The church
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Contact Us
Letter
Our Address:
Carey Samford
P.O. Box 613
Iringa, Tanzania
(no zip code)
Join Us On Our Journey
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About The church:
Here you will find some information about the church in which we are a part of. We are simply Christians, and we are part of what makes up the church. The church is the Christians that gather together to worship God. It not the building or the location, the church is the people.
The name
The name “church of Christ” comes from the Bible. Romans 16:16 The term gives glory to God and not to man. Many denominations are named after Martin Luther (Lutherans) or John the Baptist (Baptist). This gives glory to a man instead of Christ. Christians must be identified with Him “for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” Acts 4:12
Organization of the church
When you read the Bible you learn that the New Testament church did not have any organization other than the local congregation. The church, as described in the Bible, does not consist of : Associations, State Conventions, National Conferences. In the Bible we see that congregations consisted of elders, deacons, preachers, and members. Philippines 1:1 Elders are older men who oversee the work of the local church. The only authority they have is in the congregation that they are a part of. Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:1-4 The qualifications for elders can be found 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Deacons can be found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Preachers do not hold special titles such as revered or father. Jesus taught his followers not to give titles of praise among themselves. Matthew 23:5-10 The goal behind the organization of the church is to stay within the pattern of the church that is described in the New Testament scriptures.
Practices of the church
The practices of the church are based on the examples in the New Testament. The church strives to be the same church that Jesus built in the first century. The church was purchased through Christ and His blood. Acts 20:28. Each person must believe in Jesus and understand what he has done for each and every person. When a person truly understand in what He has sacrificed, that person realizes that there are some things that need to be changed in their life, leading them to repentance. When a person wants to have forgiveness of their sins, and wants to be a part of the church, they realize that they must be In Christ.
The only way to be In Christ is to come in contact with His blood. The Bible teaches that we come in contact with His blood when we are baptized. When we are In Christ then we are added to His Church. When we are baptized in Him we also have our sins washed away and have the forgiveness of sins. The continual putting away of “the old man” is done in order for us to grow as a Christian. Continuing to live faithfully serving God is also part of living the Christian life.
