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 when you visit us.
We are not a denomination, neither are we inter-denominational. It is our sincere desire to be non-denominational; to wear no other name than Christ's, and to be known simply as Christians, members of the body of Christ [Acts11:26] [Ephesians 1:22,23].
We refer to ourselves collectively as "the church of Christ", "the Lord's church", or by some other scriptural designation, to identify ourselves as the saved people belonging to Christ [Ephesians 5:23].
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 seeds, when planted, will always reproduce after their kind. Wheat, for example, 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.
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, there is no inter-congregational organization, but rather, independent congregations in different locations with Christ as Lord and Master.
According to the authority of Christ, when a congregation grows to the point where there are enough men who 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 set forth by Paul in 1Timothy 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 [1Peter 5:1-3]. Our preachers are not 'pastors' (unless they meet the qualifications and are so appointed), but are simply teachers of the gospel.
We have no man-written creed books to follow. We are governed in faith and conduct by the Bible alone. While recognizing the guiding principals of the Old Testament, we seek to conform to the rules and patterns of the New Testament [Hebrews 1:1-2, 2Peter 4:11]. We accept the Bible as being both verbally inspired and infallible in content [2Peter 1:20,21] [1Corinthians 2:11-13]; consequently, when the Bible speaks upon any given subject, its pronouncement is accepted as final. By its own testimony no one may, with impunity, alter a single word of the Bible [Deuteronomy 4:2] [Proverbs 30:6] [Revelation 22:18,19].
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] [1Corinthians 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.
Our assembled worship procedures are simple, spiritual, and orderly, and are key-noted by the words of Jesus, who said "true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth" [John 4:23,24]. Absent is the frenzied emotionalism so commonly found in churches today. Each element of worship finds its origin in the commands and examples found in the New Testament.
The entire assembly joins in the singing of gospel songs. There are no choirs or special groups, only 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. [Ephesians 5:19] [Colossians 3:16].
The congregation is led in prayer by one of the men in the assembly. We pray, not only to praise and to thank God, but also to ask for our needs and for the needs of others [1Timothy 2:1-4].
The lessons and sermons are designed to teach God's word, in order to encourage compliance by those who listen. It has become increasingly popular for preachers to appear sensational, by discussing subjects not found in the Bible, and even by laying claim to miraculous powers. We make no claim for sensationalism... just a period of plain Bible teaching and study.
Like the church in the time about which 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 the fruit of the vine, as memorials to the body and blood of Jesus [1Corinthians 11:20-36].
We do not take up a collection every time we meet, but only on the first day of the week [1Corinthians 16:1,2]. Should you attend our Sunday service as a visitor, you will not be expected to give. The giving of our means is a responsibility of our members, not of our guests.
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] [1Peter 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 which are not found in the scriptures, and we do not subscribe to any creed drawn up by fallible men. Christ is our only creed, and 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, in how we live as Christians, in what we teach, in the work we do as a congregation, and in the way we are organized.
We are trying to speak where the Bible speaks, and to be silent where the Bible is silent, to do 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, teaching, and following God's word.
We are your neighbors, your fellow workers, and your fellow students. We are people saved from sin by the grace of God, who are interested in the salvation of others. We want heaven to be your eternal home, as well as ours.
When you visit our assemblies, you will be received with friendliness, kindliness, and courtesy. We believe this to be the natural attitude of those who truly love God and mankind. Though at first you may be among strangers, we hope that you will soon come to know us well, and to count us as your friends.
