If this is your first contact with the
church of Christ, you might 
have
a few questions about our worship service. Our goal is to act solely on
the authority of God's word. The pattern for New Testament worship can
be found there.
What Happens During Worship?
Every Sunday, Christians all around the world gather
to worship God as the Bible tells us. We worship God through prayer,
eating a memorial meal (communion), singing, teaching, and giving. Singing,
prayer, teaching, and giving date back to worship in the Old Testament
(i.e. Abraham and Moses). Burlington church of Christ’s worship
content is directed by our elders and led by men to follow the New Testament
in the Bible as close as we can. Our worship consists of the following:
| Prayer | You will notice that we pray during the worship service according to the pattern found in Acts 2:42. The congregation is lead in prayer by one person. It consists of praise to God, thanksgiving, and requests. |
| Lord's Supper | In Acts 20:7 the first century disciples came together on the first day of the week to break bread. We also observe the Lord's supper after the same pattern. Jesus added this worship item before he died. Christians in the early church did this every first day of the week. This memorial is for Christians and reminds us of what Jesus did when he died on the cross for our sins. It consists of eating a small portion of unleavened bread that represents Christ’s body that was sacrificed, and drinking grape juice that represents His blood that was shed for everyone. Various men serve the meal to the congregation.
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| Singing | How beautiful is the sound of a congregation of God's people lifting their voices in praise as described in Ephesians 5:19. This form of worship to God is a cappella style (no instruments). Various songs are sung to praise God throughout the worship service. Everyone is encouraged to sing.
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| Preaching | Again we look to Acts 20:7 as our example. We desire to learn what God has to teach us from His word, the Bible. We listen to a minister present a lesson (sermon) from God’s word. The elders direct sermon topics. By understanding that God loves us and wants us to follow him, we can lead happier productive lives.
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| Giving | We also give of our means as we have been commanded in 1 Corinthians 16:2. There are many New Testament examples of individuals and the church that gave money and goods generously to God and His people. Members are commanded and have the opportunity to give a portion back to God of what He has so richly blessed us with. Visitors are not asked to give any money. At the end of the worship service, the minister and elders offer an invitation to the congregation. This time (usually during a song) provides an opportunity to those who believe they are ready to follow Christ. Those people can go to the front where the elders and or the minister will greet them. Also, anyone who has been struggling with their faith can ask for the prayers of the congregation and/or repent as in James 5:16. If someone desires to follow Jesus after learning about Him, then that person will want to be baptized to follow the examples in Acts. Baptism is an act of obedience and is done by immersing (burying) a person in water, just like Christ was buried in the earth. |
What do I need to do to become a Christian?
If you would like to be serving for Christ, you can become his hands and his feet in his body--the church! Anyone can become a member of Jesus’ body--the church--just as people did when the church began nearly 2000 years ago!
- Hear the gospel of Christ (Romans 10:15-17; Acts 18:8).
- Believe the gospel (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 4:4).
- Repent of your sins (Luke 13:3-5; Acts 2:38).
- Confess your faith in Jesus as the Christ (Matthew 10:32-33; Acts 8:36-38).
- Be baptized, a burial (Romans 6:4) in water (Acts 8:36-38), in order to be saved (Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:20-21) and thus added by the Lord himself to his saved body, the church (Acts 2:41,47; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:23).
- Be an active hand or foot (1 Corinthians
12:12-27)! After becoming a Christian, a member of Christ’s
body, the church, you will still make mistakes, even sin (1 John 1:7-10).
So, just repent of the sin and pray (Acts 8:22), and move on (Philippians
3:12-14). You aren’t perfect, just faithful (Revelation 2:10).
