Embedded Files
Core Commitments
If you want to know the 1 most important thing about us, you need to know that we believe that Christ is our King, who draws near to us in love. This is the basis of the gospel, the good news that we have accepted and share with others, that we can be saved from our sin through him alone.
While we value our theological tradition, to enjoy and serve in Jesus' community here, we don't expect you to sign off on every detail of our belief system, expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith. Rather, we expect all of our members to affirm a handful of basic Christian doctrines, and continually repent and believe in Christ as we serve and follow Him.
We’re hospitable to all regardless of your religious or personal story. King's Cross is here for the the devout & the cynic, the faith-filled & the doubter, the conservative & liberal, the bored & the burned.
We invite you, whether you are convinced or curious, to King's Cross.
◘ A Christian Church
King's Cross' faith and life are rooted in the historic Christian faith as it is revealed in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Together with Christians throughout the ages we affirm the historic Nicene and Apostle’s creeds and other foundational doctrines and truths. Click the arrow to find out.
The Trinity
There is one real and personal God who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Revelation and the Holy Scriptures
God communicates to us through his creation and in a special way through Scripture. We believe the Bible is God's Word, completely trustworthy and without error. It is the ultimate authority for all that we believe and practice in life.
Human Beings
The Bible teaches that human beings are created male and female in the image of their creator, to glorify and enjoy God as we live out his purposes for us. Nevertheless, all humans, on account of our first parents and our individual sins, have become estranged from our creator through sin.
Jesus Christ
Out of God’s sheer love and grace, God redeems his children through Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He is the Son of God, who took on human flesh in order to deliver humanity from its lost condition. Jesus lived a sinless life, obeyed God's law completely, suffered and died on the cross of Calvary, and then was physically raised on the third day. He then ascended to the right hand of the Father, where he presently intercedes for us.
Faith & Repentance
Each person can receive salvation from Christ by renouncing their former manner of life and believing in Jesus Christ alone. This is not something we earn, but is thoroughly a gift of God’s grace. Christians then live as obedient children by the power of the Holy Spirit and is evidence of the salvation we have freely received by grace.
The Church
The church is the people of God from all ages, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, the head of the church, also called "the body of Christ." Christians join together in local communities called churches to worship their Lord, to grow together in his likeness, and to enjoy serving him and one another together.
◘ A Kingdom Church
We are very grateful to live under the Lordship of Christ. He reigns in a unique way in the hearts and lives of Christians who submit to him, but he has dominion as the Firstborn of Creation over all things (Col 1:15-20). Though we recognize others may have different formulations for the overlap of Christ's Kingdom and the world, here is a summary of the King's Cross view of the Kingdom of God.
Christ as King over the Family
Christ as King over Politics
Christ as King over Vocation
Christ as King over Neighborhoods
But we are also a missional fellowship. We don’t want to keep our faith to ourselves, but we are constantly sharing our faith in new places and in new ways so that all may believe the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
◘ A Reformed Church
Reformed Churches follow the tradition of the Protestant Reformation, tracing our history through Martin Luther, John Calvin, and then the Westminster Assembly or the Dutch Reformed movement.
The family traits of Reformed Churches are always the 5 Solas.
Sola Gratia - We were saved by grace alone.
Sola Fide - This grace is received through faith alone.
Solus Christus - The only redeemer is Christ alone.
Sola Scriptura - Our only guide concerning belief and Christian duty is scripture alone.
Soli Deo Gloria - Everything we do is to the glory of God alone.
◘ A Presbyterian Church
King's Cross is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), our desire is to live out the motto of our denomination: "faithful to the Scriptures, true to the Reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission." Read about each of these distinctives below.
Faithful to the Scriptures: The Bible is God's inerrant Word and is relevant for every aspect of our lives. When we gather together for worship, we read God's Word, hear the Word Preached, sing the Word, and pray the Word. Our desire is to be a people who always hear the Word (read/study/discuss it), hold the word (cherish/treasure it), and herald the Word (preach/teach/proclaim it to ourselves and to others)!
True to the Reformed Faith: We affirm the "five solas" of the Reformation, namely that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, on the basis of the Word of God alone, all to the glory of God alone!
Obedient to the Great Commission: Christ made the mission of His church clear in Matthew 28:18-20, and we recognize that the mission that Jesus gave His disciples back then is our same mission today: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The name Presbyterian comes from a Greek word which means elder. In other words, we are led by elders. We don’t have a pope or bishops arranged in a hierarchy. Instead, elders (whether they are professional pastors or lay “ruling elders”) share the responsibility of the flock at every level.
"But I believe something different..."
That’s ok! Absolutely everyone is welcome into our doors. Most people require months or years to actually come to a final conclusion in their beliefs. While you are pondering, seeking, and questioning, you belong here!
If you want to join the church as a member, then you only need to hold firm the beliefs of the Christian Church. Everything else is a matter we leave to your conscience.
