What is the church of Christ?
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One of the most common questions we hear is “What is the church of Christ?” Below is a brief answer. If you would like to know more, please call or send us an email.
!In a few words, the expression “church of Christ” refers to a local group of Christians, nothing more or less. By local group, we refer to a number of people situated in the same geographic area, typically a city. By Christians, we mean those who have been saved from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ as a result of obedient faith in Him as the Son of God. This obedience includes repenting of sins (Luke 13:3,5), confessing Jesus as Lord (Matthew 10:32), and being baptized (immersed in water) in His name (Acts 2:38).Worldwide, there are about 20,000 congregations of the church of Christ with a membership of some 3 million. The largest number of churches are found within the states of Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Kentucky, but there are churches of Christ in every state in the United States and in 109 other countries. The state of Michigan contains several hundred churches of Christ.The typical church or congregation is made up of people from various backgrounds. Our common faith in God, Jesus and His Word unites as a spiritual family. We strive to use the Bible as our sole guide regarding our beliefs, worship and other practices. Therefore, the information provided below includes Bible references as our reason for observing/practicing these things.Each church of Christ is self-ruled and independent of other congregations. When possible, each congregation is governed by a group of elders selected from among the members. These are men who meet the specific qualifications for this office provided in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
Jesus said, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Thus we make every attempt to obey this command in structuring our worship services. A careful study of the New Testament reveals that items of worship observed by the first-century church were singing, praying, preaching, giving, and partaking of the Lord's Supper.One worship practice that distinguishes most churches of Christ from Christian denominations is our “a cappella singing” – singing without the use of organs, pianos or “bands”. We worship in song this way because there is no mention of instrumental music in the worship practices of the first-century church (Matthew 26:30, Acts 16:25, Romans 15:9, 1 Corinthians 14:15, Ephesians 5:18-19, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 2:12, James 5:13). The result is a beautiful blending of all voices, seeking to praise and glorify God in spirit and love. (Our singing at the Milan church of Christ is enthusiastic and uplifting – come and hear/participate for yourself!)Another difference between churches of Christ and other religious groups is our weekly observance of the Lord's Supper. We participate in memory of Christ's crucifixion. In Acts 20:7, we read "And upon the first day of the week... the disciples came together to break bread." We follow this example and honor Jesus every week by participating in this supper. Those who participate have accepted Jesus as the Son of God and their Lord, thus obeying His command to observe this sacred meal – Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
When you visit the Milan church of Christ, you may witness a baptism following the sermon. After careful study, a penitent believer will agree to be immersed or buried in water in obedience to Jesus’ command (Mark 16:16), so that his or her sins may be washed away by Jesus’ blood (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, John 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21). When a person is baptized in Christ, he or she becomes a Christian and a member of the church. Nothing else is required for church membership except continued love and service to the Savior.We do not believe that anyone is predestined for salvation (or condemnation) because Jesus died to save the whole world and the invitation to accept His saving grace is open to everyone (Acts 10:34-35, Revelation 22:17). To accept or reject Christ is a matter of personal choice. Wherever you are at this moment, we hope you will decide to accept the priceless gift of salvation offered by Christ. Our minister (and other members) is available for further study or to answer your questions. We look forward to getting to know you through a visit to our worship services, or any fellowship activity.
Thanks again for looking in. Please come back! If you are in the Milan area, by all means come and visit any of our services! WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU – WE REALLY DO!
One of the most common questions we hear is “What is the church of Christ?” Below is a brief answer. If you would like to know more, please call or send us an email.
!In a few words, the expression “church of Christ” refers to a local group of Christians, nothing more or less. By local group, we refer to a number of people situated in the same geographic area, typically a city. By Christians, we mean those who have been saved from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ as a result of obedient faith in Him as the Son of God. This obedience includes repenting of sins (Luke 13:3,5), confessing Jesus as Lord (Matthew 10:32), and being baptized (immersed in water) in His name (Acts 2:38).Worldwide, there are about 20,000 congregations of the church of Christ with a membership of some 3 million. The largest number of churches are found within the states of Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Kentucky, but there are churches of Christ in every state in the United States and in 109 other countries. The state of Michigan contains several hundred churches of Christ.The typical church or congregation is made up of people from various backgrounds. Our common faith in God, Jesus and His Word unites as a spiritual family. We strive to use the Bible as our sole guide regarding our beliefs, worship and other practices. Therefore, the information provided below includes Bible references as our reason for observing/practicing these things.Each church of Christ is self-ruled and independent of other congregations. When possible, each congregation is governed by a group of elders selected from among the members. These are men who meet the specific qualifications for this office provided in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
Jesus said, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Thus we make every attempt to obey this command in structuring our worship services. A careful study of the New Testament reveals that items of worship observed by the first-century church were singing, praying, preaching, giving, and partaking of the Lord's Supper.One worship practice that distinguishes most churches of Christ from Christian denominations is our “a cappella singing” – singing without the use of organs, pianos or “bands”. We worship in song this way because there is no mention of instrumental music in the worship practices of the first-century church (Matthew 26:30, Acts 16:25, Romans 15:9, 1 Corinthians 14:15, Ephesians 5:18-19, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 2:12, James 5:13). The result is a beautiful blending of all voices, seeking to praise and glorify God in spirit and love. (Our singing at the Milan church of Christ is enthusiastic and uplifting – come and hear/participate for yourself!)Another difference between churches of Christ and other religious groups is our weekly observance of the Lord's Supper. We participate in memory of Christ's crucifixion. In Acts 20:7, we read "And upon the first day of the week... the disciples came together to break bread." We follow this example and honor Jesus every week by participating in this supper. Those who participate have accepted Jesus as the Son of God and their Lord, thus obeying His command to observe this sacred meal – Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
When you visit the Milan church of Christ, you may witness a baptism following the sermon. After careful study, a penitent believer will agree to be immersed or buried in water in obedience to Jesus’ command (Mark 16:16), so that his or her sins may be washed away by Jesus’ blood (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, John 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21). When a person is baptized in Christ, he or she becomes a Christian and a member of the church. Nothing else is required for church membership except continued love and service to the Savior.We do not believe that anyone is predestined for salvation (or condemnation) because Jesus died to save the whole world and the invitation to accept His saving grace is open to everyone (Acts 10:34-35, Revelation 22:17). To accept or reject Christ is a matter of personal choice. Wherever you are at this moment, we hope you will decide to accept the priceless gift of salvation offered by Christ. Our minister (and other members) is available for further study or to answer your questions. We look forward to getting to know you through a visit to our worship services, or any fellowship activity.
Thanks again for looking in. Please come back! If you are in the Milan area, by all means come and visit any of our services! WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU – WE REALLY DO!