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BY WAY OF
INTRODUCTION
Many people hesitate to visit a church
unless they know what it will be like when they go. Perhaps we can
help you to know what to expect in your visit to us.
WE ARE NOT JUST ANOTHER
DENOMINATION
Neither are we inter-denominational.
It is our sincere desire to be non-denominational, to wear no other name
than Christ's, and be known simply as Christians, members of the body of
Christ. (Acts
11:26; Ephesians
1:22-23). We refer to ourselves
collectively as the church of Christ, the Lord's church, or some other
scriptural description to identify ourselves as the saved people
belonging to Christ. (Ephesians
5:23).
WE STRIVE TO BE THE SAME CHURCH
DESCRIBED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
It is our purpose to be identified
with the Christians of the first century. We believe this to be possible
to all who will learn, believe, and be guided by the plain teaching of
God's word. When Jesus declared such to be "The seed of the
kingdom" (Luke
8:11), He was emphasizing a known
fact of nature that specific kinds of seed, when planted, will always
produce after their kind. For example, wheat will always produce
wheat. In like manner the word of God, when planted in the hearts
of honest people, and obeyed, will produce Christians just as it did in
the first century ...nothing more, and nothing less.
WE HAVE NO HUMAN CREED
There is no man, or group of men, who
legislate for the church. We have no one to answer to but Christ.
He is the head of the church (Colossians
1:18), which leaves no room for
any human head. As was true in the first century, so also there is
no intercongregational organization, but rather independent
congregations in different locations with Christ as Lord and Master.
According to the authority of Christ, when a congregation matures to the
point where men meet the qualifications, overseers ... (also called
bishops, elders or pastors) are appointed to look after the spiritual
welfare of the congregation. Such men are appointed only when they meet
all of the qualifications listed by Paul in 1
Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus
1:5-9. These men then have
the responsibility to "feed the flock" with the spiritual food
found in the scriptures, and to be examples for others to see (1
Peter 5:1-3). Our preachers are
not "pastors" (unless they meet the qualifications, and are so
appointed) but are simply teachers of the gospel.
THE BIBLE IS OUR ONLY BOOK OF
RULES
Therefore we have no man-written creed
books to follow. We are governed in faith and conduct by the Bible
alone. While recognizing the guiding principles of the Old Testament, we
seek to conform to the rules and patterns of the New Testament (Hebrews
1:1-2; 2
Peter 3:11). We accept the Bible
as being both verbally inspired and infallible in content (2
Peter 1:20-21; 1
Corinthians 2:11-13).
Consequently, when the Bible speaks upon any given subject, it's
pronouncement is accepted as final. By its own testimony, no one
may with impunity alter a single word of it. (Deuteronomy
4:2; Proverbs
30:6; Revelation
22:18-19).
OUR PLEA FOR UNITY
We plead for unity among all who
obediently respond to the doctrine and commands given in the New
Testament. Such is in harmony with the prayer of Jesus and the pleading
of the apostles (John
17:20-21; 1
Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians
4:1-6). We consider such unity to
be possible, or Jesus would not have prayed for it. Since division has
always been the result of departure from God's pattern, we believe
division can be healed by a return to the revealed truth of God's word.
For this we plead.
WHAT IS AT OUR ASSEMBLIES?
Our assembled worship procedures are
simple, spiritual and orderly, key-noted by the words of Jesus, who
said, "true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and
truth." (John
4:23-24). Absent is the frenzied
emotionalism so common in some churches today. Each element of
worship finds it's origin in the commands and examples found in the New
Testament.
SINGING
The entire assembly joins in singing
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. There is no choir or special groups,
but simple congregational singing. We find no evidence in the New
Testament that the early church used mechanical instruments to accompany
their singing, therefore we do not use them in our worship either (Ephesians
5:19; Colossians
3:16).
PRAYER
The congregation is led in prayer by
men in the assembly. We pray, not only to praise and thank God,
but also to ask for our needs and the needs of others (1
Timothy 2:1-4).
PREACHING
The lessons and sermons are designed
to teach God's word so as to encourage compliance by those who listen.
It has become increasingly popular for preachers to appear sensational,
by discussing subjects not revealed in the Bible, and even laying claims
to miraculous powers. We make no claim for sensationalism ... just a
period of plain Bible teaching and study.
THE LORD'S SUPPER
Like the church in the time the New
Testament was written, we partake of the Lord's Supper each first day of
the week (Acts
20:7). The supper consists
of unleavened bread, and fruit of the vine as memorials of the body and
blood of Jesus (1
Corinthians 11:20-36).
GIVING AS WE PROSPER
We do not take up a collection every
time we meet, but only on the first day of the week (1
Corinthians 16:1-2). Should
you attend our Sunday service, you are not expected to give. This is the
responsibility of our members, not our guests.
WHO ARE WE THEN?
We are a group of God fearing men and
women, young and old, who have formed and constitute a congregation such
as those described in the New Testament. We are simply Christians
(Acts
11:26; 26:28;
1
Peter 4:15-16), followers of
Christ. We comprise a church which is "of Christ" (Romans
16:16).
We do not wear or accept any
designations that are not found in the scriptures, and we do not
subscribe to any creed drawn up by fallible men. Christ is our only
creed, the Bible is our only guide. We are striving to be a church after
the pattern found in the New Testament ... in how we become Christians,
and how we live as Christians; in what we teach; in the work we do as a
church; in the way we are organized.
We are trying to speak where the Bible
speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent, doing Bible things in
Bible ways, and to call Bible things by Bible names. We are interested
in honoring God, in following Christ, and in learning, doing, and
teaching God's word.
We are your neighbors, your
fellow-workers, and your fellow-students. We are people saved from sin,
who are interested in the salvation of others.
We want heaven to be both our eternal
home, and yours.
PLEASE COME AND WORSHIP WITH US.
When you visit our
assemblies, you will be received friendly, kindly, and courteously. We
believe this to be the natural attitude of those who truly love God and
mankind. Though you may at first be among strangers, we hope you will
come to know us well, and count us as your friends.
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