Who We Are

We are a Christian family that continually seeks to be “Renewed by Christ’s Spirit”

• as we gather for weekly and special worship services with song, prayer, Word and sacrament;
• share God’s love through fellowship on Sunday mornings and in our daily lives; and
• allow God to strengthen and transform us through the preaching, teaching and study of the Bible.

This on-going spiritual renewal then sets us free and empowers us to be “Released for Christ’s Service” as we:

• find our true selves when we discover our unique, God-given SHAPE (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences);
• put that SHAPE to use by finding our place to serve in Christ’s body, the Church; and
• are sent out each week to BE THE CHURCH-the hands and feet, heart and voice, eyes and ears of Jesus in our homes, neighborhoods community, nation and world!

Our name also tells us a lot about our identity! Palma Sola is the neighborhood where we are located and where we serve in northwest Bradenton, right north of Manatee Avenue on the way to the beach. We are Presbyterian, which means in simplest terms that we are led by non-clergy “presbyters” (we call them “elders” whatever their age!) and are a part of a diverse denomination, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Along with Christians of all denominations, we adhere to the core Christian truths of the ancient Apostles’ Creed. As a church, we are a family of imperfect followers of Jesus Christ, called to grow in love and faith, in compassion and service, in truth and justice in our 21st century world.

Palma Sola finds its center in the reality of the risen Jesus, as the Scriptures bear witness to him. We seek to understand how the Bible applies to our lives today through our core values as a congregation:

CHRIST-CENTEREDNESS: We follow the example of Jesus through worship, mission, and living out our faith;

LOVE: We are a welcoming and caring congregation;

FAITHFULNESS: We are a church family whose members support one another in worship and fellowship;

ACCEPTANCE: We are a congregation whose members listen to one another 

with an open mind and are considerate and respectful of others;

SERVICE: We serve God by joyfully sharing our gifts with our congregation and our community.

Knowing that God’s work is much bigger than us either individually and as a congregation, our HEART BEAT is to join in PARTNERSHIP with other Christians and Christian organizations to fulfill God’s good purposes in our church and world!