in life and death we belong to God, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) continues the journey with hope and confidence as we move toward a third century of witness and service to a world in need of love.
We are a congregation in agreement with our purposes presented above, and as such, the First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville shares our lives together with joy, with celebration, and with a sense of family. As a congregation that worships God together we find ourselves in a community of faithfulness with obedience to Christ that reaches out to our neighbors. Compassion, creativity and love are the actions of our ministry of service.
