The church gathered
The person and work of Jesus Christ is at the center of all we are and seek to accomplish as the gathered people of God.

We gather to worship God, Who, through the death and resurrection of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, made it possible for us to be "called out of darkness and into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9) through the forgiveness of sins, by grace through faith.
We gather to enjoy the fellowship of others who also know and love Jesus and who seek to live together as brothers and sisters of our heavenly Father.
We gather for the nurture of our growth as Christ's disciples when together we sit under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit through the authoritative Word of God, the Bible.
We gather to be engaged, challenged, equipped and released for mission, to spread the good news of life and life eternal in Jesus Christ both here and around the world.

The church scattered
Our lives in the church gathered are lived out through a diverse and ever widening array of opportunities for participation and leadership in the program of Waitsburg First Presbyterian church. However, most of our lives are lived away from the church building, involved in the extra-church activities of everyday life. Therefore, we affirm that:

As the church scattered we have an opportunity to make the greatest impact for Jesus Christ upon a lost and hurting world.
As the church scattered we live as the light, salt and leaven of the kingdom of God in places like the home, neighborhood, school, campus, and workplace, places that strategically position us to be used of God; according to His perfect plan and sufficient enablement, we serve as the "city set on a hill that cannot be hid" (Mt. 5:14).
As the church scattered we embody Jesus' words to the man out of whom He cast the demons, saying, "Go to your own home and tell them what God has done for you, how he has had mercy on you" (Mk. 5:19). These words serve as a continual reminder that those who have been drawn into the church through Jesus Christ must always go to the places where they live daily life and be that good and faithful witness to the transforming love and power of our Savior.

Core values

1.  The Person and Work of Jesus Christ
We place the highest value on the person and work of Jesus Christ because we believe that He is the divine Son of God, Lord of the universe and Savior of all who trust in Him. We are therefore committed to doing all things to honor and serve Him and to help others to know Him personally that they might have a full and abundant life.

2.  Corporate and Personal Worship
We place high value on corporate and personal worship because we believe that God is worthy of our praise and we can enjoy a vital intimacy with him known in no other way. We are therefore committed to encouraging worship in forms and contexts which enable people to make whole-hearted expression of praise and experience humble communion with the living God.

3.  Word of God
We place high value on the Word of God because we believe that it is God's revelation of truth to all people in every age. We are therefore committed to the faithful proclamation, teaching and study of the Bible to the end that people will know the truth and build their lives upon it. 

4.  The Church
We place high value on the Church, because we believe that it is God's primary instrument for bringing salvation to a lost world. We are therefore committed to being Christ's Body in the world while we enjoy life in the family of brothers and sisters for whom Christ died.

5.  Believers Living as Light, Salt and Leaven
We place high value on believers living as light, salt and leaven because we believe that the church scattered is God's strategy for reaching an unbelieving world. We are therefore committed to becoming a vital and functioning community of believers so that God might use us to lead many men, women and children to real life and hope in Him.

6.  Church's Worldwide Ministry of the Gospel
We place high value on the church's worldwide ministry of the Gospel because we believe that the church has been commissioned to it by our Lord. We are therefore committed to understanding the part He desires us to play in this global endeavor and to being devoted to the cause of people coming to know Christ in places that are both near and far.

7.  Spiritual Gifts
We place high value on spiritual gifts because we believe they are the means by which the power of God is manifested in ministry through the lives of all believers. We are therefore committed to helping believers discover their gifts, passions and style in ministry and to encouraging the use of those gifts in ministry. 

8.  Marriage and the Family
We place high value on marriage and the family because we believe that they are God's provisions for meeting the most basic needs which he has built into every human being. We are therefore committed to building and strengthening strong, covenant bonds between husbands and wives and to the development of vital relationships between parents, children and siblings.

9.  Nurture & Care of the family of God
We place high value on every child of God, from the cradle to the rocking chair, from devoted church member to the stranger on the sidewalk; we are committed to reaching out and caring for all whom Christ has called us to love in His name. As the priesthood of all believers, the Elders & the pastor, we will strive to provide care and nurture to all.

10.  The Pursuit of Excellence
We place high value on the pursuit of excellence because we believe that God deserves nothing less from us. We are therefore committed to doing our best in every endeavor for the glory of God Who gave His best for us.