A New URCNA Congregation Forming In Norfolk, VA

by David Setyon on May 4, 2022

Here in Norfolk, VA, the Lord is working to build His Church. In the summer of 2021, a group of families began meeting regularly to study the Heidelberg Catechism and the Bible together. Over the next few months, these families met with the Church Planting Committee of Classis East as well as the consistory of Covenant URC in Pantego, NC to discuss the work of establishing a church plant. Christ United Reformed Church is the newest plant of the URCNA and began holding public worship services in March of this year. Covenant URC, about 100 miles south of Norfolk, is the overseeing church of this work and arranges for pulpit supply from pastors throughout Classis East.

We currently meet for morning worship once a month at Norfolk Collegiate Lower School. The Lord answered our prayers by providing the school, which is an ideal space to meet. More importantly, He has brought both committed families and several visitors to the first few services. The neighborhood around the school is an urban area with great opportunities for evangelism and outreach. We seek to invite those that do not yet know Christ to hear the Gospel at Christ URC and have had encouraging responses from fliers we have handed out, as well as social media outreach. In light of these open doors, Covenant URC has worked with the URC’s Church Planting Committee to begin the search for a church planter in Norfolk.

Our symbol is the Chi Rho, an emblem that has been used by Christians for centuries to declare the preeminence of Jesus Christ and profess that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) As the church of Jesus Christ, we exist in order to call sinners from guilt before God the Father, into our only comfort, the grace of God the Son, and to equip them for a life of gratitude by the means of grace in the power of God the Holy Spirit. We believe this work of making disciples is accomplished through the means Christ ordained: the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments. As a congregation of believers and their children, we are committed to confessional, Reformed Christianity and embody this in our passion for the Gospel, our desire to worship the Lord with reverence and awe, and in our eagerness to live our lives to the glory of God alone.

If you or someone you know in the Norfolk area is looking for a confessional church whose foundation is Scripture alone, that has reverent worship, Christ-centered preaching, and faithful instruction in the Heidelberg Catechism, we would love to have you visit and worship with us. The next scheduled services are May 8, with pulpit supply by Rev. Dan Ragusa of Messiah’s Reformed Fellowship (NYC), and June 12, with pulpit supply by Rev. Paul Murphy (also of Messiah’s Reformed Fellowship). Service times are 9:30am and 11:15am, and we would also love to have you join us for lunch and fellowship after the second service. The address is 5429 Tidewater Drive, Norfolk, VA.

For more information, please visit our website or email us, or call us. You can also follow our Facebook page for updates on service dates and weekday Bible study times and locations.

Please pray that the Lord would bless His church-building work in Norfolk as He continues to gather, defend, and preserve His Church in the unity of the true faith.

©David Setyon. All Rights Reserved.

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