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What Do We Believe? As members of the Christian Church, In Christ’s name and by His grace We rejoice in God, Through baptism into Christ In the communion of the Holy Spirit At the table of the Lord Within the universal church In the bonds of Christian faith Blessing, glory and honor
FROM TIME TO TIME people ask, “What kind of church is First Christian Church? Is it liberal or conservative or fundamentalist or what?” BIBLICAL
To begin with, we are A BIBLICAL CHURCH. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has “no book but the Bible, no creed but Christ.” Insofar as we are able to understand it, we try to follow the clear teachings of God’s word. We do not worship the Bible, but we do consider it to be our basic guide to the will of God. For example:
*We are a biblical church in that we call Bible things by Bible names. That is why we call ourselves “Christians” or “Disciples of Christ” – not because we think we are the only ones entitled to use these names, but because they are scriptural names for the followers of Jesus. (Acts
*We are a biblical church in that only statement of faith we require of members is the Good Confession, “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew
*We are a biblical church in that we practice the Bible form of baptism: immersion of mature believers (Acts
*We are a biblical church in that we celebrate the Lord’s Supper (or Holy Communion) every Sunday (Acts 20:7).
EVANGELICAL
We are AN EVANGELICAL CHURCH. The term “evangelical” comes from the root word “evangel” meaning “gospel” or “good news.” An evangelical church, therefore, is one that majors on the proclamation of the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ.
A church does many things. Like a school, it educates. Like a club, it has social functions. Like a service organization, it performs works of mercy. Like any institution, it raises money and conducts business. However, there is one thing the church does which no other body on the face of the earth does: it proclaims that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.” (II Corinthians 5:19). Whatever the church does, this remains its one basic reason for existing: to make known to men and women and young people the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Accordingly, we believe:
*that humanity is lost and needs a Savior;
*that God loves sinful people and has provided an all-sufficient Savior for them in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ;
*that an obedient faith in Jesus as personal Lord and Savior benefits the believer both in this life and the life to come;
*that the last and best hope for the world is Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our Savior.
CONSERVATIVE
We are a
To be conservative, in the best sense of the word, simply means that we do not reject a thing just because it is old, nor do we immediately adopt something just because it is new. Our standard of judgment is not “Is it old?” or “Is it new?” but “Is it right?”
Some things – like the Ten Commandments, for instance – are very old, but they are just as true and valid today as they ever were. So we are a conservative church in the sense that we do not automatically lay aside a belief or a practice simply because it has been around for a long while and somebody thinks it’s time it was replaced by something new and modern. To the contrary, we believe that there are many tried and true values from the past which have stood the test of time and are still meaningful today. For example:
*We believe that Bible study is still the best means for teaching children and adults the lessons that will enable them to live better Christian lives.
*We believe that the church is still God’s primary instrument for accomplishing his purpose in the world.
*We believe that preaching is still an effective means of communicating God’s word to humanity.
*We believe that the old-fashioned virtues of personal integrity, hard work, fair play, thrift, honesty, moderation, good citizenship and moral character are still very much in vogue.
* We believe that the family is still the basic unit of society and that marriage is a sacred relationship between two people who love anyone else in just that way.
*We believe that prayer is still one of the most important activities in which people can engage; that God hears and answers prayers; that “more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”
LIBERAL
We are a
*Theologically, we do not try to force everyone into a doctrinal straight-jacket or label those who do not agree with us as “unorthodox” or “heretical.” We recognize that no church or individual – including ourselves – has a monopoly on the truth. While we strive to follow the teachings of the Bible as best we can understand them, we realize that there is room for considerable difference of opinion as to what the Bible teaches on just about any subject.
There is an old slogan which aptly summarizes our position:
In essentials, unity;
In non-essentials, freedom;
In all things, love.
In other words, we are united in our profession of faith that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Beyond that basic common denominator, we enjoy the greatest possible freedom of opinion. And the reason why we can work together even though our theological viewpoints may be different is that in all things we are committed to practice love.
*Ethically, we do not subscribe to a uniform code of conduct which requires every member to do or to refrain from doing certain activities. Whether or not members drink or smoke or go to movies or the theater, or work on Sunday, or belong to a fraternal organization, or wear short skirts or makeup or jewelry, or play cards or dance is their own decision to make in the light of their understanding of the Bible, prayer, conscience, or common sense and the “royal law of love” (James 2:8).
*One more sign of a “liberal” church is the practice of a “two-fisted gospel.” That is, we believe that the gospel is both personal and social – or, as someone once put it, “The gospel is first personal and always social.” It is essential that the church meet the spiritual needs of individual men, women, and young people. But it is equally important that the church champion social justice by addressing such contemporary issues as racial prejudice and discrimination, war and peace, poverty and hunger, governmental infringement on individual rights, law and order, health care, prison reform, abortion, pornography, drug abuse, etc. The church must minister to the whole person – body, mind, and soul.
ECUMENICAL
We are AN ECUMENICAL CHURCH. The word “ecumenical” is a fairly recent introduction to everyday English usage. It comes from the Greek word oikoumene which means “the whole inhabited earth.” As applied to the church, it denoted the universal, worldwide nature of Christianity. To be ecumenical is the very opposite of being narrow, sectarian, parochial, isolationist, and exclusive. The expression, “the Ecumenical Movement,” refers to the move toward cooperation and unity among the various Christian denominations.
From the very beginning, Disciples of Christ have proclaimed the unity of Christ’s Church and have sought to manifest that unity through cooperation with other religious groups and with interdenominational agencies.
Let’s enumerate a few instances of our ecumenicity:
*We have an ecumenical name – The name “Christian” is a non-sectarian title which belongs to all followers of Christ. We do not claim to be the only Christians, but we do desire to be Christians only.
*We have an ecumenical baptism – The validity of believer’s baptism by immersion is universally recognized by all churches. At the same time, we welcome into our fellowship those who have been baptized by some other method and who are conscientiously satisfied with that baptism.
*We have an ecumenical communion table – We practice “open communion”; that is, every Christian is welcome to break bread together with us.
*We have an ecumenical membership – a check of the membership roll at First Christian Church of
*We have an ecumenical spirit – We do not entertain any illusions about our being “the only true church.” We acknowledge the presence of God’s Spirit in every Christian denomination, and we believe that we can learn valuable lessons from our brothers and sisters in other churches. We believe that we should not do separately those things we can do better together. We look forward to the day when the prayer of Jesus shall be answered, that all of His people “may be one…that the world may believe.” (John 17:20-21).
CARING
Finally, we strive to be a CARING CHURCH. Probably, this should have been listed first, for no matter what else we are or do, if we do not have love, we are nothing (see I Corinthians 13:1-3). This is the acid test of a Christian and of a church. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35).
On the other hand, maybe it’s appropriate that love be mentioned last, because love is the most difficult virtue of all to practice consistently, and it is here that we most frequently fail. Nevertheless, we at First Christian Church recognize that nothing matters unless we learn to love one another with a practical, down-to-earth love that ministers to the deepest needs of people – a love that feeds the hungry, deals tenderly with the erring, consoles the brokenhearted, visits the lonely, encourages the weak, prays for the sick, lifts up the fallen, and supports the victim of tragedy – in short, a love that bears one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), that weeps with those who weep and rejoices with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15). We don’t claim to have perfectly achieved this kind of love, but we do strive toward it as our ultimate goal. We want to be a church where every individual counts, from the “greatest” to the least, the last, and the lost.
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