OUR PURPOSE AT FOREST MILL:  (why we exist as a congregation) Our purpose is to worship & glorify God, to bring people to salvation in Jesus Christ and to fellowship in His family, to disciple them to maturity, and to equip them for their ministry in the church and in the world in order to glorify God. (Matthew 28:19-20; Ephesians 4:11,12)

 

OUR CORE VALUES

 

PEOPLE MATTER TO GOD

At Forest Mill we are all about loving God and loving people.  Jesus said those were the two most important commands in the Bible.  Therefore, we seek to extend the love of Christ to every person we meet.  To help people feel loved and not judged. Matthew 22:37-40

 

PEOPLE ARE LOST WITHOUT JESUS

We communicate God's Word through evangelism; sharing the good news of Jesus Christ as witnesses of God's grace with as many as possible in our community and throughout the world. Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8

 

PEOPLE NEED TO CELEBRATE GOD IN WORSHIP!

We celebrate God's presence in worship; expressing our love, devotion, and thanksgiving to God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit in inspiring and motivating assemblies. John 4:24; Hebrews 13:15; Revelation 5:11-14

 

PEOPLE NEED ENCOURAGEMENT

We incorporate God's family into our fellowship; providing a place of belonging, unity, family, encouragement, and loving relationships. John 13:34-35; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 15:5,7; Ephesians 4:16; Hebrews 10:23-25

 

PEOPLE NEED HELP IN THEIR WALK WITH GOD

We educate Christ’s followers through discipleship; growing them to full Christlike maturity through training, spiritual discipline and commitment. Luke 6:40; Ephesians 4:14-15; II Timothy 2:2

 

PEOPLE NEED TO DISCOVER THEIR LIFE PURPOSE

We demonstrate God's love through ministry; discovering and developing our spiritual gifts and serving unselfishly - in Jesus' name meeting the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of those in our church, community, and the world. Matthew 25:34-40; Romans 12:7-8; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 4:11-12; I Peter 4:10-11

 

GOD

God is one (Deut. 6:4) but has revealed Himself from Genesis to Revelation in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The Father is fully God, the Son is fully God, and the Holy Spirit is fully God.  (Matthew 28:18-20)  Each one is distinct from one another, but they are all equal & exist eternally, simultaneously in a three-fold relationship.  (2 Corinthians 13:14).  None is more powerful than the other.  Each has a specific purpose, but all are unified within the Godhead. (Ephesians 4:4-7)  The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were all there in the beginning & are not created (Genesis 1:1,2; John 1:1,2; John 17:24; Colossians 1:15-20; 2:9)

 

OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST

Jesus is not created, but has always been and will always be (John 1:1,2).  He became a man and was miraculously born of the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35) without ceasing to be God. He lived a sinless life and performed many miracles to confirm His divinity. He died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice, paying the debt for our sins (Mark 10:45). On the third day after His death He arose from the dead showing His victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). He appeared to His disciples and then ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God serving as our mediator.  He will return again to judge the living and the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

 

HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son. He is a person (Eph 4:30), not an “it” or “force.”  He indwells and empowers the believer (I John 4:13; Galatians. 5:16-26). His presence in our life is a seal and guarantee that we are God’s children (2 Corinthians 1: 21-22). The Holy Spirit gives believers spiritual gifts (talents or abilities) (1 Corinthians 12:7-11; Romans 12:4-8) to be used to help others.  We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in water baptism (Acts 2:38).  The Holy Spirit’s ultimate purpose is transform us into Christlikeness (Romans 8:29).

 

THE BIBLE

The Scriptures are so much a part of God, and God so much a part of them, that the Bible is described as His breath (II Timothy 3:16). We believe the Bible is the perfect, inspired Word of God and that the Holy Spirit is the author (2 Peter 1:20,21) who guided the pens of the 40 men who wrote down the words of Scripture.  The Bible is the final authority in all things.   

 

SALVATION

Salvation and forgiveness of sins is found only in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 14:6) who is the Son of God and Lord of all.  He is the only way to heaven.  Our good works cannot save us, (Ephesians 2:9) but they are evidence that we have genuine faith in Christ.  We are saved 100% by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8); in the finished work of the cross of Christ.  Jesus told us how we can receive forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. 

 

1) Do you believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of

    God? (Acts 8:37; 16:31)

 

2) Can you say, “Yes, I am sinner and I am lost.  I cannot save myself. 

