Unity in our diversity. Pastor Jason occasionally calls out the fact that on any given Sunday we are a gathering of people from very diverse backgrounds: Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Congregational, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Pentecostal, non-denominational, and secular. That's not to mention those who are spiritually seeking and would name themselves atheist, agnostic, or just plain wondering.
We are people like you, your friends, and neighbors.
Historically speaking, our church's roots go back to the Netherlands and the settling of New York by the Dutch. We have been in Poughkeepsie since 1716 and we are dedicated to seeking and working for continued renewal in our neighborhoods and in this city we love.
We are influenced by a stream of Christianity that deeply values prayer, Scripture, baptism, Holy Communion, community, and service. We love to sing together, and we also love to have moments of quiet reflection in the worship service. We pray and act. We worship and work.
Like 1716, today is just the beginning. We are a community in which people like you care for others, worship God, deal with our pain, and seek to live every day in a way that honors God. We welcome you to join us on this journey and to experience the faithfulness and goodness of God with us.
The Reformed Church embraces the historic Christian faith expressed in all the ecumenical creeds of the universal church (e.g., the Apostles and Nicene Creeds). We also gain wisdom from our theological heritage within the Protestant Reformation as a member church of the Reformed Church in America, a denomination with roots back to the 1600's in America, and grounded in the historic reformation theology of the Belgic Confession, The Canons of Dordt, and the Heidelberg Catechism.
Our Values and Commitments
Worship & Liturgy
We have a tradition, but we are not traditionalist. We are not making this up as we go along, but learn and enjoy the wisdom of those who have gone before us. Our liturgy (from the Greek leiturgia, a "public service") refers to how our worship service is organized. The logic of our liturgy is this: God invites us into relationship, assures us of this through the Scriptures and Sacraments (baptism and Holy Communion), and we respond with gratitude (the offering of our prayers and ourselves for the good of the world). Worship forms us and our worship is informed by the life of the church throughout the ages.
Our Welcome
The Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie is a place for all people, no matter who you are and no matter where you are on your spiritual journey. If you are a lifelong Christian, fledging follower, spiritually curious, or skeptical, you are welcomed here. The gospel of Jesus Christ is extended to all and all are welcomed to worship, celebrate, and belong. No exceptions.
We respect what it's like to have doubts, to wonder, and to feel like you want to believe or know more but just don't know the way forward. We all have felt this way and no one should have to walk that road alone.
We do not exclude on the basis of race, ethnic heritage, age, gender, ability, marital status, sexual orientation, or economic standing. All are welcome.
Search
Our goal is not certainty. God is so vast, so big, so wonderful for us to put in a box--even if that box has a steeple atop it. Our goal is to equip and empower each other to investigate the Scriptures and issues of faith, and to encourage trust in the goodness and good news of Jesus Christ. We believe this connection in open community will lead to renewal and flourishing of people, families, and our world.
Nicodemus (The Gospel of John, chapter 3) was an intelligent and well educated religious leader who came to the end of knowing. After confessing to Jesus, "I just don't know how this makes sense anymore," Jesus didn't send him away. No! Instead, Jesus gave him the good news, "God loved the world (including you, Nicodemus) that he sent his Son that whoever would believe in him would have life eternal." Our hope is not in certainty itself, but on the certainty of the love of God and the life and death of Jesus Christ.
Service
The Church is an ever-expanding community that serves others. Jesus Christ himself said that he did not come to be served but to serve others. Surely if there was anyone who would have had the right to be served it was him! Instead he used his life for the good of others.
God has place us in Dutchess County in order for us to seek its flourishing. This means that we think our faith extends well beyond Sunday morning and requires our heart, hands, and feet.
What might it look like if you joined us?