The Christian Church

(Disciples of Christ)

Have you ever longed for a church that would support your personal spiritual journey without interjecting a narrow view on issues of faith?  Have you ever wished you could openly disagree with the opinions expressed by church leaders without enduring ridicule or estrangement?  Have you ever read a Bible passage and come up with an entirely different perspective than the “official” one taught in Sunday school?  Do you long for freedom to develop your own relationship to God?

One of the best kept secrets in Christianity is a two hundred year-old denomination known as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  The movement which gave birth to the denomination began in the U.S.  Its central concern then and now is removing all man-made barriers to membership in the Christian Church and relationship with God, through Christ.  We uphold “no creed but Christ,” and encourage individuals to develop their own unique relationship to God.  We encourage individual study of Scripture, dialogue with those holding divergent opinions on matters of faith, and freedom in responding to God’s unconditional love.  Join us for worship!

Seeking Unity...

The founders of the movement that gave birth to the Disciples of Christ yearned for Christian unity.  They sought to overcome denominational differences and restore a simpler day when people of varied backgrounds and opinions sought to follow Christ together.  Today, we still yearn for the day when doctrinal differences will not undermine Christians’ determination to love one another and strangers alike!

---through diversity

Anyone who takes the time to read the four Gospels of the New Testament quickly discovers that diversity was the rule of the early church.  Each Gospel writer includes material the others ignore or excludes material the others emphasize, or emphasizes material others minimize.  The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) accepts and affirms the need for diversity as individuals seek to follow Christ.  Each of us lives our faith out of the context of our life experience, our personal and collective history, and our individual and cultural perspective.  We bring these things into our reading of Scripture, our relationship to God, and our relationships with others.  Disciples celebrate diversity!

A faith relevant to the 21st century

Science and religion are not incompatible.  Humankind’s world view has changed dramatically over the last two thousand years.  Modern biblical scholarship has allowed Christians to better understand the context in which bible stories were written, and consequently, to better reinterpret those stories, discerning the underlying truth, and informing difficult ethical and moral questions today.  We look behind the language  to the message of Scripture.  We seek to reinforce the enduring values of peace, justice, and above all, love!

In the context of community

No one is an island.  The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a fellowship of people seeking to love one another and to love God.  Join Us!  Everyone who enters the doors of First Christian Church is welcomed with the unconditional love and forgiveness of God.