A New Testament church in Carlisle!

Our Beliefs About the Bible

The Bible is the foundation of our faith as Christians, providing us with guidance for how to live a godly life and connect with God. It contains the teachings and instructions of a loving and all-powerful God who desires for us to understand his will for us. In the Bible, we can find patterns for worship and righteous living that have been established by God, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. As believers, it is important for us to study and follow these patterns, as they provide us with a roadmap for living a life that is pleasing to God. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Our Organizational Structure and Governance

According to the New Testament, the early Christian church was structured with local, autonomous congregations led by a group of elders (Acts 14:23, Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9). Jesus Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 1:22-23), and the elders of each congregation are responsible for guiding and caring for the believers within their community (1 Peter 5:1-4). When the church needs assistance in a specific area, deacons may be appointed to coordinate efforts in accordance with the teachings of the New Testament (Acts 6:1-5, Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:8-13).

We do not have a global council or a president. In our understanding, all Christians are considered priests and saints, as they are part of a chosen people in Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:1, 1 Peter 2:9). Therefore, you will not find separate titles such as "priests" or "saints" in our community.

What to Expect During Our Worship Services

During our worship services, we participate in singing, praying, and taking the Lord's Supper as a way of expressing our love and devotion to God. Singing is an important part of our worship, and we believe that God desires to hear our voices praising him through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16). It's worth noting that we do not use musical instruments as part of our singing.

We also offer up prayers to God, thanking him for all he has done for us and asking for his guidance and support (Luke 11:9-10, Colossians 3:17, 1 Timothy 2:1-8, James 5:16).

The Lord's Supper helps us remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for our salvation (1 Corinthians 11:23-28) and we also give offerings to support the work of the church (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). As a visiting guest, you are not expected to give unless you wish to do so.

We study and learn from the Bible through reading, teaching, and preaching during our services (Acts 2:42).

History of the Church

The church of Christ believes that the original, pure form of the church has always existed. In the late 18th century, people in different denominational churches in different countries began to question the need for creeds and codes, and asked why they couldn't go back to the simplicity and purity of the first century church.

They pleaded with their friends and loved ones to return to the Bible as the sole guide and abandon man-made creeds. These people did not seek to create another denomination, but rather to restore the original church as recorded in the New Testament. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

We use the Bible as our only guide and seek to do what the original church did. We are not a denomination, but rather members of the church established by Jesus. We wear the name "church of Christ" to indicate that the church belongs to Christ and to avoid confusion with other denominational names. We recognize our own weaknesses and strive to carefully follow God's plan for the church.

The Church Established by Jesus Christ

The Bible is the foundation of our faith as Christians, providing us with guidance for how to live a godly life and connect with God. It contains the teachings and instructions of a loving and all-powerful God who desires for us to understand his will for us. In the Bible, we can find patterns for worship and righteous living that have been established by God, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. As believers, it is important for us to study and follow these patterns, as they provide us with a roadmap for living a life that is pleasing to God. (1 Corinthians 14:33)