who we are
The Essentials of our Faith
1. All Scripture is self-attesting and being Truth, requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life. The infallible Word of God, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks. On this sure foundation we affirm these Essentials:
2. We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To Him be all honor, glory and praise forever!
3. Jesus Christ, the living Word, became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. On the third day He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our High Priest and Mediator.
4. The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. Indwelling our hearts, He gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.
5. Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifies them in His sight. Only such as are born of the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ become children of God and heirs of eternal life.
6. The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfecting, she awaits the return of her Lord.
7. Jesus Christ will come again to the earth—personally, visibly, and bodily—to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
8. The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations. Obedience to the Great Commission requires total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.” He calls us to a life of self-denying love and service. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
These Essentials are set forth in greater detail in the Westminster Confession of Faith.
Learn more about the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
History
Brookdale Church was organized in 1900 as a Presbyterian mission work out of Iowa, with 19 original members. In the years that followed, the church experienced steady growth and met in various locations. However, the original congregation eventually disbanded , and in 1917 the church was reorganized as Brookdale Presbyterian Church, which continues today.
On September 10, 1922, the cornerstone was laid for a new building at the corner of 31st Street and Edmond Street. Brookdale Church has remained in the same location since the building’s dedication on April 15, 1923.
In the 1950s, an expansion was undertaken as God continued his work of grace within the church, giving the congregation much needed classroom and office space.
During the 1980’s and 1990’s, the city began to change and many churches chose to move out to the developing eastern part of the city. However, as the leadership and congregation continued to pray for God’s direction, they sensed a call to stay where they were and to continue to minister to the community around them. They significantly renovated their facilities in the late 1980s to provide a larger and more functional sanctuary and fellowship hall, and later, in 2000, built a Student Ministry Center one block away.
God has continued to bless the decision of the church and the ongoing ministry of her members. The church’s impact within the community continues to be a hallmark of her life and a blessing to her neighbors.
That caring heart to serve, along with a commitment to God-glorifying worship and sincere discipleship, has been part of Brookdale’s DNA from the very beginning and continues to characterize her life as a community of faith.
Finding that the Evangelical Presbyterian Church held the same commitments, Brookdale Church decided after much discussion and prayer, to join the EPC in 2013.
What Is a Presbyterian?
Most Christians have heard of Presbyterian churches, but they are not sure what it means to be a Presbyterian or how we differ from other denominations.
The term “Presbyterian” specifically refers to a kind of church government. Perhaps the easiest way to explain it is to point out that the government of the United States – or of the state of Missouri – is founded on Presbyterian principles.
Just as in civil government we elect legislators to make the majority of decisions as to how things function, Presbyterian congregations elect representatives called elders (or ruling elders) for the spiritual oversight of the church. The word “elder” is the English translation of the Greek word “presbuteros.”
We also elect deacons to have responsibility over the ministry of mercy of the congregation.
We have an additional layer of governance designed to provide guidance and protection for persons in the local congregation. Although members of the regional church, or presbytery, are not above the local congregation, the congregation is accountable to the regional body. Regional bodies are accountable to the national church.
While there are certain advantages to being an “independent” congregation without these connections, we believe that being part of a connectional church provides important protections for every member. If someone believes that the local church has believed or done something improper, there is a mechanism for appealing to the regional church.
Of course, all kinds of churches are governed by fallen human beings. We pray that the Spirit guides our leaders for the glory of God.
Finally, Presbyterians, like other historic Protestants, proclaim salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Our authority for faith and practice is Scripture alone. We emphasize the sovereignty of God over every area of life.
Mission & Vision
“We are called to bring the beauty of the gospel to the brokenness of life”
What happens when the beauty of the gospel of Jesus intersects with the brokenness of our lives? Hope and healing floods in. At Brookdale, we believe that the good news of Jesus must first be at work in our lives, in our own sin and brokenness, before it can overflow. However, as God powerfully and graciously intersects our lives, everything changes; not instantaneously, but ultimately. In Him our souls find the home in which they were designed to dwell. Worship of God, communion with Him through prayer, transformation of our lives and mission to the world around us is the supernatural fruit of the gospel of Jesus.
Prayer
If the gospel tells us that it is God who saves us and not we who save ourselves, then prayer must permeate everything we are and do. Prayer is a constant recognition that God must come and do his work if anything is to happen. Therefore, prayer must be the foundation of all the church is and does.
Worship
If the gospel tells us that it is God who saves us and not we who save ourselves, then worship must be about God and not about us.
Spiritual Formation
If the gospel tells us that it is God who saves us and not we who save ourselves, then spiritual formation must not be about us trying harder, but about applying the renewing power of the gospel into every area of our lives and depending on the power of God’s grace and God’s Spirit to transform us.
Mission
If the gospel tells us that it is God who saves us and not we who save ourselves, then we must be passionately committed to joining him in his work of saving people and eventually renewing all of creation.