One In Jesus

The Churches of Christ are falling apart. Actually, we’ve been falling apart for over a century, and what’s happening now is just a continuation of the same problems. We’ve not be able to hold together for a very long time.

One of the reasons we are so driven to split and divide is a false theology of grace. I’ve addressed this question elsewhere. Continue reading →

Imagine that a member of a 500-member church wants to evangelize the local downtown singles community. He believes he can best do so through a cell church model, meeting in coffee shops and apartments. Absent some really good reason to the contrary, the elders should encourage and support this effort.

But this mission creates something a bit outside our paradigm. Continue reading →

As previously noted, there are very real, very practical difficulties in trying to merge congregations. The foremost difficulty is our intolerance of doctrinal differences.

It’s instructive to see how we behave depending on the options available in our home town. For example, I’m familiar with a town having only one Church of Christ, a struggling congregation of about 50. The church has non-institutional members, progressive members, no-Sunday school members, and even a one-cup member. Continue reading →

I’ve already made one doctrinal point. Larger churches are more effective at ministry to those outside the church–and this is the very essence of Christianity. Read Matthew 25’s account of Judgment Day. Read James’ definition of pure and undefiled religion. The scriptures are very clear that we are to be salt and light by doing good works–and I think this is much more than doing 5 acts of worship correctly each Sunday. We are to have an impact for good on the world that surrounds us. Continue reading →