    I am ready to put my trust in Jesus and His finished work on the

    cross to save me from my sins.” (Romans 3:23; 5:8; 6:23)

 

3) God calls us to repent, to make a decision to stop going the way of

    the world and to start following Him. (Acts 17:30,31; 2 Peter 3:9)

    Repentance is a lifelong attitude.  We are constantly growing, constantly

    realizing our faults.  We cannot change ourselves!  This is why we need a

    Savior in the first place!  Repent means simply to make a 180 and turn to

    God.  It’s not a call to be perfect, it’s a call to be faithful (just like you

    would when you get married)

 

4) Confess Christ before people. (Matthew 10:32,33) You don’t have to

    confess your sins.  God already knows.  And He still loves you.  But, you

    are saying, “Yes, I am ready to follow Jesus.  He is my Lord and Savior

    now.”  We should count the cost and be willing to seek to put Jesus first

    in our lives (Luke 9:23-26; 14:25-27)

 

5) Baptism is where we begin that walk with God and is essential

    because it is a command of Christ. (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16).  It is

    by immersion (Acts 8:36-38) and is for those people who know who Jesus

    is, that they are lost, that they are ready to change their ways and to put

    Jesus first.  It’s like your “wedding day” between you and God.  It’s where

    our sins are washed away (Acts 22:16) and where we receive the gift of

    God’s Holy Spirit to help us follow and obey Him. (Acts 2:38)  It is where

    we are born again spiritually on the inside.  (John 3:3-5) There is no

    example of infant baptism in the Scriptures.  Therefore, instead of

    baptizing the children, we have a special ceremony to dedicate the

    children to God in the church and encourage the parents to promise

    before God that they will raise their children in the Lord (Deuteronomy

    6:4-9)

 

THE CHURCH

There is one true church universal, comprised of all those who have acknowledged and obeyed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. All these believers are members of His Body, the Church.  We do not judge or criticize other denominations, but seek to find our unity in Jesus alone.  Our minister is a part of the Manchester Ministerial Association that works together with other ministers from different denominations to find ways to show the love of Christ to the people of our city. 

 

The church of Christ has its roots in the Restoration Movement that happened in America in the early 1800’s.  The Restoration Movement began as a result of several denominational preachers who were tired of the creeds, church traditions, and teachings of man that seemed to cause more division and have more authority than the word of God.   Men like Barton Stone, Thomas and Alexander Campbell were some of these men.  With this in mind, there was a desire to “get back to the Bible” and to simplify and model the church like the one found in the New Testament.   The church of Christ is made up of Christians who simply want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings and not the teachings or church traditions of man.  Thus, churches of Christ have no creeds and no hierarchies of clergy like Pope, Bishop, Pastor, Father, or Priest.  Each church of Christ is independent, self-supporting, and self-governing.  For that reason, there is no Headquarters or Dioceses.  Just like the church in the first century, we simply call ourselves, “Christians” (Acts 11:26). 

 

LEADERSHIP

Churches of Christ are different in many ways from other churches; specifically in leadership.  Qualifications for elders and deacons are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.  Elders are the leaders of the church.  These are ordinary men who are selected by the believers from the local church.  These are not paid positions; they do it as a volunteer.  They are to lead, protect, and care for the people of the church.  These men should be mature in their faith and respected by their local community.  The words “pastor,” “elder,” and “bishop” are all one in the same person and are describe their functions as leaders.  They are not titles to be used.

 

Under the elders, there are ministry leaders or deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-10).  They serve in different areas of the church. 

 

Also, under the elders are evangelists or ministers who preach the Good News of Jesus (Ephesians 4:11).  Every Christian in the church is a part of the Body of Christ, therefore everyone is expected to discover their spiritual gifts and to serve the Lord, with the goal of reaching those who are lost in sin.  This church has no spectators!!!!  Everyone in the church are all equal (1 Corinthians 12:12-27) and all have a part to play in the body of Christ.

 

What do the women do?  The Bible is clear that God does not permit women to preach or lead in the public assembly (1 Timothy 2:8-15; 1 Corinthians 14:34,35).  This does not mean women are inferior.  It simply means God has given men and women roles in the church and in the family.  When we follow God’s plan, we have peace; when we follow our own ideas, then we have problems. 

 

Our women in our churches are not spectators, but busy glorifying God! The fact is that many women have more opportunities for ministry than men do.  We encourage our women to start Bible study groups in their homes during the day to study with other women that don’t know Jesus.   Other things include:  teaching children’s classes, seminars, benevolence, visiting the sick, visiting prisons, feeding the poor, and finding creative ways to glorify God.

 

MEMBERSHIP AT FOREST MILL IS OPEN TO ANYONE WHO:

• Expresses a belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God

• Repents of his or her sins

• Confesses Jesus Christ as his or her Lord

• Has been baptized by immersion into the Body of Christ

If you are interested in membership at Forest Mill church of Christ, please contact our minister or one of our shepherds.