WHO ARE THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST?The only identity we desire is to be the church that you read about in the Bible, nothing more and nothing less! We are not a denomination. Our Lord came to this earth to establish His church (Matthew 16:18), and we want to be that church.
We have no headquarters here on this world. We have no doctrine developed by men, instead we use the Bible and only the Bible to govern what we do. The Bible is the only authority that should be used to determine what to believe. Our worship is simple, focused on expressing our adoration for God, and conforms to His will as communicated in Scripture. We meet every first day of the week to commemorate, through the Lord’s Supper, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our sins (Acts 20:7). We sing praises to God A cappella (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). We openly study and teach God’s Word (2 Timothy 4:2). We pray for God’s guidance, wisdom, protection, forgiveness and blessings (1 Timothy 2:1; James 1:5; 5:13, 16). We give back to God from the financial blessings with which He has blessed us (1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7). Our intent is to speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where the Bible is silent, to submit to God’s will, as communicated in His word, in all matters of faith. “The churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:16). |
OUR GOAL
Our mission is to teach the gospel of Christ throughout the world (Mark 16:15-16). Jesus Christ is our only savior, and there is no way to God except through Him (John 14:6). All are guilty of sin (Romans 3:23). The consequence of sin is spiritual death (Romans 6:23). Forgiveness and salvation are found “in Christ” (Romans 8:1). The gospel is God’s message of salvation through Christ (Romans 1:16).
God’s plan for man’s salvation is simple and straightforward. It is only by God’s grace through faith that we can be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). As a person responds to God’s offer of grace by repenting of his sins (Acts 3:19), confessing his faith in Christ (Matthew 10:32-33) and then being buried in baptism “into Christ” (Romans 6:3), his sins will be cleansed because of the blood shed by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross (Acts 22:16; Hebrews 9:27-28). He then begins a new life of faithfulness to God (Revelation 2:10). OUR LEADERSHIP
Since the Scriptures are inspired by God, they give us the best way to not only live our lives, but also show us how God planned for His church to be organized. 1 Timothy 3, as well as other places, show us that God's plan for the church includes those who show the proper characteristics that line up with what is seen in the Scriptures. Here at Foristell, we have three men who serve as elders and do their best to shepherd the church. As shepherds, they make sure to feed members spiritually from the word of God. Rod Jackson, Ron Ryckman, and Bruce Van Hook have the awesome task of serving as elders and we are thankful they have stepped up into that role. Helping the elders here at Foristell we have three deacons. They help the elders in their work by focusing on the nuts-and-bolts of different ministries within the church, namely education and missions. Our three deacons are Aaron Baker, Garrett Jackson and Lincoln Yowell. Leadership positions within the church are discussed in 1 Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Hebrews 13:17 and other places. |