We want you to visit us at the Bayou Blue Church of Christ. And we want you to feel comfortable. But we know an unfamiliar place can be intimidating. So, let us tell you what you can expect when you honor us with a visit.
Background
A brief description of our background may help you understand us.
In the 1800's, many people began to question the different "religions"
they were in. They wanted to know what the Bible said about the Lord's church.
So they began to study. They found that the "religions" they were
a part of, were not found in the Bible. Their goal was to "restore"
New Testament Christianity; to follow the patterns of worship found in the
New Testament. We believe this is a worthy and reverent goal. At Bayou Blue,
we want to be a Bible-centered church. And we try to be. Yet we know that
our conclusions aren't flawless and that our practices are sometimes colored
by habit, preference, tradition, or convenience. Now, let us walk you through
a worship service. There may be some variations from this description in
other congregations of the church of Christ that you visit, because each
congregation is autonomous. Self-ruled. Independent.
The Setting
Churches of Christ meet in homes, rented facilities or, specially constructed
buildings. Some are large and some are small. At Bayou Blue, we have converted
a house into our church building. When you first enter the building you
will be in what we refer to as the auditorium. There will be rows
of chairs for those in attendance at the worship service. There are no reserved
seats, so feel free to sit anywhere you choose.
Singing
On your seat, or on one near you, will be a song book for you to use. When
the song leader announces a number, you can turn to that number in your
song book to find the words and music. One of the unique things about the
church of Christand something you might find strangeis that the
music is a capella. That is, we sing without the accompaniment of
musical instruments. This is a conviction with us, not just a preference.
It has roots in our restoration heritage. We are seeking to worship according
to the New Testament pattern. Since the New Testament makes no mention of
singing with instruments, we believe it's best to exclude it, too. (See
I Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:18-19; and Colossians 3:16) You may consider
us narrow on this point, but we believe you will respect our reason for
it and our conviction. And we think you'll find the singing meaningful,
with everyone being invited to participate.
Prayers
There will be several prayers during the service. And there may be prayers
for specific needs and requests. Prayer is the Christian's communication
to God.
Lord's Supper
If you visit on a Sunday morning, the Lord's Supper will be included in
the worship proceedingsbecause churches of Christ observe this every
Sunday. Again, the reason for this is our desire to follow New Testament
teaching. The first century church celebrated this observance on the first
day of the week. (See Acts 20:7) We can only conclude from this that they
did it the first day of every week. And we know from respected historians
that in early centuries the Lord's Supper was an every-Sunday commemoration.
During this memorial, plates containing pieces of unleavened bread will
be passed throughout the congregation. The bread symbolizes the body of
Jesus. (See I Corinthians 11:23-25) Each participating person will break
off a piece of the bread and eat it. Next trays filled with small cups will
be distributed. The cups will contain "fruit of the vine"
usually grape juice, symbolizing the blood of Jesus. (See I Corinthians
11:23-25) Each participant will drink the contents of one of the cups. If
you choose not to participate, don't be embarrassed. Feel free to just pass
the plate or tray to the person next to you.
Offering
Also, if you visit on a Sunday morning, containers will be passed to collect
the weekly financial offering. (See I Corinthians 16:1-2). As our guest,
you are not expected to make a donation. Feel perfectly comfortable
in just passing the collection plate on down the row.
Preaching
You will notice that the preacher doesn't have a title. He won't be referred
to as pastor or reverend. He will probably be referred to
as "brother". Or, "minister". Or, possibly, just called
by his first name. He won't be wearing any ecclesiastical vestments or robes
which would set him apart. The reason for this is our belief in the priesthood
of all believers. All Christians are equal. (See Matthew 23:8-12; Galatians
3:26-28; I Peter 2:5,9) The sermon will likely be from 20 to 30 minutes.
We think you will find it refreshingly Bible-centered.
Invitation
At the close of the sermon, the preacher will "extend an invitation."
This is simply an expedient time to invite those who are so 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 song. Don't feel uncomfortable 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 prayers for a specific need. Some to identify or place membership
with the Bayou Blue congregation. If anyone responds for baptism, they will
be immersed in water (See Acts 8:35-39; Romans 6:3,4; Colossians 2:12) for
the remission of their sins.(See Acts 2:38)
What Will Be Expected of You?
Nothing at all! You are welcome to participate. But don't
feel obligated to. Just observe if that is your choice. 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.
The People
What kind of people can you expect to find? Pretty much the entire spectrum,
as in any group. You will find happy people... and grouchy people. Friendly
people... and unfriendly people. Loving people... and cantankerous people.
People who are learning... and people who already know everything. You'll
find us to be like the little West Texas community that has a billboard
at the edge of town which says, "The Home of 3,000 Friendly PeopleAnd
A Few Old Soreheads." You get the picture. We're a diverse group
coming from varied backgrounds, and at different stages of knowledge and
spiritual growth.We don't know everything. We don't always do everything
right. We sometimes don't treat each other as we should. We haven't arrivedwe're
just on the journey. But, you see, we were not brought together by any illusion
of our perfection or righteousness. We were brought together by our recognition
that we are sinners in need of the cleansing blood of Jesus. (See Mark 2:17;
Romans 5:6-9; Ephesians 1:7; I John 1:7) That's the reason we can worship
together, stick together, and, with God's help, accomplish some things that
make a difference. You won't have to look very far to find our failures.
But, bottom line, you will find people who love Jesus and love the Bible
-from the pamphlet What to Expect When You Visit the church of
Christ by Joe R. Barnett with portions edited by Randy Missildine
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