Baptism
We practice believers’ baptism – a believer’s public declaration of faith and identification with the Lord Jesus Christ. We practice immersion for all believers who are able to be immersed. When certain circumstances dictate (e.g. health restrictions, safety reasons), we may practice pouring or sprinkling. We do not practice infant baptism.

Sermon: “Baptism” (2 Oct 2016, Pastor Joshua Wong)

The Lord’s Supper
We practice the regular partaking of the Lord’s Supper together in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ. Believers who are non-members but baptised in a Protestant church are also permitted to partake. Believers should examine themselves before partaking and observe the Lord’s Supper in its entirety (both bread and cup). Currently, we partake of the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of every month.

Sermon: “The Lord’s Supper” (25 Sep 2016, Pastor Joshua Wong)

Church Music
We value God’s gift of music, which serves the purposes of praise, prayer, and proclamation. The songs we sing must communicate Biblical truth and not conflict with the teaching of Scripture. The music is ultimately for the glory of God, and therefore should be presented in a fashion that does not draw undue attention to the “vessels”. Musical styles that are strongly associated with worldly or fleshly behaviour should not be used in the church. We believe congregational song is the most important form of worship music. Therefore, the music used should be generally accessible to the people (appropriate language medium, intelligible words, singable melodies).

Sermon: “A New Song” (28 Sep 2014, Pastor Joshua Wong)

Bible Versions
We believe that there are several good translations of the Bible. Good English versions include the King James Version (KJV)*, New King James Version (NKJV), English Standard Version (ESV) and New American Standard Bible (NASB), etc. For Chinese, the Chinese Union Version (CUV)* is recommended.

* In PPCC, the KJV and CUV are currently the primary versions used on the pulpit.

Sign Gifts/Speaking in Tongues
Sign gifts refer to miraculous gifts such as speaking in tongues, healing and performing other miracles. We believe that God is all-powerful and can do anything. From Scripture, we observe that signs and miracles were often used to confirm God’s message and messengers (e.g. Moses and the prophets, Jesus’ ministry, early church). Since we have the Bible, which reveals everything we need to know about God, we do not typically observe these signs and miracles today.
We define “speaking in tongues” as speaking in an identifiable language that was not consciously learnt. Speaking in tongues, if performed, must be for the common good and edification of the church, and follow the instructions found in the Bible (1 Corinthians 14). As stated above, we do not typically observe sign gifts today.

Sermon: “Tongues – Why the Confusion?” (19 May 2013, Pastor Joshua Wong)

Leadership
We believe that men are to lead the church in the usual course. Our practice is that men serve as pastors/elders and deacons, and execute the roles of pulpit preaching/teaching. This does not mean men are in any way superior to women. All are encouraged to participate fully in worship and service as equals in their God-given roles.

Sermon: “Godly Women” (21 May 2017, Pastor Joshua Wong)

Marriage
God instituted marriage as the uniting of one man and one woman in a covenant relationship as an exclusive lifelong commitment. An unmarried believer who is seeking a marriage relationship should only do so with another believer. However, in situations where a believer is already married to an unbeliever, the believer should continue in the marriage and be committed to it. Members who are widowed are free to remarry other believers.

Sermon: “Divorce and Remarriage” (4 Sep 2016, Pastor Joshua Wong)

Divorce
God hates divorce, and believers should not consider this as an option in the usual course. While there may be genuine reasons why an innocent party may desire to separate from his or her spouse in extenuating circumstances caused by the other’s sexual immorality or abandonment, forgiveness and reconciliation is always the priority. Where believers are divorced, they should strive to remain single.

Sermon: “Divorce and Remarriage” (4 Sep 2016, Pastor Joshua Wong)

Sexuality
Sex outside monogamous, heterosexual marriage is sin. This includes sexual relationships in pre-marriage relationships, LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer +) relationships, adultery, bestiality, and the use of pornography.

Sermon: “Christ-centered Change – Purity” (17 May 2015, Pastor Joshua Wong)

Alcohol Consumption
There is no clear Biblical command that says alcohol should not be consumed at all. However, we should follow the following Biblical principles: (1) Don’t get drunk, (2) Don’t be deceived that you won’t get drunk, (3) Don’t be tempted by beverages with high alcohol content*, and (4) Don’t cause others to stumble or to drink against their own conscience.

*Note: Wine consumed at the time when the New Testament was written was usually diluted and probably had much lower alcohol content than most table wines today.

Sermon: “Alcohol – Yes, No or Maybe?” (3 Aug 2014, Pastor Joshua Wong)