Who We Are
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Our Story
Founded more than fifty-five years ago, Providence Presbyterian Church continues to be a beacon of hope in our community. We have a remarkable history that informs our expectations of a great future.
Our name, Providence, says a lot about our story. Since we started our life as a congregation in 1964 Providence Presbyterian Church has been sustained by God. We exist as a ministry in Fairfax County because of the vision and faithfulness of generations of believers at Providence who were, and are, committed to bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to this community and who were, and are upheld along the way by God’s power and grace.
For an in-depth history of Providence Presbyterian Church, you may click on the link for our 50th anniversary celebration brochure from 2014.
Looking Forward
We Are Excited About the Future
We are a congregation that appreciates our past, and we are excited about what God has in store for our future – we invite you to become a part of that future.
The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” -Jeremiah 29:11
Our recent past of expanding and renovating our facility allows us to continue our community outreach now and into the future. We added a gymnasium that we call Mission Hall to support many mission activities, including Upward Basketball.
We have a beautiful custom-built Lively-Fulcher Pipe organ in our sanctuary that enhances our music ministry in our Traditional Worship service. We upgraded our other worship space, Taylor Hall, with technology and furnishings for our Contemporary Worship service. Providentially, we paid off that mortgage in March 2020.
We are enthusiastic about increasing our mission in our community and around the world. As we serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we invite you to be a part of our story. We believe that God has plans for you as well. It is a future of peace and hope; both yours and ours.
Our Beliefs
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him
may not perish but may have eternal life." John 3:16 (NRSV)
God comes to us with grace through his son Jesus, who lived among us and died for our sins. On Easter, Jesus conquered death through his resurrection to provide us the gift of eternal life. We show our gratitude by worshiping God and caring for each other, our neighbors, and our world. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we seek to shine God's light in a world in need of hope and renewal.
We are a part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), a Christian denomination rooted in the historical tradition of the Protestant Reformation. Presbyterians are distinctive in two significant ways: we follow a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members.
Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with the French lawyer and minister John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings gave birth to the Reformed tradition. Some of the principles articulated by John Calvin remain at the core of Presbyterian beliefs. Among these beliefs are:
- The sovereignty of God
- The centrality of Jesus Christ
- The authority of scripture
- Justification by grace through faith
Our knowledge of God and God's purpose for humanity comes from the Bible; and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the New Testament.
We are a Matthew 25 Church!
Our congregation has accepted the PC(USA)’s invitation to follow Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 25:31–46
by becoming active disciples and making a difference in our community and the world.
As part of our Matthew 25 commitment, we pledge to embrace these three areas of focus:
- Building congregational vitality by deepening and energizing our faith and growing as joyful leaders and disciples actively engaged with our community as we share the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed
- Dismantling structural racism by fearlessly applying our faith to advocate and break down the systems, practices and thinking that underlie discrimination, bias, prejudice and oppression of people of color
- Eradicating systemic poverty by acting on our beliefs and working to change laws, policies, plans and structures in our society that perpetuate economic exploitation of people who are poor
To learn more and for ideas on how to get involved and do your vital part as a member of a Matthew 25 church, please visit pcusa.org/matthew25.
