A Visitor’s Guide
Visiting a new church can be intimidating. When you’re our guest at the Benton Harbor Church of Christ, you will never be asked to stand up and introduce yourself, or do any other activity that makes you feel uncomfortable. We’d just love to have you!
We want you to feel comfortable when you visit us for worship services, so here is a brief summary of what you can expect from a typical service with us:
Meeting Times
Sunday
| Bible Classes for All Ages | 9:30am |
| Worship | 10:30am |
Wednesday
| Bible Classes for All Ages | 7:00pm |
Worship
When you visit one of our Sunday services, you can expect to find a simple worship service that adheres to the teachings of the New Testament. When we assemble on every Lord’s Day (Acts 20:7, Revelation 1:10), which is Sunday, we will worship God by . . .
- Praying: We are led by different men in our congregation (1 Timothy 2:1-8).
- Singing: The whole congregation joins together in praising God in song without the use of musical instruments (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16). In case anyone is unfamiliar with one of the songs, the words are available in our songbooks and also on a screen in front of the auditorium. Many of our guests choose to join us in singing, while others prefer simply to listen as we worship.
- Taking Communion: Every Sunday, our members remember Christ’s death by eating unleavened bread and drinking fruit of the vine (Acts 20:7). We sit quietly for a few minutes and reflect on how wonderful it is that God loved us enough to give his own Son for us!
- Preaching: We will enjoy a Bible lesson that lasts about 30 minutes (Acts 2:42; Romans 10:14). Each lesson will take a Bible passage and explain what it means and how it applies to our lives.
- Giving: Each member of this congregation contributes weekly to the work of the church (1 Corinthians 16:2). We do not ask or expect our guests to give anything in the offering.
Wednesday Night Bible Study
Every Wednesday night has been set aside for mid-week Bible study and a devotional for the whole church and guests. You can expect the following schedule:
Bible classes are available for all ages. This time is used to study God’s Word, and to encourage each other in our daily walk with God. This normally lasts about 40 minutes.
As a group, we then meet in the auditorium for a devotional, which consists of singing praises to God, a brief thought from Scripture, an invitation, and a group prayer (10 minutes).
We think there is tremendous value in gathering for Bible study and praise in the middle of our week; it gives a “spiritual boost” to our souls, and we think it will to yours too as you participate with us.
In all of our classes, you can expect to open the Bible so we can all study and grow in our faith. During these times we also encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24-25) and help one other maintain that Christian light (Matthew 5:16) to shine for others during our work week.
Word of God
You can expect us to have a wholesome respect for the inspired word of God, the sole and complete authority. Because the Benton Harbor Church of Christ accepts the Word of God as the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, we reject all human creeds (Galatians 1:8-9; Revelation 22:18-19).
Becoming a Christian
If you’re interested in becoming a Christian, we would love to have an opportunity to share what the Bible says to you about your relationship to God. The Bible teaches that we are saved by God’s grace, not through our own efforts or through our ability to do good works (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are saved completely by what Jesus did for us at the cross.
In order to accept God’s offer of salvation, we believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (John 8:24). God convicts us of our sinfulness and leads us to commit our lives to him, which involves our repenting of and turning away from our past lives of sin (Luke 13:3). We confess our faith in Jesus (Romans 10:9-10) and accept the free gift of salvation as we are baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5).
As Christians, we try to live for Christ, though we fail Him often. We draw encouragement from our relationship to local Christians in the church, and we worship God regularly. We really are “family” (1 Timothy 3:15). As we study the Bible, we grow in our knowledge and understanding, and God shapes us into the person He created us to be.
If you have any questions about spiritual matters, or if we can help you in any way, please contact us. We would be thrilled to have an opportunity to get to know you better and to talk to you about God’s plans for your life.
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