|
|
|
| About |
 |
Additional Information:
The Church of Christ dates back to the days of Pentecost, A.D. 33 (Acts 2), just fifty days after His ascension back into Heaven. In the years that followed, it rapidly grew to fill Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria, and finally the whole Roman Empire.
The Church of Christ is noted for its emphasis upon returning to New Testament Christianity. Thus we try to strictly follow the New Testament.
For this reason, only a capella music is used in worship assemblies and the Lord's Supper is observed every Sunday. The Bible teaches that sinners are saved by faith, repentance, confession, and Christ is organized with elders, deacons, preachers, and members as in that Jesus will return some day to take His kingdom (church) home to God it is possible to have religious unity in a day of division by simply following the New Testament pattern and putting aside human traditions. To put it simply, the Prairie Grove Church of Christ is seeking to be the same church one reads about in the New Testament.
We aim to restore its doctrine, its practice, its lifestyle, and its zeal. "And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."
He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation"....... Mark 16:15
How We Worship God
Our goal is to worship God in spirit and in truth, and we do so in a simple and orderly manner. We strive to follow the example set by the New Testament church. The elements of the worship service, which are based on scripture, are described below:
Singing
The entire congregation sings gospel songs. We have no choir or special singing groups. Since we can find no example in the New Testament of the early church using musical instruments, we do not use them in our worship (see Ephesians 5:19 & Colossians 3:16).
Prayer
Men of the congregation lead our prayers which are intended to praise and thank God, as well as, to petition Him regarding our needs (I Timothy 2:1-4).
Preaching The Gospel
The Word of God is presented in the form of lessons, which are designed to teach us of God's will for our lives. We are encouraged to grow in faith and love and are urged to comply with God's commands. The preaching of the gospel is intended to lead others to Christ as well as to strengthen those who are already Christians.
Lord's Supper
We partake of the Lord's Supper each first day of the week as did the early Christians (Acts 20:7). This memorial supper consists of two emblems, the unleavend bread, representing Christ's body, and the fruit of the vine, which represents the blood that He shed on the cross, as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
Giving As Prospered
I Corinthians 16:1-2 is the basis for our taking a collection on each first day of the week. These funds are used in the furtherance of the work of the Church in spreading the gospel story. This is the only means of collecting funds described in the New Testament for supporting the work of the church.
STEPS TO SALVATION
Hear The Gospel (Romans 10:17); Believe The Gospel (Hebrews 11:6, James 2:19); Repent Sins (Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30); Confess Faith In Jesus (Matthew 10:32-33, Romans 10:9-10); Be Baptized (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:1-18, Galations 3:27); Live Faithfully (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Revelation 2:10b)
About The Church
We sometimes refer to ourselves as the church of Christ, the Lord's church, or members of the body of Christ. We are non-denominational and wish only to be known as "Christians". We purpose ourselves to be the same church
described in the New Testement (see Acts 11:26; IPeter 4:16; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18; Romans 16:16).
Organization
The church is a kingdom over which Christ rules (1 Timothy 6:15; John 18:37; John 19:19). Christians are citizens in this kingdom (Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 12:28; Revelation 1:9). The world is the territory of this kingdom (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8). The new birth is the way we enter this kingdom (John 3:5).
Authority
The church is the body of Christ and Christ is its only head (Ephesians 1:22,23; 4:4). He has all authority (Matthew 28:18; Colossians 1:18). He has never given this authority to anyone else. Because Christ is the head, we
take our instructions from Him. Because He is king, we must obey Him (Ephesians 5:24).
The church has no earthly headquarters. The headquarters of Christ’s church is in Heaven. Each congregation of the Lord’s body is independent and self-ruling. There is no pope, council, conference, or group of people
controlling all the congregations of the Lord’s body.
Elders
Elders are to be appointed in every church (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). In the New Testament, elders are also called presbyters (1 Timothy 4:14); bishops (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1,2); overseers (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2); pastors (Ephesians 4:11,12); and shepherds (1 Peter 5:1-4). The word "pastor" is simply another word for "shepherd."
Preachers are never called pastors in the New Testament. The elders of the local congregation are the pastors (shepherds) of each local church (1 Peter 5:1-4).
Qualifications for elders are listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-13. In addition to being a faithful Christian, an elder must be a man with a wife and faithful children. He cannot be a new member and be qualified. Also, there must be more than one elder serving in the local congregation. The Bible says "elders" [plural] (Acts 14:23;
20:17,18,28). These elders are to guide, guard, feed, and rule the flock of God (1 Peter 5:1-4; Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:17).
Deacons
Deacons are to be appointed in every church (Philippians 1:1). Their qualifications are listed in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. The work of deacons would include what was done as recorded in Acts 6:1-6. Again, deacons can only be men. Women are not qualified to be deacons because they cannot be a "husband of one wife" (1 Timothy 3:12).
Preachers
Preachers have the responsibility to "preach the word" (2 Timothy 4:1-5). As with elders and deacons, preachers are males (1 Timothy 2:8-15). They are evangelists, ministers of the word of God (2 Timothy 4:5). In the New
Testament, preachers are never called by titles such as "Pastor," "Reverend," "Doctor," or "Father" (Matthew 23:8-12).
Members
Anyone who has obeyed the gospel is a member of the Lord’s church (Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 1:3).
Members of the church are to obey the elders (Hebrews 13:17). They are to teach the lost (Acts 8:4; 2 Timothy 2:24,25). They are to practice "pure religion" (James 1:27).
The leadership of the Lord’s church is made up of qualified men. If a church does not have this kind of organization, it cannot be the church that Jesus built. Christ is the head only of the church which has a Scriptural
organization.
Come Worship With Us/Find Us With Mapquest
Our preacher, elders and deacons are committed to helping others serve God. If you are interested in a bible correspondence course, or if you have questions/comments regarding our web page, please contact Kevin Cook at:
Email: cookevin@pgtc.net
|
|
|
Site-specific content Copyright (c) 2000 FaithSite.com or Used by Permission
All other content Copyright (c) 2000 FaithSites, Inc. All rights reserved.
Use of this site is subject to Terms of Service and to our Privacy Policy.
If you are offended by anything on this page, click here.
| |
