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We are often
asked: "What particular denomination do you worship with, and what
doctrine do you follow?" We take a non-sectarian approach to the Bible
with a desire only to let the Scriptures speak for themselves. We can
honestly say that we do not advocate any denominational creed or any
systematic theology. Our doctrine is simply the result of our own
personal studies of God's Word, and is offered with a plea for you to
apply "The Berean Test" (Acts17:11) as you examine our words.
We are
simply Christians, disciples of Jesus Christ, and members of the Lord's
body, the church, as one reads about in the New Testament. In view of
our Lord's prayer for unity (John 17:20-21), and Paul's condemnation of
division (1Corinthians 1:10-13), we disdain denominational distinctions
and all forms of sectarianism. We are blessed to worship with
individuals who are likewise trying to be simply Christians.
Using the
New Testament as our authority in matters pertaining to the work,
worship, and organization of the local church, we are an independent,
self-governing church, and are totally non-denominational. We have no
written creed (other than the Bible), and are constantly engaging in
Bible study, fine-tuning our understanding and practice to what we learn
from the Scriptures.
Frequently referred to as "churches of Christ"
(Romans 16:16), we are not to be confused with any denomination that
might be known as the "Church of Christ" (especially those that identify
themselves as the "International Church of Christ," United Churches of
Christ, or Independent Christian Churches). With the religiously divided
state of our society, we know many may find it hard to believe that one
can be "a Christian only". It is not easy, but we believe it is possible
and, from the Lord's viewpoint, desirable.
Therefore, we say that we are
neither Jewish, Catholic, nor Protestant; we are Christians only. We are
not Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, or members of any cult that believes
in latter day revelations. We believe that God has spoken fully and
completely through His Son Jesus Christ and His apostles and prophets
whose words are contained in the Bible. This statement reflects our
faith. We hope this helps to answer questions you may have. If you want
to know more, contact us and ask; we are Christians, and love to discuss
the faith.
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What to expect when you visit with us
A warm welcome
Our desire is that you
will find us to be a loving family of God's children, who keep the Lord
in our hearts and manifested in our lives. We hope you find visiting
with us to be an uplifting experience, our members to be friendly, and
everything that is said and done to be only what would be pleasing and
acceptable to our Heavenly Father. Our goal is to present the
word of God in its purity and simplicity
The members here at
Tomlinson Run look forward to the opportunity to meet you. Please visit linger a few minutes after services
so that we might introduce
ourselves.
We do not pretend to have
all the answers, but we do believe with all our hearts that all things
pertaining to life and godliness have been revealed to us in the word of
God (2Peter 1:3). We also believe that we must search the scriptures
daily as the people of Berea did in the first century (Acts 17:11). Our
purpose is to be pleasing in the sight of God. We hope you have the same
intent.
Many people hesitate to
visit a church unless they know what it will be like when they do.
Perhaps we can help you know what to expect when you visit.
What not to expect:
Don't expect to be
embarrassed. You will be among us as a welcome and respected guest. You
will be greeted with kindness and courtesy. There will be nothing to make you
wish you hadn't come, or make you feel out of place.
Don't expect to be
entertained. We offer no bands or talent exhibitions. No refreshments will be
served. Our purpose is to worship God in the way He has directed in
scripture.
Perhaps you will hear passages read or truths preached that you are
familiar with. We encourage you to open your Bible and take notes and
ask any questions that may come from our studies together.
Don't expect to be asked
for money. The church depends exclusively on the freewill offerings of local members for financial support.
What to expect:
Expect the worship to be
simple and devout. Since our purpose is to be governed in all acts of
worship by the Bible alone, our worship consists of only those elements
which were part of the worship of the early church. We sing spiritual
songs, pray often, partake of the Lord's Supper each Sunday, teach God's
Word in sermons, and give as we have been prospered. We seek to maintain the
attitude Christ enjoined when He said, "God is a Spirit, and they that
worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
Expect
congregational singing. Our singing, to many visitors the most
inspirational part of the worship, deserves a special word. Since the
New Testament instructs Christians to sing in worship, (Eph. 5:19; Col.
3:16), we encourage everyone to sing. You will probably be familiar with
most of the hymns and are invited to join with us in the singing. Our
visitors are often pleasantly surprised at how beautiful and spiritually
stirring it is when, unaided by mechanical instruments, all worshippers
sing in
praise of God.
Expect to find Christians
only. We wear no distinctive name that would divide Bible believers. We
submit to no religious authority other than the inspired scriptures.
Thus, by following only the teachings of Christ and His Apostles, we are
simply Christians (Acts 11:26), just as His disciples were in the first
century.
Now that you know us better, we hope you will visit on every occasion
you possibly can.
We care about you:
Maybe you have wondered
if anybody cares about anyone else anymore. Our world can seem rather cold at times.
