Is This the Christian Church I'm Looking For?

Yes, I believe it is! Since you have visited or heard of us, there are probably several questions that have come to mind. The purpose of this writing is to answer some of those questions and to share what I consider exciting news about an exciting church.

Why Does This Christian Church Exist?

Our purpose for existence is not to add another denomination to the countless number of denominations that already exist today. The various number of church groups represent division, and surely that is not pleasing to our Lord (John 17:21-23).

Our desire is to restore the Church back to Christ's plan for His Church, as given in the New Testament. To this end, we have built a church without denominational name, man written creed, or any other barrier to Christian unity.

Our plea is "In faith, unity; in opinion liberty; in all this love." We believe that for the Church to be able to effectively evangelize the world there must be Christian Unity based upon God's Word, the Bible.

It is our desire to re-establish the New Testament form of Church leadership. Jesus is the head of this Church (Ephesians 5:24). The Scriptures direct each congregation to select its own spiritual leaders (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1:5-16). In this Church you find Elders (overseers, bishops, pastors). The Church of the New Testament also selected Servants (deacons, deaconesses) to direct and complete specific areas of ministry.

Even though this Church is self-governing, we cooperate locally, nationally, and internationally with other independent Churches in the support of Missionaries, Bible Colleges, Seminaries, and many other joint endeavors. Together there is cooperation in leadership, education and youth conferences. The sole purpose of this cooperation is to build the Kingdom of God and edify the Church.

What Does This Christian Church Believe Concerning Salvation?

This Christian Church holds fast to the truth that salvation is a gift from God to man. This gift is manifest through our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died for our sins and arose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). Faith comes from hearing the inspired Word of God (Romans 10:17, John 20:20,31). A person is considered innocent by God until he or she is of an age capable of accepting or rejecting His free gift of Salvation.

Each of us has sinned against God (Romans 3:23). We need a Savior to bring us into a right relationship with God. Our only hope is Jesus (John 14:6). He is everything we need (Romans 6:23). The forgiveness of our sins and the promise of eternal life is available to all those who trust Christ as Savior and Lord (John 3:16).

In your faith, God will accept those who willingly repent of sin (Acts 2:38), confess their faith (Matthew 10:32, 16:16), and are joined with Christ in baptism (Galatians 3:27, Colossians 2:12).

The only baptism of the New Testament is by the practice of immersion. Our baptism into Christ is the reenactment of how we are saved; it's by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:1-5). We arise to live a new life. In the New Testament, only those with faith are baptized.

How Does This Christian Church View the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make all men aware of sin and righteousness (John 16:8). He also lives in every Christian from the moment of Salvation (1 Corinthians 3:16, Acts 2:38). The Holy Spirit provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth and guidance in doing what is right. Each Christian is given different Spiritual gifts for the purpose of building His Church through service, maturity, knowledge of Jesus and unity in the faith (Ephesians 4:11-13). Each Christian seeks to live daily under the direction of the Spirit through the written Word of God.

How Does This Christian Church View Membership?

Jesus said, "I will build my Church..." (Matthew 16:18). This Church exists to serve in the building of His Kingdom. Each member is called and gifted by His Spirit for service. The purpose of His Church is two-fold (Matthew 28:18-20). First, we are to share the message of salvation through Christ with all people. Second, we are to help the Christians to grow and mature.

Therefore, the members of this Church have dedicated themselves to providing the type of programming that will be relevant to those who are unchurched. We will use all forms of communication to share the unchanging message of God.

We have also dedicated ourselves to providing ministries that help the believer and his or her family to grow. Ministries will grow and change on a regular basis to meet the needs of an ever changing society. There is a place for each member to serve God in one or more areas of nearly 50 ministries.

Membership in this Church is synonymous with Salvation in Christ. Christians placing local membership do so to recognize their commitment to be used of Christ as an active servant.

How Does This Christian Church View Sunday Worship?

Even in our worship, it is our goal to follow the example of the Church as found in the New Testament. We meet on Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). We sing hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:18-20). We pray together (Acts 2:42), give of our possessions for the work of God (1 Corinthians 16:2), study God's Word (Acts 5:42), and observe the Lord's Supper (Acts 2:42, 20:7).

Sunday Worship is intended to be a meaningful experience that relates to all people. It is our desire to be culturally relevant, and though the elements will never change, the methods will always be changing.

Is This the Christian Church You are Looking For?

If you are looking for an exciting Church that sees itself as a powerful tool of the Almighty God, then you have found the right Church. If you are looking for an exciting Church in which to serve God and grow, then you have found the right Church. If you are looking for an exciting Church in which many lives will be changed here for His glory, then you have found the right Church. If you are looking for opportunities to creatively help build His Kingdom, your contributions are welcome and you have found the right Church.

God has blessed this Church tremendously in our short history. Our ministries and programs are always growing and expanding to reach people and meet their needs. We are excited about our future and we invite you to join us.

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that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:
He appeared in a body,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless--not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach--and that for the sake of dishonest gain. Even one of their own prophets has said, "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

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