| The Church of Christ has a genuine interest in all of the people in our
community. We are sincerely
concerned about the welfare of every individual, and we desire that every
home be a stable and happy home. We
would be glad to be personally acquainted with every family throughout the
area.
As
a spiritual service to every individual, we seek to make known the will of God
as it is revealed through the Holy Scriptures.
As mortal humans, we realize that we, like all men, are subject to
sin and error, and that only through a knowledge of God's will and
obedience to His word can we expect His grace and eternal life.
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God given to mankind, and
as such, it gives us direction in the planning and decisions which affect
our lives on this earth and our eternal existence in the hereafter.
We
are an independent congregation of believers in Jesus Christ, drawn
together by a common faith. We
have no denominational affiliation, nor are we under the supervision of
any earthly institution or organization higher than the local
congregation. We esteem
Christ as the Head of the Church, the Holy Scriptures as our guide book,
and our local elders, selected by the congregation, as our spiritual
leaders.
We
feel a spiritual tie of closeness to other Christians, but believe each
congregation under its local leadership is free to study, teach, and work
as conscience and understanding of the Scriptures direct them.
Therefore, we are not claiming to be the only Christians, but we do
stress that we are Christians only.
We
reject denominationalism and human creeds.
We believe that true Christianity is able to absolve such
differences and unite men in Christ Jesus.
You
are invited to attend the services of the Church.
We invite your inquiries. If
we may assist you in your understanding God's will for your life, or share
with you in your burdens and the problems of life that confront you,
please let us know.
THE
CHURCH OF CHRIST
The
Church of Christ is not an organization founded by men, but rather is an
important part of the eternal plan God designed for the Church
from before the world. (Eph.1:3.11,
3:10-11, 1 Pet. l:20,
2 Tim. 1:9, Titus 1:2)
Therefore, he was able to reveal to mankind, through the prophets of old,
piecemeal bits of information concerning His great scheme of redemption.
In
due time the prophecies were fulfilled and the Church was begun.
The Church actually came into existence on the Jewish holiday of
Pentecost. This was following
the ascension of Christ. The
record is given us in Acts 2, that when the gospel was proclaimed, about
3000 were baptized, and the Lord added the saved to the church.
Truly
the Church is the product of God's doing.
Christ is the head of the Church by God's design. (Eph.1:17-23,
5:23, Col.
1:12-19) No earthly headquarters
or hierarchy of men was ordained by God for the Church, but through the
Holy Scriptures He outlined for us the simple pattern of Elders to
shepherd the local congregations of which they are a part. (Acts
14:23, 20.28, I Tim. 3:1-8,
Titus 1:5-9, 1 Pet 5.1-4)
The Bible does not authorize any superstructure of organization divided
into district, state, or national levels.
Each congregation is self-sufficient and self-sustaining with Jesus
Christ as head of the Church and local Elders and Deacons taking care of
the mature congregations.
The
Church of Christ is not merely another denomination, nor is it a
conglomerate body of diversified denominations.
Our plea is Christianity without denominational divisions and unity
in Christ. The Bible does not
authorize denominations, but teaches instead "one body" just as
positively as it teaches "one Lord". (Eph. 4:4-6)
The
Churches of Christ place great emphasis on the scriptures.
We are convinced that the scriptures were inspired by God and
thoroughly furnishes us the needed information to do His will in all things.
(2
Tim. 3:16-17, 2 Pet. 1:3) Therefore, we endeavor to carry on
our work and worship in strict compliance with the teachings of the
scriptures.
We
partake of the Lord's Supper each first day of the week.
Our music is the praise of our lips, without instrumental
accompaniment. Our prayers
are intended for praise and petition and not just a ritualistic ceremony.
Reading of the scripture, study of the Bible and proclamation of
the Word of God is given a prominent place in our assemblies, for we
believe God's will is revealed through the Holy Scriptures.
Our giving is as each person purposes, and is an expression of our
love and dedication. The
entire worship services are planned but are not rigid.
Members
are encouraged to be faithful in their attendance of the Church assemblies
and effort is made to cause non-members to feel welcome among us.
We invite the attendance of anyone sincerely desiring to worship
the Lord or seeking to learn more concerning God's love and His great plan
of redemption.
Those
who are not Christians are taught to believe in Jesus Christ with all
their heart, to repent of their sins, confess their faith in Jesus Christ
the Lord, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, just as individuals were instructed by the New Testament scriptures.
Obedience to these commands puts individuals into Christ. The Lord then adds them to the church.
The Lord places much importance on the local congregation and
desires that one who has obeyed his commands also unite and work with a
local congregation authority of its Eldership and worship God with others
likewise believe the Scriptures.
The Church of Christ does not exalt men above that which God
intended, but rather is dedicated to the worship and service of God. We
endeavor to follow after Jesus Christ who came to minister and to give his
life a ransom for many. We
respect the presence of the indwelling Spirit and the teachings of the
scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit.
We endeavor, to the extent of our ability, to spread the Word of
God. We assume this responsibility as individuals and as congregations
being motivated by the Lord's command to preach the gospel to the whole
world. Our message centers
around the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and eternal
life through Him by the wondrous grace of God.
We are aware that there are many false teachers and false doctrines
in the world. We implore
people to study the Scriptures that they may know the will of God, and
walk in obedience to His commands.
Truly the Church is a great blessing given to us.
For through it we can worship God and receive and give strength to
one another in our daily Christian living.
We would appreciate you visiting with us soon.
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