Even family and friends can become preoccupied to the point where it may
seem they have little concern about us. Please know that as Christians,
We do care about you.
We care about your
struggles. If there is anything we all have in common, it has to be
trials. Sometimes they are overwhelming, at other times merely
irritating, but they seem always to be with us. There are occasions when we see no solution.
It is then that we need others to help us cope. We
believe the church is a family that looks out for the interests of all
of its members. The Bible teaches, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and
so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2). No, we can't solve all your problems, but we
can listen, encourage you, and help you to find answers in Christ. We care enough to try.
We care about your
friendship. Back in the "good-ole-days" people knew their neighbors and
visited together, but it is different now. Many feel deep loneliness,
but it doesn't have to be that way. The finest friends you will ever
have are committed Christians. Come visit with us and feel the warmth;
it's genuine.
We care about your
relationship with God's word. Many religious people place so little
emphasis on God's word. We believe that it is not just inspired and
infallible, but also practical and personally instructive. That's why it
is the only foundation of all our teaching. We claim no creed but the
Bible. Come and listen to our Bible teaching in classes and in sermons. We care enough about you to
help you grow in your knowledge of God and His word.
We care about you
becoming a Christian. You no doubt have wondered about the many names
worn by religious people. We wear the name given by God at Antioch (Acts
11:26). Wouldn't it be grand if all were content to be just Christians?
We are determined to be "Christians only" without prefix or suffix, and
we would want the same for you.
Most importantly, we care
about your soul. We are vitally concerned about souls -- yours and ours.
Jesus asked the question, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain
the whole world and lose his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26) We will always
encourage you to become a fellow seeker of the eternal home of the soul.
If you are really
looking for a church that cares about you and your salvation, we pray that you will
come often
and consider our plea to be just Christians. Be prepared to search the
word of God with us for answers. We truly believe that you will find
what you are looking for.
Our Bible classes:
Bible teaching means
little unless it opens the student's mind. It doesn't do much good to
just get the facts -- we must learn how to make the applications. To be
certain that each member gets both the facts and the applications, the
church at Tomlinson Run recognizes the importance of setting high
standards for our Bible Classes. We provide classes for all age
groups each Sunday morning at 9:30am and again on Wednesday evening at
7:00pm. These classes are held for about 45 minutes. Talented,
conscientious teachers direct students in Bible studies monitored and
reviewed semi-annually by the elders.
All students are taught
respect for God and His word. We have a curriculum for our young people
that is designed to teach the Bible from cover to cover and to make
applications with each lesson. They are encouraged to participate
in all of the classes and help involve others in these studies. It is
the firm conviction of the elders that our
teaching program is an essential part of our work in the Lord's church
at Tomlinson Run.
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The Tomlinson Run church of Christ is
scripturally organized with qualified elders and deacons.
Elders: Joseph Blake, Ronald
Hennen, Gary L. Berdine, Paul R. Blake
Deacons: Paul B. Blake, David Dulaney, Sr., Joseph
Kendrick, Kenneth J. Fleeman, Adam Berdine, Heath Baker, Steve Gorby,
Jeff Rhodes
Evangelist: Paul R. Blake
To correspond with one of the elders or deacons by email, please see the
contact us page.
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The disciples
here at Tomlinson Run are happy to help support preachers of the Gospel in other places.
Dennis Adams working with the church of
Christ in Shippensburg, PA -- email:
dadams4@hotmail.com
Ethan Longhenry working with the Venice church of
Christ in Los Angeles, CA -- email:
deusvitae@hotmail.com
John Gibson working with the Parkview church of
Christ in West Lafayette, OH -- email:
jagibson69roadrunner.com
Mike Vierheller working with the church of Christ
in East Cambridge, OH -- email:
mnjvierh@clover.net
Joel Williams working with the church of Christ in
Eshowe, South Africa -- email:
joelwms@biblemirror.com
In addition, for several years a number of our men have been invited by
neighboring congregations to preach for them by appointment on a weekly
basis:
- Heath Baker,
- David Dulaney, Jr.,
- Ken Fleeman,
- Randy Glover,
- Theron Smith,
And several others, who from time to time, have been invited by these
congregations:
- New Cumberland Heights church of Christ in New
Cumberland, WV
- Dennis Way church of Christ in Toronto, OH
- Pritchard Avenue church of Christ in Lisbon, OH
This activity is not
overseen by the elders here at Tomlinson Run. The arrangements are
entirely between these men and neighboring congregations; however,
it is strongly encouraged by everyone here.
The Lord’s church at
Tomlinson Run is very serious about the work of preaching the Gospel. As
we have the resources, we are eager to support the preaching of the
gospel in other places, both in the USA and overseas. Furthermore, we
strongly believe in teaching and encouraging men from their youth to
prepare themselves to preach the gospel, to teach Bible classes, and to
develop qualities and skills that will help them to become deacons and
elders when they mature.
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