What We Believe

Why Bonhomme?

We are a teaching congregation. We value the life of the heart, the soul, and the mind.

We will meet you where you are and help you discover growth and new life through Jesus Christ.

We believe in inviting people to place their faith and trust in Jesus for the first time.

We also believe that conversion is the beginning of a journey, not the end. We'll invite you to serve and love God in your family, your neighborhood, your workplace, and in the places where you connect with others.

Our Core Beliefs

We stand with other followers of Jesus Christ throughout centuries, affirming with them the core beliefs of the Christian faith, found in classic formulations of faith like the Nicene Creed  and the Apostles' Creed.

We Are Not Here For Ourselves

We are not here for ourselves, but to be a blessing to our community of Chesterfield, the West County, the larger St. Louis area, and the world. We want to be known for the blessing from God that we have received, but more importantly for the blessing we share with others. We want to be known for our service to our community and for sharing the Good News of God’s love through Jesus Christ.

Our Goals

Our goal is to be a teaching church, a parenting church, and a healing church. We long to be known for growth that is rooted, flourishing, and patient; for connection that is embodied, interwoven, and healing; for clarity that is wise, mission-focused, and open; for vibrancy that is beautiful, energetic, and generous; and for integrity that is authentic, mature, and thoughtful.

We are Also Part of the Reformed, Presbyterian, and Evangelical Streams of the Christian Faith

As part of the Reformed movement, we affirm that God’s wisdom and authority are expressed in Jesus Christ, God incarnate, and in the words of the Scriptures of Old and New Testament, our authority for faith and life. As Presbyterians we are elder-centered (Presbuteros in Greek means, “elder”) and we live out a life of shared leadership in the church. We remember Titus 1:5, where Paul the Apostle told Titus to “appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.” Shared leadership within the congregation provides a healthy check and balance. Shared community among leaders in the congregation seeks to listen for the voice of God and to discern that voice together. We are also evangelical, not in the political sense in which the term is sometimes used. We are evangelical because we believe that God has spoken through God’s Word and through Jesus Christ; because we believe each person needs to discover a relationship with Jesus that is personal for them; and because we want to share that Good News with the world.

Our Connection to a Denomination

We are part of the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, or ECO.  The name represents a three-fold commitment to: make disciples of Jesus Christ (Evangelical), connect leaders through accountable biblical relationships founded in God’s grace (Covenant) and commit to a shared way of life together (Order).

Learn More about eco
The acronym ECO also speaks to the denomination’s commitment to strengthen the “ecosystems” of local churches, providing the resources needed to grow, thrive and reproduce. Just as earthly ecosystems draw richness from the right kind of diversity, ECO is committed to unleashing the ministry gifts of women, men, young leaders, and every ethnicity. ECO’s name also draws from the Greek term oikos, meaning “household,” used in the Bible to reference the network of relationships that nurture an individual.

All of our Pastors, Elders, and Deacons are asked to affirm the Essential Tenets of ECO. In addition to the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed, ECO lists among its confessional standards the Heidelberg Catechism, the Westminster Standards, and the Barmen Declaration. You can find the Confessional Standards of ECO below.

ECO Confessional Standards

Want to learn more?

We'd love to hear from you. Fill out the form below to get started.

Contact Us