We are here to help people find and follow Jesus Christ and to love as He has loved us.
We do this by:
- Bringing glory to God
- Bringing people into His kingdom
- Bringing His people to maturity in Christ
- Planting churches around the world
- Building strong marriages and families
Bring healing and hope to people with mental and spiritual health needs
Fight for the rights of the defenseless, the widow, and the orphan
The Church is the Body of Christ!
The New Testament has given us a wonderful blueprint of the church, the Body of Christ. Commonly called ekklesia in Koine Greek, or those who are "called out to assemble," the church is the gathering together of believers who have been called out of the unbelieving world. The church is the followers of Jesus who gather to love one another as Christ has loved them and incarnate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the everyday people around them. To learn more about the church of the New Testament read Matthew 16; 18; John 13-17; Acts; Romans; 1 and 2 Corinthians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; 1-2 Timothy; Titus; Hebrews; James; 1 Peter; and Revelation.
The Church as the Body of Christ represents the second incarnation of Jesus. The first incarnation, or enfleshment of God, was the birth of Christ in the village of Bethlehem. The second incarnation, or enfleshment of God, was the birth of the church as recorded in Acts 1-2. Also known as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:7-9; 21:1-2), the Body of Christ represents the very presence or enfleshment of Christ on earth. The church of our Lord Jesus Christ is made up of believers who are, as individuals, the collective membership of Christ's Body (Romans 12-14; 1 Corinthians 10-14). The church, therefore, is called and equipped by the Holy Spirit to talk like, act like, and be like Jesus. The character and behavior of the church by implication must only reflect His character and behavior (1 John 4:17). By God's "intelligent design" is it like Father like Son like church!
THE APOSTLE'S TEACHING
The Old and New Testaments are centric and foundational to the Body of Christ - Matthew 5:17-19; John 10:35; 17:17; Acts 2:42. The teaching and preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - Matthew 28:18-20; John 3:16; Acts 2:37-42; 10:43; Romans 4-10. Our services begin with teaching and immediately address the needs of the Body of Christ - James 1:21.
The teaching of God's Word prepares the Body of Christ for worship in spirit and Truth - John 4:24.
FELLOWSHIP
Every member of the Body of Christ is gifted by God's Spirit - Romans 12-14; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:7-16. Spiritual Gifts. The Body of Christ living in the power of the Holy Spirit in corporate discipleship - Romans 8:12-17; 1 Corinthians 12:25; Ephesians 4:32. Fellowship is the corporate act of discipleship in the Body of Christ - Romans 14:19; Ephesians 4; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:24-25.
BREAKING BREAD
Singing songs of praise and worship to our Lord and God, Jesus Christ - Psalm 66:2-4; 105:2-4; 1 Corinthians 14:15; James 5:13. The sacred worship-act of taking the Lord's Supper - Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7. The Lord's Supper is centric and foundational to discovering and preserving unity in the Body of Christ - 1 Corinthians 10-11; Ephesians 4.
PRAYER
Every member is a minister of the Body of Christ - 1 Corinthians 12:26; Ephesians 4:11-16. Caring for the church through spiritual giftings - Acts 2:42; Romans 12-14; 1 Corinthians 12-14. Counseling and encouraging one another with God's Word - Ephesians 5:17. Praying for one another - James 5:16. Prayer according to the will of God - Matthew 6:9-13; John 16:23; Acts 2:42; Romans 8:27. Daily relating to and encouraging one another in our faith - Acts 2:46.
GENEROSITY, COMPASSION & CARE
Meeting needs in the Body of Christ - Acts 2. Mutual suffering and rejoicing - 1 Corinthians 12:26. Loving one another - Galatians 5:13.
The Apostle's Teaching
At Christ Church, we believe that the Bible is God’s Holy Word given to us. Our pastors will lead the church in understanding the Scriptures and how they apply to daily living. Popular religious psychology, standup comedy, and great stories will never replace the basic and simple teaching of God’s Word. The teaching of God’s Word prepares us to worship Him!
Acts 5:42-42
"41 So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."
John 17:14-18
"14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify[b] them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified."
2 Timothy 3:10-17
"10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Fellowship
We believe fellowship in the New Testament church was not a “pass the baked beans and potato salad” approach to relationships. Rather, fellowship (koinonia) in the first-century church was what all believers shared in based on what was common among them, e.g., Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, their Spiritual giftedness, love, and their calling to be the Body of Christ. Therefore, based on the teaching of God’s Word and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, the Body of Christ is responsible to engage their spiritual gifts for the encouragement and building up of the church during every worship service.
The Lord's Supper
The Scriptures teach us that the New Testament church observed the Lord’s Supper daily (Acts 2:42,46; 1 Corinthians 10:16) and certainly took it each Sunday (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:20). At Christ Church we celebrate the Lord’s Supper every service as our offering of worship to the Lord. For the first-century church, the Lord’s Supper functioned as the church’s most sacred expression of worship and even served as one of the primary reasons to meet as the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:20). Without any guitars, keyboards, organs or pianos, sound systems or PowerPoint, or any top 40 contemporary Christian hits, the first-century Body of Christ worshiped Jesus when they ate the bread and drank the wine. Christ Church welcomes all Christians who have trusted Jesus for salvation to take the Lord’s Supper with the Body of Christ.
John 6:26-58
26Jesus answered them and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27"Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal." 28Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" 29Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." 30So they said to Him, "What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? 31"Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.'" 32Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33"For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." 34Then they said to Him, "Lord, always give us this bread." 35Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36"But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 37"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." 41Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the bread that came down out of heaven." 42They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven'?" 43Jesus answered and said to them, "Do not grumble among yourselves. 44"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. 45"It is written in the prophets, 'AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. 46"Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48"I am the bread of life. 49"Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50"This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51"I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." 52Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" 53So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55"For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57"As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58"This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever."
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
23For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. 27Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. 33So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.
