Who Are We?

We are a group of Christians in the Lexington area who meet together to worship God and provide help for each other.  We are a non-denominational church, meaning that we are not affiliated with any other congregation.  We are an independent congregation under the headship of only our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We strive to look to the Holy Scriptures of God to determine everything that we do.  We try to follow the pattern of the local churches that we read about in the New Testament.  Whatever they did, we have authority to do.  Whatever they did not do, we do not have the authority to do.  As we read and study the New Testament, we see churches involved in three types of activities:  evangelism, edification, and benevolence (see below for descriptions).  Therefore, we strive to carry out these types of actions.  We do not see the New Testament church involved in activities such as social functions, recreation, entertainment, or secular education.  Therefore we are not involved in those types of activities.   The mission of the Northside church of Christ is to glorify and worship God by fulfilling His commands to teach the Gospel, strengthen each other, and provide help to needy brethren.  We rely only on the word of God for guidance and authority.  We believe the testimony of Paul regarding the sufficiency of the Scriptures:  "All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

• EVANGELISM:  The Mission of the New Testament Church was the same mission as that of Jesus (Luke 4:18-19, 42-43) and the same as that of the apostles (Matthew 28:18-20).  Their primary function was to preach the saving message of the gospel to the world.  A good example of a church fulfilling this necessary and important role is that of the church in Thessalonica, of whom Paul stated, "for from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place" (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

• EDIFICATION:  Another very important activity of the New Testament Church was their responsibility to strengthen each other.  Many admonitions are found in the New Testament for Christians to build each other up, such as the instructions of the Hebrew writer, "strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees" (Hebrews 12:12).  In Ephesians 4, Paul states that saints needed to be equipped "for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12).  Even when members "fall away" from the church, the church has a responsibility to "admonish him as a brother" (2 Thessalonians 3:15). 

• BENEVOLENCE:  In Acts 11:27-30, we see another essential work of the New Testament Church.  There was a famine, and brethren in Judea were in need.  The church in Antioch fulfilled its responsibility by providing relief for these needy brethren.  The Church is authorized and required to help brethren who are in physical need.  The only examples we have in the New Testament are of the church providing benevolent help to brethren; thus, the only authority that the church has in the area of benevolence is to assist needy brethren.