|
|
 |
|
We're
Glad You're Here
|
|
Welcome! No matter
who you are or from whence you are come, you’re welcome
here.
We don’t have any sort of special programs to offer you, no
musical productions, testimonies, or anything like that. Our
services are admittedly somewhat simple when compared to what
you’re used to seeing on television or what you might find
in some so-called “church service.” We don’t offer any
refreshments like coffee and donuts.
But if you’re interested in going to heaven, if you’re
interested in learning what to do to be saved, we have an
important message you need to hear.
The message is not ours, but His. It’s the gospel of Jesus
Christ. The Bible says that it is the gospel that saves
men’s souls (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 1:16), not some church
ordinance, or some special or some religious agreement reached
by some council or synod. And while we don’t want to be
unkind to anyone, we’re not interested here in what men have
to say about how to be saved, but what God says about it ( I
Peter 4:11). We must “speak as the oracles of God” on all
matters relating to salvation.
You may find our worship services rather simple. We don’t
have an organ or piano. The New Testament churches practiced
congregational singing in their worship services. We are
determined to worship God in the same way the New Testament
Christians did and there is no record of their ever having
worshiped using instrumental music in the services.
Every Sunday is special to the people here. We sing, pray,
study the Bible and observe the Lord’s Supper each first day
of the week, all of it done with special regard for the New
Testament teaching on each observance. For instance, we
observe the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day, not just on
special holidays. Every Lord’s Day is a holy day, a day
sanctified by God for His people to worship and serve Him
(Acts 20:7). Our offering here is part of our observance of
the New Testament order of things. The offering is done by our
members. We don’t solicit funds from others. (See I
Corinthians 16:1-2).
Furthermore, none of our collected funds are used to support
para-church facilities, or human institutions of various
sorts. Nor are they allocated for social or entertainment
venues. We are not a benevolent organization, either, although
we do take care of our own. Nor are we a social organization;
we don’t use funds from the church treasury to promote and
provide social gatherings. We have found no authority for
funding these matters using the church treasury.
The congregation here is organized according to the New
Testament pattern. We have Elders, Deacons, Evangelists, and
teachers. We don’ have any kind of national headquarters to
answer to. The New Testament teaches that each local
congregation was locally autonomous. We answer to God and Him
alone, not some made-made religious body.
Our plea is for people everywhere to hear what God’s word
says about salvation, about worship and do what He says in the
way He has prescribed. We make plea for a return to New
Testament Christianity. We believe that “whosoever goes
onward and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, he has
not God” (II John 9).
Welcome! Can we be of further service to you? Would you like a
private Bible study? When? Let’s set a time right now.
Dee Bowman
|
|
|
|
|
