When You Visit
Being a first-time visitor to a church can be intimidating! Most of us have been one, and we all probably ask similar questions. We'd like to provide you with a few answers you may be looking for:
Q: "What's your worship like?"
A: Some may describe our worship as simple, but our goal is to honor and please God, not ourselves. We have scriptural support for every act of worship we practice. We sing congregationally without the aid of mechanical instruments (Ephesians 5:19-20; Colossians 3:16-17). We pray together (Acts 2:42; Acts 4:23-24; Acts 4:31). We remember the death of our Savior by partaking of the Lord's Supper every Sunday (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Our members contribute to the work of the church (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7). We have no creed book, preaching and teaching only what we find in the Bible (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 14; Colossians 3:16; Colossians 4:16; 1 Timothy 4:13). It may seem simple, but we believe it to be the "true worship" God desires (John 4:23-24).
Q: "How does your church believe one receives salvation or is 'saved'?"
A: The way to salvation is clearly modeled in scripture. It all begins with hearing the Word of God (John 5:24-25; Romans 10:17). Once we hear God's Word, we must determine whether or not we believe it (Romans 10:17; John 20:29). If we believe it, then we understand that we have sinned against God (Romans 3:23) and are in need of salvation. Therefore we must repent (turn away from) our sinful life (Acts 2:38; Acts 20:21; Acts 26:18, 20). If we understand our sinful condition and are wiling to turn away from it, we must turn to the only One who can save us, confessing our faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:32; Luke 12:8; Romans 10:8-10). One would then be ready for baptism (full immersion in water) into Christ, for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). We read multiple examples of baptism in the book of Acts (Acts 2:40; Acts 8:34-40; Acts 9:18; Acts 16:11-15). Jesus specifically stated the necessity of baptism (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16), and Paul explained the powerful nature of baptism (Romans 6:1-11). The apostle Peter simply said that baptism saves us (1 Peter 3:21). Based on all of this information from God's Word, we can confidently conclude that baptism is necessary for salvation - not a personal preference or a formality. Following baptism, we clearly see throughout the Bible that we are to remain faithful to God. If we want to be with God for eternity, shouldn't we do things His way? Absolutely!
Q: "How is your church organized/structured?"
A: We're an autonomous church, meaning we operate on our own without a headquarters or an association of churches. While Christ is the head of the church, scripture also indicates we're to appoint qualified men to serve as elders to lead a local congregation. We currently have three elders serving our local congregation. Scripture also indicates a need for deacons within the local congregation. Deacons are responsible for seeing to the physical needs of the congregation (i.e. members in need, building upkeep, materials & supplies, etc.). For more information on this biblical structure, please see "Our Leadership" under the "About" heading.
Q: "What are the church members like? "
A: We'd like to think we're a friendly and loving congregation! We've all come to the Lord and His church with different life experiences and personalities, but we've all obeyed the same commands to "Repent and be baptized" (Acts 2:38). We'd never claim to be perfect people, but we know for certain that we serve the one perfect God! We're grateful for anyone who comes our way and hope you take the opportunity to join us!
Our top priority is to have Biblical support for anything we do as a congregation, as well as individual Christians. If we can't find it supported by the Bible, we won't practice it!