About Our Church
What We Believe
What is your only comfort, in life and in death?
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That I belong “body and soul, in life and in death” not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit his purpose for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
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How many things must you know that you may live and die in the blessedness of this comfort?
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Three. First, the greatness of my sin and wretchedness. Second, how I am freed from all my sins and their wretched consequences. Third, what gratitude I owe to God for such redemption.
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With these words and others we have taught our children and ourselves the Faith of the Church. First, we consider our need of a Savior, acknowledging that our sins are so great that we can not save ourselves. Then, we trust in God’s great provision of a beautiful and perfect Savior Jesus Christ who for us and for our salvation lived, died, rose, ascended, and is coming for us. Now, we live lives of great gratitude for what God has done. We join the apostle Paul who exclaimed “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Honoring the Savior we obey his word thankfully and joyfully. And together.
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As one people of God, we seek to fulfill what is required of us as God’s people in covenant with the Creator of all things who is also the Redeemer of the world. We work that our lives may be an amen to the teaching of the prophet Micah. “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.” When we err from the mission and become again self-centered, we ask for God’s mercy to save us from what we deserve, and we ask for God’s grace to give us what we have not earned. We pray constantly to grow in grace always. We believe Faith leads to Duty, and Truth to Practice. We are committed to learn what it means to love the Lord our God with all our minds, that we may love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And our neighbors as ourselves. We believe God has uniquely formed and placed us to serve the city with passion and excellence. We gladly engage this mission that we may show our gratitude for this sovereign and loving God, that the city and its citizens may, in every way, flourish, so that God may be glorified.
-- (from the The Heidelberg Catechism, 1562)
Vision Statement
As the body of Christ, we exist to foster a community of belonging in an environment of deep spiritual growth, walking together in word and deed.
FPC of San Diego History
1869
Church Beginnings
​We began properly when San Diego’s New Town did – 1869 – and where the city of San Diego was to begin anew, downtown by the bay. We grew when the city grew, becoming one of the largest churches in the nation. When the suburbs began to flourish in the last two generations our members dispersed to many places, yet the church campus remained in the heart of the city with the city at our heart. We are not as many since this dispersion, but our ministries continue to flourish, especially to the poorest of the poor.
1976
City Tree Christian School Founded
Our children attend many schools – public, chartered, at home, and our own City Tree Christian School on our campus; our teens gather in many places to grow up and in the Lord; we work in every industry throughout the region, committed to helping the city and its region flourish; and we play in all the places and spaces of God’s creation.
Present
Who We are Today
We live now in over 50 zip codes throughout San Diego County and beyond. Though our homes are everywhere, we consider our home to be the church campus. Here we worship, find the friends of faith for a lifetime, work to serve our Savior by serving others, and with a joyful rigor study the Scriptures that we may become more faithful to our calling as disciples of the Lord Jesus.
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We are Presbyterians, but the great majority of us did not begin in this household of faith, and more than a few of us are new to seriously following the Faith. Together we discover the riches of a living tradition that has sustained many throughout the centuries.
We love Jesus. Jesus loved us first. We are not yet all that we will be; we are no longer what we once were. That’s neither bragging nor complaining. It is the glad announcement of a people that know their Savior and follow their Lord.
Each new member class has the highly educated and the homeless, and the two categories, we have discovered, are not mutually exclusive. Our core leadership is a large cadre of long established members, many of whom grew up in this congregation; our new members are often from the streets and now the homes and condos and apartments near the church in neighborhoods that are newly repopulated. Our ethnic diversity grows.
Adults meet in formal educational settings on Sunday and many more during the week; many teens and children are in informal weekly small group meetings. We serve 250 plus urban homeless a week with a shared Sunday afternoon meal. We serve also our homeless neighbors in Wednesday evenings discipleship classes, and in opportunities for fellowship and service. We engage in local missions to the neighborhood public schools, the business community, the military, and often host the San Diego arts community on our campus. We travel far and often in mission to the global world – starting churches, building schools, supporting hospitals and community development projects, and providing justice to the world's poor and vulnerable.
Find Community
Here we worship, find the friends of faith for a lifetime, work to serve our Savior by serving others, and with a joyful rigor study the Scriptures that we may become more faithful to our calling as disciples of the Lord Jesus.
Sunday Worship
Sunday mornings we worship in the Sanctuary at 9:30AM. For more information about our service, use the button below.
Ministries
Discipleship, or following Christ, is a continual process of learning and growing together as a community. Academy of Faith classes, small groups, service opportunities, and fellowship events provide opportunities to connect with each other and grow deeper in our faith.
Membership
Everyone is invited to participate fully in the life of First Presbyterian Church (FPC) community, whether or not you formally become a member. Membership allows individuals to vote in congregational meetings and to serve as an officer. More importantly, becoming a member of FPC expresses a commitment to participate and support the vibrant life of our church.
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If you are interested in becoming a member or have questions, contact Jeff Myers.