BAPTISM

The Churches of Christ are known for putting an emphasis on baptism, but the emphasis is not as a church creed or ordinance, but as a command of Christ recorded in the New Testament. Baptism is taught in the New Testament as an act that is essential to salvation (Mark 16:16; Act 2:38; Act 22:16). Baptism is performed as an immersion by Churches of Christ, symbolizing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Acts 8:35-39; Romans 6:3,4; Colossians 2:12). Immersion is used because the original Greek word from which the word baptize comes means “to dip, to immerse, to submerge, to plunge.” Sprinkling does not meet the New Testament definition of baptism and does not properly symbolize the burial of Christ as we are buried in the watery grave of baptism.

We also do not practice infant baptism because the New Testament teaches a baptism for sinners who repent and turn to the Lord, believing Him to be the Son of God. Infants neither have sins to repent of, nor can they affirm themselves as believers.

Churches of Christ believe baptism to be an extremely important parts of one’s salvation. The New Testament declares baptism to serve the following purposes:

John 3:5                     It  is to enter the kingdom of God

Rom. 6:3,4                It is to contact Christ’ blood by being buried with Him in Death.

Gal. 3:27                   It is to get into Christ and put on Christ

Mark 16:16
I Peter 3:21              It is for Salvation

Acts 2:38                   It is for the remission of sins

Act 22:16                  It is to wash away sins
ICor 12:13

Eph 1:23                    It is to get into the church

  Singing-A Cappella singing is the only form of music used in our worship. Matt 26:30; Rom 15:19; Eph 5:18,19; Heb 2:12; Act 16:25;1 Cor 14:15; Col 3:16; James 5:13 Amos 5:22-23 Amos 6:5

Praying, Preaching, Giving,

Partaking of the Lord’s Supper  

The reason for partaking every week is due to our determination to obey the teachings found in the New Testament:

Acts 20:7 reads “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them…” There are many people in the religious community that will argue that the scripture does not say every first day of the week. This may be true, but in the Old Testament  when the Jews were commanded  to “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8) they had no problem in understanding the intent of the command was every Sabbath, although the word every is not in the command. This was also not a point of confusion or conflict for the early Christians who partook of the Lord’s Supper on every first day of the week,.

The unleavened bread and the fruit of the  vine used in the supper symbolize the body and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (I Cor. 10:16)