As disciples we strive to remain obedient to the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament by practicing a faith that is socially relevant and intellectually sound. Members are bound together in fellowship and service by belief in the central confession of the New Testament "that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God." (Matthew 16:16).
On other matters, the church recognizes the right to exercise freedom of opinion. This principle is a sustaining force in the life of the church. We hold that there should be "in essentials, unity; in opinion, liberty; and in all things, LOVE."
There are about 1,000,000 members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. In Missouri there are over 63,000 members. Our Church actively participates in both the Northeast Area and Mid-America Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
THE LORD'S SUPPER
Our congregation celebrates the Lord's Supper every Sunday. We
practice open communion, which means it is not necessary to belong to this
congregation to take communion. Both the bread and the cup will be passed to you
in the pew. Please take each as it is passed to you and return the cup to the
tray. The first Sunday of the month homebound communion is taken to persons
unable to attend services. Church services are provided at Macon Health Care
Center that same Sunday at 1:30 PM.
BECOMING A MEMBER OF FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
The hymn following the morning
message is called the dedication hymn. If you would like to become a member of
this congregation, you are invited to come to the front of the sanctuary as this
hymn is being sung or meet with the minister in private. The minister will
receive you into membership. We accept members by TRANSFER or CONFESSION.
TRANSFER means you are a member of another church and want to place your
membership at First Christian Church. It is NOT necessary for you to arrange a
transfer letter. The church office will contact your former church.
CONFESSION of faith is for people who have never belonged to a church. The
minister will ask you: "Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the
living God, and do you accept Him as your Lord and Savior?"
Many times people who have not attended a church in recent years prefer to come
into membership by reaffirming their confession rather than by transfer. This is
at your discretion.
Fifth Sundays are designated as an open Sunday where people may meet the minister
after the service at the front of the sanctuary and express personal concerns
about church membership.
CHURCH POLICY ON BAPTISM
This congregation practices baptism by
immersion for those who have reached an age of understanding and make a
confession of their faith. For reasons of health other forms of baptism may be
employed.
For those interested in transfer, if you have been baptized in another tradition,
it is not necessary to be immersed.
ORGANIZATION
The varied ministries of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are carried out by a
number of Ministry Teams. Ministry Teams are the backbone of
our ministry and everyone is encouraged to engage in active ministry by joining one or more teams.
The elected Board of Elders are recognized as the "Spiritual Leaders" of our
church. As such, they will study issues and from time to time, issue recommendations as to the
spiritual appropriateness of our conduct as a church.
The First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Macon, Missouri is congregationally governed church. As such, it is free to accept, reject or remain silent on proposals and policy suggested by the larger regional and national entities of the Christian Church Disciples of Christ. All major decisions effecting the life of this congregation (particularly involving large sums of money, the minister or important documents) are made by duly called congregational meetings where all members of the congregation are free to speak and vote. An Annual Congregational Business Meeting is held each year between October 1 and Thanksgiving Day to approve the Church Budget, elect General Board Officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer), elect Church Officers (Elders, Serving Deacons and Preparing Deacons) and address other important matters. The members of this church determine its policies and actions.
The day to day business and policy operations of the church are handled by the General Board at its monthly meetings. The General Board delegates many routine tasks to the Church Office. The General Board consist of the elected Board Officers, the Church Officers and the designated leader of each Ministry Team. Any member or friend of the congregation is encouraged to attend General Board meetings. The Church Constitution and Bylaws of the General Board are available to all.
We are and should always strive to be a church family, united in Christ. Like any family, we may sometimes have different views on issues in the life of the church. Differences in opinion should not divide us. Constructive self critique is a critical part of any improvement plan. We desire to continually improve all programs, policies, activities and worship events in our church. Together we can continue to improve the ministry carried out by our church. Together we can continue to comminicate in ways which promote improvement in our ministry and unite us in Ministry for Christ.