The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

 

The Christian Church is one of the oldest and largest denominations founded on American soil, having its beginning in 1832.  Today there are 4,400 congregations across the United States and Canada with a total membership
of over 1.2 million.

 

Within the Christian Churches there are four levels of organizations: congregational, district, regional, and national.  Individual churches are congregational in policy with the people selecting their own leaders and sharing
in important decisions.

 

The symbol of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a simple red chalice bearing the Cross of St. Andrew across the left side of the bowl.  The color red signifies vitality, spirit, and sacrifice.  Long associated with the disciples of Christ as a symbol, the chalice points to the centrality of the Lord's Supper in the life and worship of the disciple.  Thus, a weekly Lord's Supper open to Christians of all persuasions has been characteristic of the church from its beginning in the early nineteenth century.  The Cross of St. Andrew, the national cross of Scotland, focuses attention on the Presbyterian roots of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  Thomas and Alexander Campbell, our founding fathers, both studied in Scotland and were Presbyterians.  They drew many of their ideas from developments that took place in that country.

Our Beliefs

Jesus Christ is the son of God and the personal savior of all who accept and obey Him.

 

The Holy Spirit is sent by God to all followers to provide strength, support, and guidance in our lives.

 

The Bible is the Word of God and is a guide for Christian thought and action.

 

The Church is the Body of Christ and includes all who profess faith in Jesus Christ.  The Church is the place where followers come to gain support in the faith and guidance in interpreting the scriptures.

 

The Lord’s Supper is the center of our worship and is celebrated each Sunday. All Christians are invited to partake in communion with our Lord.

 

We believe in and practice baptism by immersion. However, our congregation welcomes as members all who have been baptized in ways other than immersion.

 

Each individual has access to God without aid of a priest or minister.

 

Freedom of individual thought is important and is the right of each Christian in all areas beyond the commands of Scripture. To this end we say, "In essentials unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things charity."

 

The ethos of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is the marriage of faith and reason.

 

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is dedicated to Christian unity. Using the New Testament as a guide we seek union upon this common ground.

 

We are dedicated to making Christ known. This means that in our worship, fellowship, and outreach we seek to present the claims of Christ so that He may become the Lord of our lives.