About Us

Mission Statement

The mission of the Center for Christian Study is to provide opportunities and resources for corporate and individual investigation of the truths of the historic Christian faith in response to the questions raised by contemporary society. We will provide these opportunities and resources first to the University of Virginia, secondly to the Charlottesville community and thirdly to the broader region. Through the fulfillment of this mission men and women will be transformed by the Truth, which will be reflected in their thoughts and actions, both in their private lives before God and in their public lives as members of society, the family, and the Church.

 

Vision Statement

The vision of the Center for Christian Study is to serve Jesus Christ by fostering the serious consideration in the university environment of a Biblical worldview, and by encouraging and facilitating wise discussion of the Truth in light of the challenges of contemporary culture.

 

Core Values

The Center for Christian Study seeks to promote Christian formation

Through the communication of Biblical truth

For the good of the University community

With hospitality and care

In unity with other Grounds ministries

Beliefs

  • We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the authoritative Word of God, divinely inspired and written in the words of men. The Bible is entirely trustworthy and is the final authority in everything it teaches.

  • We believe that the loving grace of God is the source of our salvation and that the shed blood of Jesus Christ and his resurrection provide the only ground for our justification. He took our sin upon himself, was judged in our place, and gives his righteousness to us. This work of grace provides salvation for all who believe, and only such as receive Jesus Christ by faith are born of the Holy Spirit, and thus become the adopted children of God.

  • We believe in one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

    We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Further, he rose bodily from the dead, ascended in to heaven, where, at the right hand of God the Father, he now is our high priest and advocate.

  • We believe that the true Church is composed of all such persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the body of Christ of which he is the head. The Church's calling is to worship and serve God in the world, to proclaim and defend his truth, to exhibit his character, to pursue the quest for righteousness and justice, and to demonstrate the reality of his new order by creative and sacrificial living in the community of love.

  • We believe that man and woman were created in the image of God but have fallen into sin and are therefore under the wrath of God. Only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained because sin has alienated sinners from God, darkened their minds, crippled their wills and made them unable to serve him.

  • We believe in the future, visible coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring salvation and judgment to completion. This blessed hope of the Church has a vital bearing on daily living by calling believers to watchfulness, holiness, and earnest service.

    We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead: of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord and of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting punishment.