page_title: Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church
section_title: Beliefs
hierarchical_section_title: Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church / Beliefs
caption_attribution_description: English: The current home of Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church in Elmhurst, Illinois. It has used this building since 2009 when it moved from a different location in the city.
context_page_description: Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church is a congregation of the Christian Reformed Church in North America located on the southern edge of Elmhurst, Illinois. It was founded in 1924 as a Baptist mission in Bellwood. The founder was a woman who had converted to Christianity after a difficult life in which she was won by her husband in a card game. After moving to Elmhurst in 1964, the congregation flourished and constructed a large new building just off of Roosevelt Road. It remains one of the largest congregations in the Christian Reformed denomination and runs many programs for children, students, adults, and seniors.
context_section_description: Like other congregations of the Christian Reformed Church, Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church subscribes to the Ecumenical Creeds—the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed—as well as three Reformed Confessions, commonly referred as the Three Forms of Unity: the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort.  By way of the Covenant for Officebearers in the Christian Reformed Church, all Ministers of the Word, elders, and deacons at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church promise "to teach the doctrines contained in these confessions diligently, to defend them faithfully, and not to contradict them, publicly or privately, directly or indirectly, in their preaching, teaching, or writing." They "pledge moreover not only to reject all errors that conflict with these doctrines, but also to refute them, and to do everything they can to keep the church free from them."
  The church has identified five areas on which it focuses to carry out its mission. These are designed to reflect the core beliefs and values of the congregation. Specifically, the church emphasizes public worship to express love for God, fellowship for encouragement and accountability, discipleship to guide people to Jesus, and outreach to share the gospel with those in the community. The church also believes strongly in the importance of Christian education and pays a large portion of tuition for all children at Christian day schools in the area—notably, Timothy Christian School.
caption: Elmhurst CRC's current home. It was built in 2009 a few blocks from its first Elmhurst location.
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