"The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a community
of believers who through baptism into Jesus Christ are bound
by covenant to God and to one another. Disciples draw their inspiration
from Scripture and Holy Spirit, celebrating around the Lord's
Table the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence
of Christ. We proclaim the good news of salvation.
We claim as our particular witness the quest for Christian
unity as a sign of God's unity for the human community. While
stressing freedom and diversity under God, we believe unity and
mission are inseparable; we witness and serve among the whole
family in the interest of peace, justice, mercy and kindness."
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets,
some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints
for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature
of Christ...we must grow up in every way into him who is the
head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit
together...promotes the body's growth in building itself up in
love. (Ephesians 4:11-13, 15-16)
"We believe God's mission for the
church is to be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing
and serving from our doorsteps "to the ends of the earth"
(Acts 1:8).
As the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), led and empowered
by the Holy Spirit, we believe God calls us to strengthen congregational
life for this mission. To accomplish this, we shall:
- Become the Good News
- nurturing faith
- reaching the spiritual disciplines
- fostering Disciples identify
- renewing congregational life
Share the Good News
- emphasizing ministry with children, youth, young adults,
and Families
- doing evangelism
- establishing new congregations
Serve from "Our doorsteps to the ends of the earth"
- engaging in outreach ministries of reconciliation, compassion,
unity, and justice
In accepting these imperatives, we affirm our need to strengthen
relationships among congregational, regional, institutional and
general ministries. We also affirm our need to share mutually
and more fully our gifts, testimonies, and life in Christ, across
the boundaries of our racially and culturally diverse church
family, and with our ecumenical friends and global partners.
