WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE BELIEVE
WHO WE ARE
First Christian Church, Lynchburg, is a congregation which is seeking to grow in the faith, knowledge, and love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. We are open and affirming in welcoming all who desire to join us on the journey. Through worship, education, fellowship, nurture, and service in the Community and wider church, we strive to “become a dwelling place for God,” *encouraging each other in discipleship and in discovering and using our gifts by which the Holy Spirit brings wholeness and healing to all the world. *Ephesians 2:22
WHAT WE BELIEVE
ESSENTIAL AFFIRMATIONS
We believe in God, creator and sustainer of all, who has been revealed in Jesus Christ; That God loves all unconditionally without regard to race, gender, age, ethnicity, cultural or religious background, economic status, mental or physical ability, sexual orientation, family configuration, or other distinctions, and we are called to welcome as God welcomes; and that we are called to ministry as “a priesthood of all believers” and are endowed with gifts for that ministry.
OUR VISION
To be a faithful, growing church, that demonstrates true community, deep Christian spirituality and a passion for justice. (Micah 6:8)
OUR MISSION
To be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing, loving and serving from our doorsteps "to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
STATEMENT OF IDENTITY
We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord's Table as God has welcomed us.
PRINCIPLES OF IDENTITY
JESUS IS LORD
We confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and proclaim him Lord and Savior of the world, requiring nothing more - and nothing less - as a basis of our life together.
STUDY THE SCRIPTURE
We hold the centrality of scripture, recognizing that each person has the freedom - and the responsibility - to study God's Word within the community of the church.
BAPTISM
We practice the baptism of believers, which emphasizes that God's grace demands a response of faith and discipleship, while also recognizing the baptism performed in other churches.
COMMUNION
We gather for the Lord's Supper, as often as possible, experiencing at this table the gracious, forgiving presence of Jesus Christ.
COMMUNITY AS A COVENANT
We structure our community around the biblical idea of covenant, emphasizing not obedience to human authority but accountability to one another because of our shared obedience to Christ.
GLOBAL MISSIONS
We participate in God's mission for the world, working with partners to heal the brokenness of creation and bring justice and peace to the whole human family.
UNITY OF ALL CHRISTIANS
We hear a special calling to make visible the unity of all Christians, proclaiming that in our diversity we belong to one another because we commonly belong to Christ.
EVANGELISM
We witness to the Gospel of God's saving love for the world in Jesus Christ, while continuing to struggle with how God's love may be known to others in different ways.
PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS
We affirm the priesthood of all believers, rejoicing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit - which include the gift of leadership - that God has given for the common good.
OPEN AND AFFIRMING
We celebrate the diversity of our common life, affirming our different histories, styles of worship, and forms of service. We give thanks that each congregation, where Christ is present through faith, is truly the church, affirming as well that God's church and God's mission stretch from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth. We anticipate God's coming reign, seeking to serve the God - Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer - whose loving dominion has no end.