Copyright 2024 New Antioch Church of Christ. All rights reserved. We wish to express our thanks to Sharefaith for providing webhosting, support, and images.
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Oct '15
Connect with Us
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Oct '15
We try to provide a number of ways in which friends, members of the community, and those wishing to visit may get in touch with us. Among these are:
- Church Office Phone 256-974-9340
- Church Website www.newantiochcoc.net
- Find us on Facebook by clicking HERE
- Email us at newantioch.contach@gmail.com
- Call us or email us to receive or bulletin by print or by email.
- We are also on I-Tunes Podcasts. Serach for New Antioci Church of Christ.
Click here for our webpage and contact information or click the menu icon to further explore our app.
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Oct '15
Churches of Christ
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Oct '15
The Church of Christ is made up of members who have obeyed the gospel plan of salvation and as such have been “added to the church, those that have been saved” (Acts 2:27). This opportunity is available to all people everywhere. The Bible tells us that “God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” ( II Peter 3:9). Nowhere in the New Testament does the Bible ever mention a multitude of different churches. Instead, the New Testament describes for us a single church meeting in different locations but unified in doctrine and faith. I Corinthians 12:12-13 says “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we are baptized into one body….and have been all made to drink into one Spirit”. Jesus said that he would build “His church” <singular> (Matthew 16:18). The church is also called the “Family of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19) and the “Kingdom of Christ” (Colossians 1:13).
Churches of Christ are not denominational. Each congregation is autonomous and, whenever possible, under the oversight of designated men called Elders. We teach that all believers world-wide, who have obeyed God, make up the Lord’s Church. Because of this, all congregations of the Lord’s Church are bound together in a common belief of the inspiration of the scriptures and seeking to emulate the pattern of worship and Christian living practiced by the First Century believers. We, therefore, have no separate creeds, confessionals, or manuals. We believe the Bible, and it alone, contains all things that God has related concerning His plan of salvation for mankind. We do not vote on membership, since the Bible tells us that God adds people to the church based on faith and obeying His word. We invite everyone to visit with us and experience simple Bible-based worship.
How does one become a member of the Church of Christ?
We have no conditions of membership in the Lord’s church other than that given to us by Jesus Christ himself and His apostles. Since Christ is the head of the church, we do not have the power, nor the desire, to try to change what He has said. The question of what to do was asked by the crowd on the day of Pentecost listening to the first sermons preached by Peter and the other Apostles. In Acts 2:37, when those in the assembled crowd awakened to the seriousness of putting the Son of God to death, they asked “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter’s answer is simply put and in the next verse; “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” Notice these individuals had heard and believed what they heard but there was something more that they had to do…namely repent and be baptized. As they did they would have confessed the name of Christ as the Son of God, as did the Ethiopian in Acts 8:37. If all a person has to do to be saved is to believe then Peter would have said “since you believe then there is nothing more you have to do…you are saved”. But Peter did not respond this way. Peter answered their question and explained that there is something more than just belief needed on the part of the believer. This goes against common denominational preaching but reading from the scriptures is always the surest way to learn the truth. From the instances of conversion found in the scriptures, we can see the simple truth…those that are added to the church are those that:
1.Hear the Gospel preached
2.Believe what they hear
3.Repent from their sins because of their belief
4.Confess the name of Christ as the Son of God
5.and have been baptized, for the remission of sins in the name of Jesus Christ, and
6.Continue in the fellowship of Christ’s Church and live a life consistent to His teachings.
This is the plan that God intended all along. It was divinely given to us through the Bible. Those who heed His word and do the things written have their names added to “The Lambs Book of Life” and are added to the church.
Click here for our webpage on the Lord’s Church or click the menu icon to further explore our app.
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Oct '15
Our Ministries
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Oct '15
New Antioch is engaged in trying to make a difference in our community. We participate in a variety of activities which provides opportunities for our members to use their talents and abilities in helping others, through both spiritual and benevolent outlets. Also we continue to look for new ways by which we can reach out to others in order to fulfill needs. Whether it’s providing winter coats and shoes, helping with meals, building wheelchair ramps, or hosting services at the nearby nursing home, we certainly intend to try to continue to carry out the mission of Christ. We hope that you would want to join us and be a part of our out-reach ministries.
Among out ministries are:
- Worship service at National Health Care on the 5th Sundays of months.
- Back-to-School supplies for those needing to fill supply lists.
- Winter Coat, shoe, gloves, and scarves Give-A-Way in December of each year
- Food box Give-A-Ways throughout the year
- An onsite site pantry form the needs of the community
Please call our church office at 256-974-9340 for more information
Click here to read about our areas of work on our website or click the menu icon to further explore our app.
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Oct '15
About Baptism
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Oct '15
Baptism is a often discussed topic for many people. Some people claim that those who believe baptism is essential for salvation are teaching “salvation by works and not grace.” This is not true. The Apostle Peter wrote that “Baptism saves us” because it is “the answer of a good conscience toward God.” Every single example of conversion in the New Testament involves baptism. The Apostle Paul, at his conversion, was told to “arise and be baptized, washing away your sins.” Jesus himself said “those who believe and are baptized shall be saved.” We invite you to read more about what the scriptures say concerning baptism.
To understand fully that baptism is a God decreed part of the plan of salvation, consider Isaiah 59:1-5 where we are told that God can save and hear our pleas but our iniquities have separated us from God. God will not tolerate sin nor allow sin in his presence. This is a universal declaration. But, because of His perfect love for us, God devised a plan whereby we might be cleansed of our sins, thus restoring us to His fellowship and allowing us to be saved and our prayers heard. This is grace…God did have “have” to provide mankind with any plan at all…He did so because of His grace. Jesus was the instrument through which this plan was to come to fruition. This plan was first alluded to by God in the Garden of Eden when man sinned and God told Satan that one would come who’s heal Satan would bruise but would crush his (Satan’s) head. (Genesis 3:15) Jesus said in Luke 16:16 to “Go ye unto all the world and preach the gospel…those who believe and are baptized are saved but those that believe not are damned”. This preaching began on the Day of Pentecost immediately following Christ’s resurrection. The apostles were given the power to preach this Gospel without error.
Paul wrote that “as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). Paul also wrote in Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life”. Baptism then is part of God’s plan for us to follow sybollically in the Savior’s death, burial, and resurrection. Our “death” is the burying of the “old man of sin”. Our new spiritual life begins when we are raised from the watery grave of baptism.
Baptism is part of God’s plan for entering into the church and we, as men, have no right nor power to choose otherwise. Consider the account of Paul’s conversion as he told it in a Roman court. Paul told how Ananias, a Christian, was sent by God to Paul and told him what he had to do. In Acts 22:16 we read that Ananias said to Paul; “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” HOW MANY TIMES HAS IT BEEN SAID THAT ALL A PERSON NEEDS TO DO TO BE SAVED IS TO CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD? Yet, here we see what the scriptures say a person must do in order to “call on the name of the Lord”. Calling on the name of the Lord must include baptism!
So we can see that baptism is an integral part of the plan of salvation instituted by Jesus Christ as part of His Gospel, the Good News. Baptism, along with faith, repentance, and confession, is part of God’s grace. So, the Bible declares that “By grace we are saved” (Ephesians 2: 5,8) and so we are because the plan of salvation, which includes baptism, is part of the plan provided by God which we did not deserve. This plan is a result of God’s love for us and His desire that we should be in a relationship with Him. We certainly invite you to read what the scriptures say about God’s love and His plan for us. Please free to contact us if you have questions or comments.
Click here for our webpage on baptism or click the menu icon to further explore our app.