History & Beliefs
Our church had its beginnings in 1960 as Palo Alto Christian Reformed Church.
Generations of faithful followers of Christ have worshiped here in Palo Alto for many decades. Recently, our Church embarked on a new beginning and a new name change in the Reformed Church in America (RCA). We are now Orchard Reformed Church and are grateful to continue our ministry in Palo Alto to reach our local community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As a church, We believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are followers of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the center of human history.
We hold our core beliefs in common with the Christian church around the world and throughout the ages. Three statements of belief adopted by the worldwide church centuries ago summarize the most important tenets of our faith: the Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
We are furthermore a Reformed church in the Protestant tradition. Our history connects us to the ancient church, but our theological identity comes from the Protestant Reformation of 16th century Europe. We adhere to four statements of Reformed faith: the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort, the Belhar Confession, and the Heidelberg Catechism.
Liturgical Worship
Our congregation practices liturgical worship, a form of Christian worship rooted in Scripture and shaped by the historic rhythms of the Church. Liturgy literally means “the work of the people,” and in our worship, everyone participates. We are not spectators observing a religious performance; we are active participants invited into a vibrant, living dialogue with God. Through prayers, Scripture readings, confession, song, silence, and the sacraments, God speaks to us—and we respond together. This shared work of worship forms us over time, teaching us how to listen, how to speak truthfully, and how to offer our whole lives to God in praise, repentance, and hope.
Church Year
We also order our worship around the Church Year, a sacred calendar that tells the story of God’s saving work through time. From Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany to Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time, these seasons and holy days shape our shared life of faith. Rather than rushing past the life of Christ, the Church Year invites us to dwell in it—waiting, rejoicing, repenting, celebrating, and being sent. By walking these rhythms together year after year, we learn to see our own lives caught up in God’s larger story of redemption, renewal, and hope.
