Reformed.
And Catholic.
Sunday Worship 11:00 AM 609 Putnam St, Fort Wayne
You May Recognize More Than You Expect
If you grew up Catholic — or if the faith of your family is part of who you are even now — a Protestant church can feel like unfamiliar ground. Much of what you find here will not be.
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The Creeds
We confess the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed — the same words Christians have said together for seventeen centuries, and the same words your grandmother prayed.
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Weekly Communion
The Lord’s Supper is celebrated every Lord’s Day, not four times a year. The Table is central to worship, not an occasional addition to it.
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A Liturgy
Call to worship, confession of sin, assurance of pardon, the reading and preaching of the Word, the Table, the benediction. The service has a shape, and it is the historic one.
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Reverence
We come before a holy God. Worship here is joyful but not casual — ordered toward God rather than toward performance or entertainment.
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Congregational Singing
The people are the choir. We sing psalms and the historic hymns of the whole church, accompanied simply, with everyone’s voice expected.
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The Sermon Is Long
Preaching is the center of the service and usually runs half an hour, working carefully through a book of the Bible.
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Your Bible Stays Open
Most people follow the text during the sermon. You are meant to check what is said against what is written.
What Catholic Meant First
The word means universal…
- Catholic comes from the Greek katholikos — ‘according to the whole.’ It described the church spread through all nations and ages, long before it named a particular institution. Matthew 28:19 (opens on esv.org in a new tab)
- When we say the Apostles’ Creed, we say we believe in ‘the holy catholic church’ — and we mean it in that original sense. Ephesians 4:4–6 (opens on esv.org in a new tab)
We did not start a new church…
- We do not regard ourselves as a new sect founded in the sixteenth century. We claim the whole history of the Christian church as our own inheritance. Hebrews 12:1 (opens on esv.org in a new tab)
- Augustine, Athanasius, Anselm and the early councils belong to us too. We read them, quote them, and stand on their shoulders. Jude 1:3 (opens on esv.org in a new tab)
- The Reformers did not want to leave the church. They wanted it reformed according to the Word of God — and they said so until the end. 2 Timothy 3:16 (opens on esv.org in a new tab)
So we call ourselves Reformed catholics…
- Reformed, because we believe Scripture stands above every human authority and must be allowed to correct the church in every age. Acts 17:11 (opens on esv.org in a new tab)
- Catholic, because we hold the faith that has been believed everywhere, always, and by all — the creeds, the Trinity, the incarnation, the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (opens on esv.org in a new tab)
- We are not asking you to abandon the historic Christian faith. We are asking you to hold it as Scripture gives it. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (opens on esv.org in a new tab)
Where We Genuinely Differ
We will not pretend the differences are small, and we will not caricature what Rome teaches. If you are weighing this seriously, you deserve a straight account of where the disagreement actually lies.
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The QuestionAuthority
Where does final authority rest — with Scripture alone, or with Scripture together with sacred tradition and the teaching office of the church?
What We HoldScripture Is FinalWe honor the tradition of the church and learn from it gladly, but Scripture alone is the final judge — and tradition itself must be tested by it.
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The QuestionJustification
How does a sinner become right with God — by a righteousness given and received, or by a righteousness worked in and cooperated with over time?
What We HoldReceived, Not EarnedWe are declared righteous by faith alone, on the basis of Christ’s finished work, received as a gift. Good works follow from that gift; they do not produce it.
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The QuestionThe Lord’s Supper
What happens at the Table? Is the sacrifice of Christ re-presented, and in what sense is He present in the bread and wine?
What We HoldTruly Present, Not Re-offeredChrist’s sacrifice was made once for all and is not repeated. Yet we believe He is truly present to faith at the Table, feeding His people by His Spirit.
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The QuestionMary and the Saints
What honor is due to the faithful who have gone before us, and to whom may we pray?
What We HoldHonored, Not InvokedWe honor Mary as blessed among women and the saints as faithful examples. But we pray to God alone, through Christ, our one mediator.
If these questions matter to you — and they should — we would far rather talk them through with you in person than have you decide from a webpage. Our pastor will gladly sit down with you, and there is no expectation attached to that conversation.
Come and See for Yourself
Whether you are returning to church after years away, looking for something more reverent than you have found elsewhere, or simply curious — come. Sit in the back if you like.
Service Times
A fellowship meal follows the service on the last Sunday of each month.
Location & Parking
We are located at 609 Putnam St, Fort Wayne, IN 46808. Street parking is available around the building. Enter through the main double doors on Putnam Street.
Children’s Ministry
We welcome children in our worship service! We believe families should worship together. However, a nursery and graded classes are available during the 10:00 AM Sunday School hour.