FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
HASTINGS, NEBRASKA
Worship. Learn. Serve. Love.
WE ARE
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST
a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world
OUR MISSION
As members of First Christian Church, we are committed to
worshiping God, learning from Jesus, serving our community, and loving one another.
WORSHIP GOD (Mark 12:30; Romans 12:1-2)
Worshiping God involves more than singing songs and reciting prayers, although we do plenty of both.
God doesn’t just want our words. God wants us. God wants first place in every area of our lives.
Worshiping God means offering our whole person to God: heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Jesus tells us that there is nothing more important in all of life.
That’s why we put God first at First Christian Church.
LEARN FROM JESUS (Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 Corinthians 2:2)
Disciples have an old saying: “No creed but Christ.” We look to Jesus to show us “the Way” to believe and behave. We also trust that we belong despite our shortcomings in our beliefs or behavior.
According to the author of Hebrews, Jesus is the completest revelation of God available to us.
If we desire to know God, getting to know Jesus is an excellent place to start. He alone fully embodies
the heart, mind, and will of God, revealing these things to us in word and deed.
SERVE OUR COMMUNITY (Matthew 25:40; Galatians 5:14)
Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, did not come to be served but rather to be of service to humanity.
He set for us this example: to minister to the broken, be a light to those in darkness, and seek and save the lost.
As servants of the King, we are committed to doing the same in our local and global communities.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER (John 13:35; 1 John 4:8)
The Bible tells us that love characterizes a person who truly knows God because God is love.
A loveless church is a godless church. What use is that? It’s like flavorless salt!
Instead, we dedicate ourselves to loving one another, adding flavor to each other’s lives.
We desire to live with love as our motive, means, and end.
We believe that a happy byproduct of such love is that
people will take God’s active presence in their lives more seriously.
They will reconsider what is possible.
We trust that our genuine relationship with Jesus is evident to those around us
if we love one another.
OUR BELIEFS
As Disciples of Christ, we do not subscribe to any set creed, statement of belief, or doctrine of faith.
We have often captured this notion in the expression, “No creed but Christ.”
There are, however, some beliefs and practices that are common among Disciples:
OPEN COMMUNION
The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is celebrated in weekly worship, and it is open to all.
THE ONENESS OF THE CHURCH
Various New Testament voices call all Christians to be “one in Christ”
and seek common witness and service opportunities.
FREEDOM OF BELIEF
As Disciples, we are called together around two essentials of faith.
One essential is a belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
The other is that Christians are free to follow their conscience as guided by
the Bible, the Holy Spirit, study, and prayer.
Additionally, we understand that reciprocity of empathy and respect necessitates
extending this same freedom to others.
BAPTISM BY IMMERSION
In baptism, believers set aside a self-centered life. The Holy Spirit washes away the old way of life.
God initiates us into a new life, trusting God and serving others.
Although Disciples practice baptism by immersion, other baptism traditions are honored.
THE MINISTRY OF BELIEVERS
All believers lead in worship, service, and Christian formation.
Men, women, and children are encouraged to serve in every aspect of congregational life.
ABOVE ALL
Disciples of Christ believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God,
who extends wholeness and belonging to all.
Galileo Galilei
“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.”
