Our FAQ...

Our FAQs

Q: What are churches of Christ?

A: Churches of Christ are independent, local churches made up of Christians whose hearts are knit together by love for Jesus and common belief in the New Testament as His revealed will. The unity enjoyed by these congregations is based upon shared beliefs and practices set forth in Scripture. Our goal is to please God by going back to the Bible to see how he would have us worship and live. Our three-fold mission is to proclaim forgiveness through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection; to share Christ’s love by helping people in need; and to encourage spiritual growth and service among Christians as we look forward to Jesus’ return. We are committed to doing things the Bible way. In all matters of religious practice, we seek to do what is so clearly biblical that everyone can participate in good conscience and in full fellowship with others. We have no denominational name or affiliation and prefer simply to be called Christians.

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Q: What are your commitments?

A:

1. Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior - "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36)

2. The Bible as God’s revealed will - "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

3. Love as the greatest of all commandments - "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)

4. The church as God’s spiritual family on earth - "I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)

5. Unity as the desire and responsibility of every believer - "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-3)

6. Baptism by immersion as the climactic point of salvation by grace through faith - "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)

7. Worship in spirit and truth as the criteria for God-centered praise - "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)

8. Service to others as the evidence of true spiritual greatness - "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:11)

9. Evangelism as every Christian’s first order of business - "He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

10. Prayer and Bible study as a vital means to holiness and spiritual maturity - "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42)

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Q: What translation of the Bible do you use?

A: The elders have selected the NKJV and have arranged to have copies provided in the auditorium for use in worship for those who do not have their Bible with them.  However, we do not have a policy for or against any particular translation because we have confidence in our members’ ability to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each and to use them appropriately.  Caution should be exercised when dealing with paraphrases, dynamic equivalent translations, and versions evidencing doctrinal bias, however, we believe that a person’s soundness should be judged by his teaching rather than his translation.  See our article on Bible Translations for more study.

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Q: What is your relationship with other churches?

A: We have a great appreciation for the strong morals of our Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical friends. While we rejoice in our common belief in Jesus as God’s Son, our fellowship is limited because of significant doctrinal differences. For example, we are committed to the New Testament’s teaching on the necessity of baptism for the forgiveness of sins. Our fellowship is also limited by different understandings of the way God desires to be worshiped. When we assemble to praise God, our aim is to please Him by limiting our practice to what is revealed in the Bible. That is why we sing a cappella and partake of the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week.

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Q: Do women lead in your services?

A: Although they do not serve as elders or preside in public worship, we believe that the women of this congregation are great leaders in the best sense of the word. They are active in countless ministries and exert a powerful influence for good. Christian teaching elevated the place of women in society by affirming their equality with men. Still, God has revealed that there are functional differences between the sexes and that each has a unique role to fulfill.  Paul said the relationship between men and women should be like that between Christ and His bride, the church.  Men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church, and women are to yield to their husbands as the church submits to Christ. We are convinced that this faith-prompted cooperation results in the greatest possible happiness for families and congregations.

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Q: Why don’t you use instrumental music?

A: Paul instructed Christians to sing and make melody in their hearts. The heart is the instrument of our praise to God. We do not use man-made instruments because there is no command or example for their use in the New Testament. History confirms that early Christians sang without mechanical accompaniment for hundreds of years. Since our commitment is to promote Christian unity by doing Bible things in Bible ways, we choose to worship in the manner of the early church by singing a cappella. We believe that focusing all our attention on words of thanksgiving and praise is biblical and more consistent with the spiritual nature of Christian worship.

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Q: Do you use praise teams, choirs, or soloists?

A: The entire congregation is our praise team! We feel that accentuating the voices of a select group detracts from the meaning of true worship by placing the emphasis on artistic appeal rather than ardent expressions of thanksgiving proceeding from the hearts of redeemed people. For accomplishing God’s purpose, there is nothing that compares with the joy and beauty of believers uniting their voices in praise.

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Q: Will I hear clapping in your assemblies?

A: It is not our practice to applaud speakers because our focus in worship is on God rather than man. It is not our custom to clap following baptisms because we believe that spiritual songs and prayers of thanksgiving better communicate the sacredness of what is taking place. There are some occasions when the congregation will clap to express appreciation for the accomplishments of members, but this is usually during the announcement period and not connected with the worship.

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Q: Does the church clap along with worship songs?

A: Our aim is to worship God in spirit and truth. Since there is no New Testament precedent for clapping with worship songs, we choose not do it. We are convinced this is the best and safest course for those whose purpose in worship is to please God. No one should be asked to violate his or her conscience to accommodate worship preferences unsupported by the New Testament. We believe this position honors Christ and promotes Christian unity.

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Q: What do you teach on divorce and remarriage?

A: This is the most heart-wrenching question facing the church today.  The answer must be found in the inspired word of our loving and wise God. We understand the Bible to teach that the only basis for divorce and remarriage is sexual unfaithfulness on the part of one’s spouse. Jesus knew that this teaching would not be popular, but He believed it was the best thing for children, for society, and for married couples themselves. Several of our members have personally experienced the emotional and financial devastation of divorce, and we are committed to providing them with every possible support during this traumatic time. Divorce prevention is our top priority, and we continually strive to provide quality teaching, activities, and resources to strengthen marriages and families.

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