MISSION, HISTORY, AND WINDOWS

SPRING VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

OUR MISSION, HISTORY, & WINDOWS

OUR MISSION

We are a community of sinners saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ and inspired by the Holy Spirit. We seek to glorify God, nurture one another and express the love of God in word and deed by:

listening and responding to the word of God
listening and responding to those with in the church and the community
being faithful stewards of God's creation and the gifts of time, talent and money
promoting spiritual growth through education, worship, prayer and fellowship
caring and providing for those in need
providing for the nurture and Christian development of children extending to each in the larger community the same dignity and worth we accord to those in our own community of faith
living our faith in such a way that others will want to unite with us in our worship and work

OUR HISTORY

Spring Valley Presbyterian Church was organized in the spring of 1977, the first service was held on May 1, 1977 at the Wildewood School (now St. John Neumann School). Our first building was built in 1979. That building is now part of the Christian Education facility. The first service in the current Sanctuary was on Easter Sunday, March 1989. The Christian Education facility was expanded and extended to include the Atrium the Outreach Room and Potts Fellowship Hall in 2001.

Events like the Bazaar and VBS are part of the fabric of our church. The first PraiseFest event (May, 2014) gave us another community outreach opportunity that continues to grow. Our Building Families partnership with the Thornwell Home is another way that we are developing new service opportunities.

Outreach and missions has always been an important part of Spring Valley Presbyterian Church. The Souper Bowl of Caring began here in 1990 under the leadership of our then Associate Pastor, Brad Smith. Mission trips have been important growth opportunities for our youth and many adults, including trips to Mexico, Belize, New Orleans and many locations closer to home!

In 2013 we launched the implementation of 3-5 year Strategic Plan. PraiseFest was just one of the responses to the plan that has already taken root. We have welcomed numerous new families to our membership over the last few years, including LOTS of children and youth! We also have committed to help the Port Loyola Baptist Church in Belize City, Belize. This partnership developed as a result of the mission trip in the summer of 2014. We returned to Belize in 2016, and continue to work closely with them.

We are excited about our future and the momentum we are experiencing now! We are a strong family of believers and we continue to work together to reach out to each other and our community.

STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

All fourteen windows were designed by Hord Stubblefield (1990). Mr. Stubblefield was a member of Spring Valley Presbyterian Church.

More information on all 14 windows and Hord Stubblefield, the designer.

The Sovereignty Window is the Chancel window. This window employs the flowers of God's world as religious figures. The outer circle is a wreath of Sparkleberry symbolizing God's world without end.

Beginning with the south transept and the "I am" Window and continuing down the south side of the church, the windows symbolize the life of Christ. All of the windows are in the form of a circle surrounding a quatrefoil. The vesica piscis, or fish, is found between the arcs of the quatrefoil. Each window has a flower in the border pertaining to the window’s theme.

Beginning with the north transept and the Creation Window, and continuing down the north side of the church, these windows symbolize the history of the church. In these windows, the vesica picis, or fish, found between the arcs of the quatrefoil, symbolizing the early church. The Greek word for fish is Icthus. Each letter in Icthus stands for the first letters of "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior". Each of these windows also has a flower in the border relating to that window's theme.