A church with purpose and challenge!

This church came into being in the late 1960s as a mission church of Covenant Presbyterian Church in St. Louis and was organized in 1975. Its first permanent building was dedicated in 1985. The present pastor, Wyatt George, served EPC from 1970 to late 1986 and was again called in early 2001. Over those formative years the congregation focused upon its ministry to campus students and staff, and prayed for more community roots. God has given us the community constituency, and now we pray and work to strengthen our campus and youth ministry. Even a casual look at the church on a Sunday morning shows that the flock of 90 to 130 is very young in average age. The Lord has given, and He continues to give! He has given us property in the Southeast of Carbondale on Grand Avenue on which to relocate. He has given us emphasis, purpose and challenge.

Our budget includes work with international students, a pastor, a pastoral intern, operations needs, and presbytery as well as Ugandan missions. But these vital things do not in themselves define the character of a congregation.

Any observer will notice an emphasis on Scriptural exegesis, on semi-casual and reverent worship, with traditional singing, accompanied by keys, pipe and strings, a beautiful combination. Our people enjoy the worship of God, the fellowship of the saints, and the breaking of bread. A Reformed worldview is constantly considered, the teachings of grace and the inspiration of Scripture being the backbone of such consideration. The nuclear family is important to us with freedom in educational choices while stressing parental involvement in their children’s training. The Gospel covenant draws our parents toward their children, and the children to their parents! Sunday school classes take the lead in the church’s small group ministry, while Perspective Groups are forming in the community, a deliberate effort to apply the faith to important interests in life.

Finally, our mission interests have taken on a mercy emphasis toward Uganda in East Africa, and our sense of connection to other churches of the Illiana Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church in America, and the city of Carbondale is growing.

Our strengths are there, but so are our weaknesses, and we ask for prayer that we would do well by our strengths, and that the Lord fill our needs.

Growing in the One Sent and Sending One by One.

The Apostles received this original command, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you," and we have inherited it through the Scriptures. Called into His covenant kingdom through salvation by faith in God's Son, we are a portion of the worldwide Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. As such, He has told us to go, make disciples, baptize the nations, and teach His commands. Reformed theology and Presbyterian government from the Reformation have pointed us back to Scripture alone as our final authority from God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, for faith and obedience to Him. Messianic and Pauline methodology direct us to take our received faith, grow in it, inculcate faithfulness among the saints and train the faithful to teach others. As we have received much, we must give much.

We challenge you to seek the Lord to help implement this sense of purpose: Growing in the One Sent and Sending One by One. II Timothy 2:2 says: "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to the faithful who will also be qualified to teach others." Our challenge to you is this: seek the Lord

• For greater faithfulness in the Body of Christ,
• For a better understanding of our history, teaching and purpose,
• For a deeper relationship with the Lord and growth in Him,
• To set and implement objectives toward serving, coaching and teaching others,

These points can be attained by effort in faith. The Lord God is able to accomplish things above and beyond what you ask.

If you are a visitor to and a guest of this congregation, we welcome you! Stay with us for 4 or 5 consecutive Sundays to see if this is the congregation the Lord wants you to be in. From the first Sunday, start praying for this congregation and its leaders. Let us become mutually acquainted for purposes of prayer. God will direct you. If you decide this is not the congregation for you, we will support that decision. If you decide otherwise, we will begin to support your participation and growth here.

Psalm 127:4 speaks of children as arrows. God wants us to train our children so that they will hit the target, accomplish his purpose. All who have faith in Christ are children of God. How well do we know the One who forms us in the first place as arrows? How refined is the bow that shoots us? Are we strong enough for the launch and the impact? Is our leading point sharp enough to get the message across? Do we understand the target?

The things mentioned and spoken of in this article can help you identify with this congregation and participate in its objectives. A sense of its history and emphasis can help you attach to strong roots. A sense of its purpose and spiritual emphasis will help your life in the Lord, and the challenge can help you have a practical unity with a portion of the Body of Christ, personal direction as an arrow, and hope for the world.