Unlimited Growth

Historically – It is important to note that the churches of Christ are not denominational or non-denominational. The churches of Christ are pre-denominational. The church began as recorded in Acts 2. The modern entity known as the Churches of Christ began in Europe as the result of what is called the Restoration Movement. This spread to America in the 18-19th centuries. It originally began as an effort to remove denominational and man-made teachings and practices from the church. It continues as an ongoing effort to hold true to the teachings of the New Testament concerning church organization and function. A foundational distinction between the churches of Christ and denominations is the idea that all matters of church organization, doctrine and practices must be based on the instructions from the New Testament. Also note that the "restoration movement" has not ended. We continue to seek close adherence to New Testament teachings in all things today and strive to encourage future leaders to adhere to the same principles.

Theologically – The church must only follow the Bible, specifically the New Testament as the source for organization, doctrine and conduct. We are committed to following the teachings of Jesus as revealed by Him and the writers of the New Testament. We reject any man-made creeds or standards of faith.

Character – Congregations take on distinct characteristics depending on many factors. However, the following identities are the most common:

A struggling mission church – a relatively small congregation with a missionary serving as a preacher/minister. These types of congregations typically have no elders or deacons.

Urban team mission church – This is the result of several mission-oriented congregations or mission teams converging in one location to establish a congregation (church planting).

Covenant church – This type of congregation comes in various sizes. It has reached a plateau in growth with little to no change. This type seeks to maintain a faithful presence in its community and provides ministry to its members and support mission works in other areas.

Growing church – These congregations consistently seek to grow beyond national averages.

Dying church – Congregations going through the motions but lack the drive to grow. They are typically internally focused. However, there may be external issues that challenge these congregations such as population shifts, aging membership or lack of effective leadership.

Extreme church – Congregations known primarily for their doctrinal positions or procedural matters. They are found on all parts of the spectrum from conservative to liberal. These congregations focus on guarding and promoting their positions as a test of faith and fellowship and generally remain small.

Leadership church – These churches are used as models for other churches to follow for growth and ministry.

Potential follow-up Questions:

Which of these characterize your (our) congregation?

What type of congregation do you want to become?

We begin by removing any man-made traditions that are contrary to the New Testament church in organization, teaching and conduct. This is a difficult task that requires compassionate and effective leadership as well as a sincere commitment from each member.

Faith guides our actions. Faith is at the heart/core of our initial relationship with God and continued relationship with Him as well (Hebrews 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek him). There are three key points in this passage: Faith pleases God. We must believe He exists and He rewards those who follow Him.

Look for key points related to the following ideas:

• Each of us has been given grace according to the gift of our Lord's sacrifice.
• Jesus leads us from captivity (slavery) of sin.
• He did this not only through His death, but His resurrection from the dead and His ascension into Heaven where He serves on our behalf before God the Father.

It is His church, not ours. To organize by our will or standards is to violate God's will.

Evangelist – Proclaims the gospel, plans and organizes congregations, develops and encourages church leadership (II Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:5).

Elders – Guard the church against false teachers and teachings, minister to the congregation, lead by example (Acts 20:28-30; I Timothy 3:1-10; Titus 1:6-9).

Teachers – Help the congregation understand and apply God's word.

Deacons – Provide service and management of various affairs/ministries of a congregation and train others to serve. (Acts 6:1-6; I Timothy 3:8-13).

Although the church is a group, it involves God working through individuals. Individual growth must come first. As we change, we affect the church as a whole. We strive for positive spiritual growth and this individual growth directly impacts the congregation's growth.

Jesus came to offer salvation to each of us individually. Our own personal growth directly influences the growth of others. Whether it is to study more deeply the call of the gospel or follow our example into more devoted service to God, our example is always at work guided by the Holy Spirit in order the influence the spiritual lives of others in or out of the body of Christ, the church.