Who are We?
Who are the churches of Christ?
There are many terms of description associated with the Church in the New Testament. Some examples are the church of God (1 Cor 1:2), the body of Christ (Col 1:18), the bride of Christ (Eph 5:25-32), and the church of Christ (Rom 16:16). It is important to note that the writers (guided by the Holy Spirit) did not intend for these phrases to be proper names…they were indeed phrases used to describe the church that Jesus died for. The ‘Belgrade church of Christ’ is not intended to be a name either…but rather a term of description. We are simply stating that we are a congregation of Christians that belong to Jesus. We do not seek association with any man-made religious organization…we only want to belong to Jesus. We value the descriptive phrase “the church of Christ” because it emphasizes the fact that the Church belongs to Jesus, since he purchased it with his own blood (Acts 20:28). As members of His church, we acknowledge and appreciate the great price that Christ paid for us. As a response to what he has done for us, we support the work and mission of His church with our involvement, prayers, labors, and our financial resources.
Our mission?
There are two basic elements to our mission as the body of Christ, His church. The first part is to “…live a life worthy of the calling we have received…” (Eph 4:1). It is our mission to be obedient, biblical followers of Christ that aim to honor God with the details of our lives. The second part is to join with Christ in his mission of “…seeking and saving what was lost…” (Lk 19:10). In Matt 28:19-20, Jesus commanded his disciples to “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” NIV
Upon what are our beliefs based?
The church that belongs to Christ is described in the pages of the New Testament. It’s organization, practices of worship, the responsibilities of its members, etc.—the pattern we follow is the one that we see in God’s word.
2 Tim 3:16-17—“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” —N IV
1 Peter 1:24-25— “‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.” —NIV
John 17:17— “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” —NIV
Acts 20:27—“For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”—NIV
Our beliefs and practices concerning everything from family, ethics and morality, to worship and church leadership are the result of our study of His Holy Word, the Bible. God has revealed Himself to us through the Scriptures and through the life of His son, Jesus… We make it our aim to look to these to find out what pleases Him and then seek to honor Him with submissive, obedient, and thankful hearts.
How do we worship?
John 4:24—“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth.” –NIV
1 Sam 15:22—"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” –NIV
It is our goal to offer up worship to God that is pleasing to Him. This begins, first of all, with hearts that come before Him bowed low in reverence, respect, and recognition of His greatness. Secondly, it involves a desire to honor Him with our lips, our hands, and our lives. Beyond these “heart matter” basics, we also do our best to worship Him according to the model that we believe was left for us (in the New Testament record) to follow. We purposefully avoid attempts to “improve” the worship experience via the addition of post-first century fads. We believe true worship can only be “improved” by one growing a greater understanding of the realities of God and then responding with a heart of love, adoration, and desire to honor the Great King! Some of the physical elements of our assembled worship include:
Singing—Eph 5:19; Col 3:16
Prayer—Acts 12:12; 1 Thes 5:17
Bible Teaching—Acts 2:42; Mt 28:20
Communion—Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 11:23-ff
Giving—1 Cor 16:1-2
How does one become a member?
We do not speak of membership in terms of some formula which must be followed for approved acceptance into the congregation. The New Testament gives certain steps which were taken by people in that day to become Christians. When a person became a Christian he or she automatically was a member of the church that belongs to Christ.
The same is true in the church of Christ today. There are no separate rules or ceremonies which one must follow to be “inducted” into the church or qualify for membership. On the very first day of the Church’s existence, those who repented and were baptized were saved (Acts 2:38). From that day forward, all those who were saved were added to the number of disciples (Acts 2:47). This is the pattern we follow today.
If you would like to learn more about our church Family, or would like to study the Bible, we invite you to contact us. We would be more than happy to assist you!
There are many terms of description associated with the Church in the New Testament. Some examples are the church of God (1 Cor 1:2), the body of Christ (Col 1:18), the bride of Christ (Eph 5:25-32), and the church of Christ (Rom 16:16). It is important to note that the writers (guided by the Holy Spirit) did not intend for these phrases to be proper names…they were indeed phrases used to describe the church that Jesus died for. The ‘Belgrade church of Christ’ is not intended to be a name either…but rather a term of description. We are simply stating that we are a congregation of Christians that belong to Jesus. We do not seek association with any man-made religious organization…we only want to belong to Jesus. We value the descriptive phrase “the church of Christ” because it emphasizes the fact that the Church belongs to Jesus, since he purchased it with his own blood (Acts 20:28). As members of His church, we acknowledge and appreciate the great price that Christ paid for us. As a response to what he has done for us, we support the work and mission of His church with our involvement, prayers, labors, and our financial resources.
Our mission?
There are two basic elements to our mission as the body of Christ, His church. The first part is to “…live a life worthy of the calling we have received…” (Eph 4:1). It is our mission to be obedient, biblical followers of Christ that aim to honor God with the details of our lives. The second part is to join with Christ in his mission of “…seeking and saving what was lost…” (Lk 19:10). In Matt 28:19-20, Jesus commanded his disciples to “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” NIV
Upon what are our beliefs based?
The church that belongs to Christ is described in the pages of the New Testament. It’s organization, practices of worship, the responsibilities of its members, etc.—the pattern we follow is the one that we see in God’s word.
2 Tim 3:16-17—“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” —N IV
1 Peter 1:24-25— “‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.” —NIV
John 17:17— “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” —NIV
Acts 20:27—“For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”—NIV
Our beliefs and practices concerning everything from family, ethics and morality, to worship and church leadership are the result of our study of His Holy Word, the Bible. God has revealed Himself to us through the Scriptures and through the life of His son, Jesus… We make it our aim to look to these to find out what pleases Him and then seek to honor Him with submissive, obedient, and thankful hearts.
How do we worship?
John 4:24—“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth.” –NIV
1 Sam 15:22—"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” –NIV
It is our goal to offer up worship to God that is pleasing to Him. This begins, first of all, with hearts that come before Him bowed low in reverence, respect, and recognition of His greatness. Secondly, it involves a desire to honor Him with our lips, our hands, and our lives. Beyond these “heart matter” basics, we also do our best to worship Him according to the model that we believe was left for us (in the New Testament record) to follow. We purposefully avoid attempts to “improve” the worship experience via the addition of post-first century fads. We believe true worship can only be “improved” by one growing a greater understanding of the realities of God and then responding with a heart of love, adoration, and desire to honor the Great King! Some of the physical elements of our assembled worship include:
Singing—Eph 5:19; Col 3:16
Prayer—Acts 12:12; 1 Thes 5:17
Bible Teaching—Acts 2:42; Mt 28:20
Communion—Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 11:23-ff
Giving—1 Cor 16:1-2
How does one become a member?
We do not speak of membership in terms of some formula which must be followed for approved acceptance into the congregation. The New Testament gives certain steps which were taken by people in that day to become Christians. When a person became a Christian he or she automatically was a member of the church that belongs to Christ.
The same is true in the church of Christ today. There are no separate rules or ceremonies which one must follow to be “inducted” into the church or qualify for membership. On the very first day of the Church’s existence, those who repented and were baptized were saved (Acts 2:38). From that day forward, all those who were saved were added to the number of disciples (Acts 2:47). This is the pattern we follow today.
If you would like to learn more about our church Family, or would like to study the Bible, we invite you to contact us. We would be more than happy to assist you!