If you are ready for membership, we’ll want to hear about your beliefs and your desire to follow Jesus. If you haven’t already been baptized, we’ll baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Once that occurs, you are a member.
Mission/Vision/Values
King's Cross is a community of people made for glory, yet now broken by sin, a community of need…
We are spiritually renewed by the Triune God, purely by the Father’s grace, Connected and formed together into the church of Jesus Christ the Son, Sent out as servants in the mission of global renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Read below to see why we exist
Know God, Love People, Renew Our Place... Spiritually, Socially, and Culturally.
Everything we do as a community has woven into it the core values of:
The Gospel.
Story: The Bible is, first and foremost, the true drama of the Triune God's redemption of His people and His creation taking place in history, accomplished in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and applied in the ongoing work of the Spirit.
Identity: Our own stories are woven into and through this grand narrative of redemption by grace, we are transformed from enemies of God to adopted and beloved children because of His grace.
Economy: This grace changes everything, nothing in the life of the Christian is untouched by grace, there is no division of sacred and secular, all of life becomes a theater for God's redemptive purposes to be celebrated and applied.
Calling.
Worship: People are made to worship. The literary critic, David Foster Wallace, once observed that we all worship something, we are made for worship. In Christianity worship is the singing of songs, but also includes the focus of one's whole life.
Proclaim: As worshipping creatures, we're made to reflect the glory of our Maker-- this is what it means to be made in the image of God. So as we live life, we share, through our deeds and our words, who this God is and His personal rescue of us through His grace alone.
Multiply: At the outset of the Bible, humanity is directed to go forth, multiply, and create culture to expand God's glory. The church continues this calling as we bring the redemption of Jesus into every life sphere through our vocations, and the continual planting of new communities of faith.
Place.
Land: Physical place matters. Contrary to both a naturalistic worldview and some religious perspectives, the destiny of the earth is not a fiery destruction, but a glorious restoration in the life of the world to come. Thus, we seek to honor, enjoy, belong to, and care for our local environment.
People: Bloomington's diverse groups of people all have much to offer, yet we love others not because of the strengths they offer but because all people bear God's image-- this is why human brokenness doesn't scare us, nor glory surprise us, instead they compel us to compassion.
Culture: Culture is "what we make of the world," it’s what people do— we make stuff. Bloomington has its own unique cultures, and we want to honor those aspects that show true truth, beauty, and goodness because all these things point to the one personal creator God who is the ultimate culture-maker.
Community.
Hospitality: We love opening our homes, cooking great meals, treating people to dinner and drinks, we love throwing parties. We want to have welcoming dispositions wherever we go, because this is the very attitude God has toward us.
Friendship: We see our own need for deep relationships of vulnerability, commitment, and safety, and we know that others long for this as well. Simple friendship is a lost art, and we hope to regain this most basic of human institutions.
Discipleship: We long to encourage one another, weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice, and help one another cooperate with the Holy Spirit's ongoing work of grace in each others' lives.
Serving.
We're a community that's here for the benefit of this place, not vice versa. In Genesis 12, God calls and blesses Abraham so that Abraham and his spiritual descendants can be a blessing to all people. The gospel of grace motivates us to serve others out of delight for God, not out of religious duty or a feeble reciprocal altruism. We love-- God and others-- because God first loved us.
Renewal.
Spiritual: Life-renewal first comes from God and impacts the life of a person, confronting our idols, addictions, doubts, and fears with the atoning actions of Jesus in history, and the cleansing work of God's Spirit in the present.
Social: All people are interconnected, thus our brokenness and our redemption through grace inevitably will impact the webs of relationships we're a part of. We pray and strive toward God's goal of healing our broken family systems, neglected relationships, patterns of abuse, and systemic social issues such as racial injustice, gender and generational alienation, and socio-economic divisions.
Cultural: There are remnants of beauty in all that we make, yet these glimpses stand amidst great ruins of a humanity that's turned away from our Maker. Things that were meant to be good, have become ultimate and have now become determiners of our identity and sense that our lives mean something. Yet, all of creation belongs to Christ, and he is reordering all things to serve him in their proper place. By relating to all aspects of culture in this right relationship, Christians can cooperate with God's redemptive purposes. And, these former objects of misplaced worship can find their proper place as objects for our enjoyment and for service devoted to God alone.
As a member of the Presbyterian Church in America, we trace our theological and ecclesiastical roots to the Reformed tradition of Protestantism. The Westminster Standards are a wonderful expression of the Bible’s core teachings and have served as the doctrinal standard for many Christians since the seventeenth century.
While we value our theological tradition, to enjoy and serve in Jesus' community here, we don't expect you to sign off on every detail of our Confession. Rather, we expect all of our members to affirm a handful of basic Christian doctrines, and maintain the posture of repentance and faith in Christ as we serve and follow Him.
We’re hospitable to all regardless of your religious or personal story. King's Cross is here for the the devout & the cynic, the faith-filled & the doubter, the conservative & liberal, the bored & the burned.
We invite you, wherever you are in the process, to King's Cross.
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