Our VISION STATEMENT (Approved March 2007)

By the Grace of Jesus Christ, we will strive to
* Share the "Good News" with the world
* Nurture each other in our faith, and
* Go into the world sharing Christ's love and mercy.

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Mission Statement (approved May, 1996)
The mission of the First Presbyterian church of Marietta, Ohio, in response to our call into God's covenant, as part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is...

... to experience the forgiveness and love of God through Christ, our Lord and Savior;
... to study and sustain God's truth;
... to nurture each other and our children in love and Christian discipleship;
... to maintain divine worship with the family of faith;
... to be a witness for the Kingdom of God, locally and globally;
... and to work for peace, unity and justice for all God's people.

This is our mission, to be performed with joy and expectation under the leading of the Holy Spirit.

There is no strict set of beliefs that unite Presbyterians or separate them from other believers of Jesus Christ.
Like other Christians, Presbyterians believe in God, creator of the universe; Christ, the incarnation of God on earth who was sent by God to redeem us from our sins; the Holy Spirit, the presence of God in the world and in the believer; the Church, a universal company of Christ's followers; the Forgiveness of Sin, made possible by the crucifixion of Jesus; Eternal Life, shown by the Resurrection of Jesus; and the Bible, the inspired Word of God.

In addition, Presbyterians hold the Book of Confessions to be appropriate declarations of what we believe. It contains early creeds such as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, leading to the modern day Creed, "A Brief Statement of Faith" adopted by the 203rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1991.

Presbyterians recognize the Sacraments of Baptism and The Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion, as described in the Bible.  Baptism unites us with Jesus Christ and makes us members of God's family, the Church. The Lord's Supper is a time to renew our faith and to strengthen participants for the duties and privilege of Christian service. In our church, baptized children are welcome to take communion with the permission and encouragement of their parents.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) emphasizes active participation for all of its members in ministry and worship. The ministers of this church are the members, not a special group set apart from the rest.