Why should I consider the Church of Christ?
When the gospel began to go forth in the first century world, a multiplicity of denominational churches did not exist—only “the church.” The seeker of salvation today faces many “brands” of churches with differing beliefs and practices—and how confusing it is! In our consumer oriented culture, it’s often thought that it does not matter which church one becomes a part of and attends and supports. But it’s critically important that we please God—and we learn how to do that only from the Scriptures.
The foundation of a church is its beliefs—what it teaches. Of course, there are other matters to consider as well, but this is basic to the identity of any group. Life and practice stem from beliefs. So, when considering a church, one of the most important questions to ask is, Do their teachings square with the Bible? The Bible says that truth and sound doctrine matter.
You owe it to yourself to study the Bible and then compare what it says with the church you are considering. Every church will have good yet imperfect people, but what matters is their foundation. Acts 17:11 commends some folks who “received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” In that spirit, we invite you to study with us and to investigate for yourself.
If you have any questions, we encourage you to e-mail or phone us and we would be happy to answer them. You can reach us by phone at (586) 777-5470 or by email at northeastcofc@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you!
What to Expect
One of the first things you will notice about our worship is our “a capella” singing. That is, we sing without the accompaniment of musical instruments. Every heart is God’s chosen instrument of worship (Ephesians 5:19). By using this universal instrument, each member is able to praise, teach and instruct as they follow the acceptable pattern and teaching found in the Bible and in first-century assemblies. No matter what kind of voice you have, it sounds wonderful to God.
We believe in prayer and the impact it has on our lives. There will be prayers during the service, and there may be prayers for specific needs and requests.
You may be asked to fill out a visitor’s card. This simply provides information so the church can write or call to thank you for your visit. Supply the information if you are comfortable doing so. But, feel free to decline this request if you prefer.
If you visit on a Sunday morning, the Lord’s Supper will be included in the worship proceedings, because churches of Christ observe this memorial of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ every Sunday. Before each service, plates of individually packaged unleavened bread and and cups will be available in the lobby and at the back entrance. The bread symbolizes the body of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11: 23-25). The cups will contain “fruit of the vine,” grape juice, symbolizing the blood of Jesus. Each Christian who wishes to participate can drink the contents of one of the cups. If you choose not to participate, feel free to pass the plate or tray to the person next to you.
Also, if you visit on a Sunday morning, an offering plate will be available in the lobby to collect the weekly financial offering (1 Corinthians 16: 1-2). As our guest, you are not expected to make a donation, although everyone is welcome to give as they are moved to do so.
You will notice that our preacher doesn’t have a title and he won’t be wearing any ecclesiastical vestments which set him apart. You will find the lessons taught each week to be centered on Jesus Christ. Each lesson has been designed to help guide our daily walk on this earth.
At the close of the lesson, the preacher will extend an invitation. This is simply an expedient time to invite those who are moved to do so to make a commitment or request prayer support. He will encourage those who wish to respond to come to the front of the auditorium while the congregation sings a hymn. Don’t feel ill at ease during this invitation; you will not be singled out in any way. There may be several who respond, or none. Some may respond for baptism, some to confess sins, some to ask for prayer for a specific need, some to “place membership” with this congregation. If anyone responds for baptism, you will witness the baptism during this service. The baptism will be by immersion (Acts 8:35-39; Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12), and it will be for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).
Accessibility & Directions
Our building is wheelchair accessible and we have reserved parking spaces near the entrance for persons with disability parking placards or license plates.