Here you will find some common questions about churches of Christ and if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. If you have a Bible question, we have a Bible answer.
Question: What is worship like in your church?
Answer: Our Sunday services are simple to include congregational prayer, acapella singing of hymns, the Lord’s supper (communion), voluntary collection of monies to pay the bills and help with ministry, and a lesson from our minister that equips us for service. There’s also time for fellowship where we get to know visitors and spend time with one another. There is no dress code other than a request for modesty. Services last for a couple hours in the morning.
Question: Why don’t you have musical instruments?
Answer: From what we know of the church in its origination, there were no musical instruments used in worship and it wasn’t doctrinally required. Likewise the scriptural passages (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16) leads one to believe that singing should be from the heart without an accompaniment. If it’s not specifically authorized, then it is best not to introduce it. There are practical reasons as well since worship is “to God” and not for us to be entertained. Once you add one instrument, then another, and another, where does it stop? We recognize that the tendency of the human condition is to make it about self and less about God. This is how apostasy and worshipping in vain creeps in and ruins the pure spiritual experience.
Question: Why do you take communion every Sunday?
Answer: Because the scriptures clearly indicate that on the first day of the week when Christians came together for worship, they partook of the Lord’s Supper. Likewise, Jesus said to do this in remembrance of me (Luk. 22:19; 1Co. 11:24-25). We remember his sacrifice every Lord’s day because it is both consistent with early church history and because Jesus said so.
Question: Are you part of the Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints) or the United Churches of Christ?
Answer: No. We have no affiliation with the Mormon church nor the United Churches of Christ
Question: I’ve already been baptized, do I need to be baptized again?
Answer: It depends on what you were baptized for and if you were baptized in the correct manner. This requires a more personal answer depending on your situation. We perform baptism by full immersion as both the term is defined and the history of the church supports. We do not baptize babies and we do not sprinkle or pour and call it baptism because it is not.
Question: Are all your churches the same?
Answer: The churches of Christ are non-denominational and each congregation is independent but the character of worship and doctrine is typically the same though there may be some slight variations in the order of activities.
Question: Where is your church headquarters?
Answer: In heaven.
Question: Do you teach that people that don’t belong to your church are going to hell?
Answer: No as this usurps God’s authority. The Bible is our guide and indicates those sins or behaviors that will cause a person to not inherit the kingdom of heaven (1Co. 6:9-10; Rom. 1:18-32; 2Pe. 2; Rev. 21:8). Worshipping in a way that God did not authorize or cannot be supported in scripture can cause a persons worship to be in vain (Mat. 15:8-9). God will decide who goes where but it is important to be faithfully “in the body of Christ” to be considered a Christian in the biblical definition of the term.
Question: I believe I’m a good person, am I condemned if I don’t obey the gospel of Christ?
Answer: Two issues with this question; one is that you believe you’re a “good” person begs the question “as compared to what?” It also suggests that you believe you can earn your way into heaven which is both impossible and unnecessary. Jesus already paid the price and His grace is sufficient. The Bible clearly says that nobody is “good” (Rom. 3:12), all have sinned (Rom. 3:23; 1Jo. 1:8) and our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). Finally you answer your own question with regards to not obeying the gospel message.
Question: I’m serving in the military and I’ve been deployed and took lives, am I going to hell for murder?
Answer: If the context of your serving required you to defend yourself from a mortal enemy as a part of your duties, the answer is no. Again, God will be the judge and even if you’ve made a mistake by harming another human being, it can still be forgiven. If this question is on your heart, it might be a good idea to have a conversation with one of our elders or a Bible study to learn how God has dealt with life and death situations at the hand of military leadership. King David for example had an adulterous affair with Bathsheba and also sent her husband to the front lines to be killed, yet after being confronted he had godly sorrow such as to be forgiven by God for his sin. On the other hand, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and sought forgiveness from the Pharisees and eventually took his own life out of his grievous error. He was not forgiven.
Question: Do you celebrate Christmas, Easter or other religious holidays?
Answer: The choice of celebrating any holiday for any reason, religious or otherwise, is left to the individual member.
Question: Does saying the “Sinner’s Prayer” inviting Jesus into my heart save me?
Answer: The Sinner’s prayer (also called the Consecration prayer and Salvation prayer) is an evangelical term referring to any prayer of repentance, prayed by individuals who feel sin in their lives and have the desire to form or renew a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is a popular prayer in evangelical circles and there are many variations. The book of Acts in the Bible gives us several examples of what people did to obey the gospel bringing them into a saved state with Christ. There are no examples of anyone ever being saved by saying any kind of ‘prayer’. Not to be harsh but the Sinners Prayer has no biblical basis of support.
