WHO ARE WE?
Our History:
The Mersey Bluff church of Christ was established in 1999. We first met in a private home, then in a meeting room at the Devonport library. In 2001 we moved to our new facility at 232 William Street, where we still meet today. Although our congregation has only been around since 1999, it is part of a much older institution that was established in the first century by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Our Beliefs:
The Mersey Bluff church of Christ is one of thousands of non-denominational, independent congregations throughout the world that follow the New Testament pattern for the church in worship and doctrine, without reference to human creeds and traditions.
We hold the Bible to be God’s word, the only source of our faith and practice. Our objective is to “restore” the New Testament church in our time – to determine from the Bible what the church was like in the beginning, and to be like that.
For this reason, the church of Christ has no denominational affiliation. We go all the way back to the original pattern, the New Testament, for the blueprint of the church which Christ purchased with His blood and for which He died (Acts 20:28). We believe true unity can only be achieved when believers reject human creeds and submit themselves completely to the “will of the Father” revealed through the apostles’ doctrine (John 17; Matthew 7:21-23; Acts 2:41,42).
Our Members:
Members of the Mersey Bluff church of Christ are simply “Christians”. The members of the congregation have done exactly what people did to become Christians in New Testament times. They heard the gospel (Romans 10:17), believed in Christ (Acts 10:43; Hebrews 11:6), repented of their sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30-31), confessed publicly their faith in Christ as God’s Son (Romans 10:10; Acts 8:37), and were baptised into Christ for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:27; Acts 22:16). It is then that the were added to the church (Acts 2:47).
Our Plea:
The distinctive plea of the church of Christ is to speak where the Bible speaks and to remain silent where the Bible is silent, to call Bible things by Bible names and to do Bible things in Bible ways. In this way, simple New Testament Christianity can be restored and religious unity of all believers in Christ can be accomplished.
We encourage you to consider our simple plea to reject human creeds and restore New Testament Christianity. Please contact us if we can assist you in any way with your studies.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU VISIT
Most people feel a little apprehensive about visiting a new church. We hope these words will set your mind at ease about visiting our congregation.
The Setting:
We meet for our worship services and other activities at 232 William Street, Devonport. The auditorium is just inside the front door, and we have a fellowship area, children’s classrooms and toilets facilities at the rear of the building.
We are a friendly church. Every effort is made to allow visitors to feel comfortable. Since many of our members were at one time visitors themselves, we know how it feels on a first visit. We aim to treat others the way we want to be treated, like Jesus said (Matthew 7:12). Visitors are welcome to attend any of our assemblies and activities. We have no designated seating – feel free to sit wherever you please, or you can ask to be directed to a seat if you prefer.
Worship Services:
We strive to be as Bible-centred as possible with our worship services. Our services are conducted in a quiet, respectful atmosphere. Our worship consists only of those elements we can read about in the New Testament. We consider our sole source of authority to be that which is found in inspired Scripture, and we seek to be governed by God’s Word in all that we do (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).
Our Sunday morning worship assembly will include the following:
Lord’s Supper:
We observe the Lord’s Supper each first day of the week, just as they did in New Testament times (Acts 20:7). This consists of two elements – the bread (which represents the Lord’s body) and the grape juice (which represents His blood) (Luke 22:4-20). It is a highlight of the week to commemorate Christ’s death and celebrate His promised return.
Singing:
The whole congregation sings a capella. The New Testament pattern we are seeking to following with our worship makes no mention of instrumental worship, therefore, we also exclude it from our worship (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16). There are songbooks located in the pocket by your seat. Visitors are welcome to sing along or to simply listen.
Prayer:
Our worship service will include several prayers led by various men (1 Timothy 2:1-8).
Giving:
In keeping with the New Testament pattern, we give as we have been prospered on the first day of every week (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Therefore, each Sunday morning a bag is passed around to take up the collection. We give of our means for the spreading of the Gospel, and caring for those in need. Whether or not you participate is entirely up to you, and as our guest you are not expected to make a donation.
Preaching:
You may notice the absence of titles such as Pastor or Reverend. The preacher of the gospel message is simply called by his given name. He does not wear any special clothing that sets him apart. The reason for this is that the scriptures teach that all are equal in the priesthood of believers (1 Peter 2:5,9). There is no “clergy/laity” distinction found in the New Testament. The sermon is usually around 30 minutes long, and will always be Bible centred. Bibles are located on the bookshelf near the front entrance, if you do not have your own.
At the close of the sermon, an invitation will be offered for those wishing to respond to the gospel call to be baptised into Christ for the remission of sins. No one is singled out or embarrassed in any way.
What Will Be Expected of You?
Nothing at all! You are welcome to participate of to merely observe.
After the worship service is over, we hope you will stay around long enough to allow us to meet you. We welcome your questions – on any subject pertaining to our worship and practice.