Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a list of questions we most often receive. If you have a question, though, that's not listed here, please get in touch with us through our contact us page.

 

What makes Providence unique?

I left the church because I found so little grace there. I came back because I found grace nowhere else. –Philip Yancey

At Providence, God has assembled a unique group of people out of which over 50% have been trained as professionals in the local community to better people’s lives. These include:

• medical personnel (doctors, nurses, physical therapists, etc.)
• environmental specialists (chemical engineers, civil engineers, etc.),
• social workers,
• civil advocates (lawyers),
• academic advisors (educators, teachers, etc.), and
• spiritual & psychological professionals (pastors, therapists, counselors).

In this healing community we acknowledge our brokenness before God as a result of sin. We are open and honest with our struggles, and by reminding ourselves of this brokenness helps to foster a refreshing atmosphere of realness, vulnerability and transparency.

When we talk about healing, we mean learning how to live in the abundant life God has promised to his children. John 10:10 states that the thief (Satan) comes only to steal, to kill and to destroy; but Christ has come that we might have life in abundance. This means Christ is healing us by reversing the effects of Satan. Having been stolen, we are now redeemed. Whereas sin brought death, we are being revived by the Gospel. Having come away from a life of destruction, we are in the process of being restored – and looking for total restoration in the era of the consummation.

Because the mission of God is to redeem the whole universe, redemption should be something we continually engage in as His children. We emphasize creative expression in every activity under the sun. Whether we work at our jobs, write a letter, paint a picture, watch a movie, cook a meal, parent a child, or clean the kitchen, we should do so excellently, as “unto the Lord.”

To get a taste of this creative expression, each fall we host a feast for the senses called A Taste of Providence. The church building is transformed into a family-friendly gallery where we display multifaceted pieces of arts and crafts created within the church community: from visual art, to music, to culinary masterpieces. The whole event crescendos to include a bountiful feast for the whole family to enjoy.

 

What kind of worship is practiced at Providence?

In worship on Sunday mornings, we have sought to implement classic expressions of worship into our current culture. In addition to modern choruses, we also sing age-old hymns, some of which have been renovated to be sung with new beauty and artistry. We encourage families to worship together, but knowing many of the youngsters can’t sit through an entire service, we offer children’s worship mid-way through the service (available for children through second grade).

We also maintain that worship doesn’t stop on Sundays. Worship as a lifestyle is to be taken into the home front and workplace where others in the community might see the joy of Christ overflowing from our hearts. As Christ said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘streams of living water will flow from within him’” (John 7:37-38).

While on the subject of worship, our corporate worship services are held each Lord's Day morning from 9:30 to 10:45 am. Christian Education (what some might call Sunday School) is held from 11:00-11:45 am.

 

What can my family expect at Providence – especially my teen?

At Providence you can expect a group of real people who will love you and your family. From the nursery to the adult ministries, we aim for the heart, where transformation takes place through the Gospel of grace. After all, only a heart transformed by God’s love will behave righteously (and merely changing behavior won’t change the heart). In the nursery and preschool, we have caregivers who seek to show God’s love to babies and toddlers. In the children’s ministry, we have teachers who are excited about training children in biblical truth. In the middle and high school we seek to mentor teens for adulthood, teaching them to apply biblical principles in discerning the world around them.

For the adults (including singles and couples), various small groups help foster community. Community Groups, as we call them, are small gatherings cookouts to serious bible studies.

I've got some major baggage. Can I feel safe at Providence?

Within our church community we have an assortment of folks with different backgrounds and struggles: broken marriages, those recovering from addictions, single parents, financial struggles, and various disabilities or dysfunctions. Even though these issues range in scope, we value every soul and the individual battles each is called to face. Thanks to the atmosphere God is creating, Providence is becoming a safe place where all people can come and find healing, community, and accountability—a place where we can be honest with ourselves and open with each other.

Being safe, though, doesn’t always mean being comfortable. If true healing is to happen, there is the inevitable discomfort that comes with it (like when a doctor probes, pricks, and prods to find the core problem). God says some things through his Word that may not be easy to hear, but listening to his will is crucial in the healing process. At Providence, you will hear the truth, and it’s through the truth that you will be set free (John 8:31-32).

What is Reformed Theology?

The term Reformed Theology dates back to the late 1500’s and refers to the movement of Reformation led by theologians such as Martin Luther, John Calvin and John Knox. These men were seeking to reform the existing church, which had become corrupt over time.

Even though we live in the 21st century, the work of reformation still continues: restoration of the corporate church as well as restoration of the heart. As was said earlier, the church is organized by a team of men called elders. The elders oversee the spiritual life of the community. As far as the members are concerned, we are not in the business of creating little theologians (people with a bunch of biblical head knowledge). Rather, we are seeking to equip missionaries to minister in the Kingdom of God (people with a bunch of heart knowledge). We believe every child of God is a missionary called to communicate the grace of God in the world. As one of our missions partners, Bob Heppe, once said, "God sent his Son, Jesus, to recapture a runaway world." As we allow God’s Spirit to lead us, we come on board with the mission of God… And, as we have come to see, it’s truly an adventure.

What's the deal with meeting in a warehouse?

“Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my dwelling place be? Has not my hand made all these things, so that they came into being?” declares the Lord. –Isaiah 66:1-2

Our warehouse became available through God’s providence. As is evident in our reconfiguration of the building, we want to honor God with aesthetics and creativity, but at the same time we are not facility-focused. As for the warehouse, we will eventually outgrow it and will need to find a new place to house the ministry. As we consider the various options before us, we are excited to see where the Spirit of God leads us and how he’ll provide the means for us to get there. Our ultimate hope is to have a building that reflects the personality and mission of the church, and a place that provides healing for the community.