Our History
St. John’s Reformed Church is a member congregation of the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS), whose history in this country goes back to 1710 when German immigrants founded Reformed Churches in colonial Pennsylvania. The Name “Reformed” comes from the 16th century REFORMATION in which such men as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli and John Knox rediscovered the true teachings of the Bible and re-formed the Christian Church upon the foundation of God’s word.
The roots for St. John’s Reformed Church were planted in October 1891, when our German parents came to this country from Russia and built the “German Immanuel Reformed Church” at 10th & Charleston Streets. It remained a Reformed church until July 1978. On August 20, 33 families which, by then, included families of the Reformed churches in Sutton who had moved to Lincoln, organized St. John’s Reformed Church. They were received into the RCUS in April, 1979. In August 1985, we purchased our building at 1101 South 26th Street.
Our Faith
We believe that the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God which reveals to us the only way of salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that our sins are washed away only in His blood shed upon the cross and that His righteousness is our only righteousness before God. The benefits of Christ’s sufferings and righteousness are ours only through true faith in Him and not because of any merit or work that we might have. The Church watchfully awaits the day when the Saviour will return as Judge to the lost sinners of this world. It is our purpose in this life to offer ourselves unto God as sacrifices of thanksgiving for the redemption He has given us as the free gift of His grace. The Bible is the only standard of our faith and life. The Heidelberg Catechism, The Belgic Confession of Faith and The Canons of Dort are our summary confessions and are used in the instruction of the youth.
Our Government
Our congregation is governed by the Consistory, composed of elders and deacons after the New Testament example. The minister and elders make up the Spiritual Council which is responsible for the oversight of the Christian life of the members, exercising Christian discipline according to the Scriptures.
Our Invitation
We invite all to join our church, who with true faith confess their sins and misery, who believe that they have redemption only through Jesus Christ, and who are thankful to God for their redemption.