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Our Basic Beliefs
We Believe:
- God created a splendid universe full of good things, including his
favorite achievement: Humanity.
- Humans were created to know and live before God with free choice.
- Humans chose to turn away from God into sin.
- Sin severed the relationship between humans and God and polluted
all creation.
- Though humans turned away from God, He still loves us and wants our
lives to be filled with joy and peace.
- God has been chasing us throughout history, most of all through his
Son, Jesus Christ.
- Christ became “God with us” and revealed how passionately
God loves us.
- Jesus was crucified on the cross, was resurrected after 3 days, and
then returned to heaven.
- Christians are those who follow Jesus and believe that he died to
restore our relationship with God.
- Our mission is to be witnesses to this story, and to share with others
the good news about Jesus.
 Our
Confessions
The Reformed Church in America accepts three confessional statements
as expressions of its basic beliefs:
- The Heidelberg Catechism. Formulated during the
Reformation, it has had by far the most formative influence on the
life of the Reformed Church.
- The Belgic Confession. Written in the sixteenth
century, it was intended to persuade Philip II of Spain that Reformed
people did not hold heretical views.
- The Canons of Dort. These were formulated in 1618
to resolve a dispute on the issue of divine sovereignty in the work
of salvation.
The Reformed Church also affirms three creeds that arose in the early
church, the Apostles' Creed, the Athanasian
Creed, and the Nicene Creed. In the Reformed
tradition, all creeds and confessions are subject to evaluation in the
light of Scriptures. They are always subordinate to the final authority
of Christ.
Our Mission
The people of First Reformed Church desire:
- Unity in glorifying Jesus Christ
- Commitment to prayer
- Focus toward knowing and applying the Word of God in our lives and
world
- Christ-directed and relevant ministries throughout the community
and the world.
To the members this means we must:
- Be vigilant in our personal and corporate prayer life always seeking
to know God
- Educate and equip our membership in the Word and in approaching others
for Christ
- Employ the gifts of the Holy Spirit to worship in a welcoming way
to others
- Devote generously our time and finances for the Kingdom of God
- Open our eyes to those around us at work and in the community
- Live and serve as witnesses for Jesus Christ locally, nationally,
and globally
Our
History
From its creation in June 1958 with 53 charter members through the present
day, First Reformed Church in Mitchell has sought to keep Christ at the
center of our worship and our lives. The original 53 pioneers showed
great faith and commitment in their willingness to step out and begin
a new church community. We are joined with Christians throughout the
US and Canada in the Reformed Church of America (RCA). Today, we strive
to be a community that is committed to live and worship as the people
of Christ.
Our
Denomination
 The Reformed
Church in America (RCA) was founded in 1628, just twenty-one years
after the colony at Jamestown was established, by the Dutch who settled
in New Amsterdam (now New York City). Our History is rooted in the
Reformation of the 1500s.
Today, the Reformed Church in America offers a foundation for living
in a world of change and challenges. We believe the Bible answers the
questions Who are we? Why are we here? and Where are we going? We also
believe people need to apply the truth of the Bible's teachings to their
everyday lives and work--to let eternal truth speak to contemporary society
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