“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the ageĀ.”
Matthew 28:19 -20
WHAT KIND OF CHURCH IS THIS?
With so many churches to choose from why should I choose a Christian Church or Church of Christ?
We make no claim to be different from other Bible Churches, in fact our goal is unity – not division. Christianity has suffered long enough from the deep divisions among Christian people. We don’t want to be different, what we want is for Jesus’ prayer to become reality “that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us.” (John 17:21)
Our movement began in the early nineteenth century when there was much fighting among Christians in the frontier over various religious creeds and beliefs. A group of Christians broke away from denominationalism announcing that they would follow the Bible alone, instead of human creeds.
Over the years since, thousands of people have realized that they just want to be Christians without the complications of denomination. They want to break down unnecessary walls among Christians.
The Restoration Movement of which we are a part received its name from the fact that we are trying to restore the church to the precedents set by the Church of the New Testament. Over the years, many man made rules, regulations, doctrines and practices crept into the practice of many churches and we feel that it’s time to get back to the Bible.
Since we are trying to imitate the New Testament Church we baptize by immersion, observe communion every Sunday, call our leaders “elders” and “deacons”, and preach the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Like the earliest churches our church is independent. We have no church hierarchy and no headquarters in another city that determines policies here. As a congregation, we elect our own leaders, call and support our ministers, decide where our mission money will go, and in every way determine the program of the church.
We try our very best to be a thinking, feeling, caring, studying, and growing church. You are welcome in all the activities of the church and we invite you to worship and fellowship with us; let us together glorify our God.
“What Kind of Church is This?” has been seen on many Christian Church bulletins. It gives a concise history and description of the Restoration Movement. We thank Earl Ferguson, Preaching Minister of Deer Creek Christian Church in University Park, Illinois, for giving us permission to use this information. We are grateful.
