We are the First Presbyterian Church of Merchantville. Centered in Merchantville, we serve the communities of Merchantville, Pennsauken, Camden, Cherry Hill, Maple Shade and beyond. We have been worshipping on the same corner for well over a hundred years. We are here to celebrate our faith in Christ Jesus. Each of us comes to this celebration on our own journies of faith. For some, it has been a lifetime in the church. For others, the gift of this congregation has touched our lives and, through the love and fellowship of God's people, we have come ever more into the light and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is who we seek to be. People who know the Lord, to share our love of the Lord with our neighbors, to be there for each person God sends to us to bring them more joyfully into Christ's redeeming love.
We are a people sent by the Lord. We are a people who encourage one another to celebrate our life in Christ. God changes ordinary life into abundant living, through our participation in worship, Christian education, fellowship and service. We cultivate relationships among those of all ages, allowing us to rejoice With each other's joys and uphold and sustain one another during times of need. We provide all people the opportunity to find and develop their God-given gifts. We make the love of God real to our neighbors as we seek to live out the Scriptures and grow in our faith. Through our doors all may find refuge and comfort in God's saving love and grace.
“Touching the Heart of God and the Hearts of People in the Heart of Merchantville”
As Jesus gave us God's law, so we seek to follow it, to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as oursevles. With all our hearts, this centers our Vision for our church. With all our soul, in the love of God, we reflect in contemplation on the beauty of God's creation. With all our soul in our love of Neighbor, we actively consider our theology-what we believe about our God, and how that guides our lives in the treatment of others. With all our minds, in the love of God, this is the active discipline and communication of prayer, in our hearts, out loud, and in the Spirit when we are too weak to pray on our own. With all our minds, in the love of Neighbor, it is in the caring of all God's children (and all are God's children), coming alongside our neighbor, doing what we can to show our love, to show our support, to present with them, reflecting the healing light of our Lord Jesus Christ With all our strength, in the love of God, is our Stewardship. What do we give of ourselves to serve the Living God? We consider this in terms of our Time, our Talents, and our Treasure, the development of generosity and living in imitation of Christ. What shall we give of ourselves in gratitude for all Jesus has done for us? With all our strength, in the love of Neighbor, is our Mission. What shall we do for our neighbors in times of need? What shall we give of our time, talent, and treasure to our partnering agencies to support their work? What are we prepared to do to answer the needs of the world?
Our church is a part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), a mainline denomination in the United States of America. More specifically, we are a part of the regional Presbytery For Southern New Jersey, a group of more than fifty churches across the southern part of our State, seeking to bring God's Word and God's grace to people in need. We believe that we are all God's people and that God's love is extended to everyone.