"DISTINCTIVES" - "Our practices as a body of believers"

The core beliefs (on the What We Believe page) are issues that are fundamental to our faith. The distinctives outlined below are meant to familiarize the reader with customs of our fellowship which are not salvation issues, but rather practices which facilitate our experiencing intimacy with God.

Distinctives of our Form of Worship:

1) We operate primarily through volunteers, and do not necessarily have a hired pastor or staff. 

2) We meet in homes, barns, or any meeting house God provides through those who attend the Home Fellowship.  The Church is the body of believers, not the building in which the Church holds meetings.

3) We believe in giving as God purposes in each of our hearts (2 Corinthians 9:7). Gifts given through the fellowship are used to meet the needs of the fellowship and to support other ministries as God leads us as a group.

4) We practice communion at least weekly, as Christ has asked us to do this to call Him to remembrance. The bread represents Christ's body which was broken for us, and the wine represents His blood which was poured out for us.  We invite all believing Christians to join us. (I Corinthians 11:23-30)

5) Baptism is an outward symbol of a person's inward decision to trust Christ.  We practice baptism by immersion as it provides a clear visual picture of our identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

6) We focus on glorifying God by learning and applying God's Word to our lives.  We leave temporal issues such as political parties, pacifism, etc. to one's own conscience.

7) Some in our fellowship choose to live different, simplified and/or rural lifestyles, but our true distinction is in how we manifest Christ as we interact with the world around us.

8) We believe in moderation in all things.  This includes food, alcohol, and all other blessings God has given us to enjoy.

9) We believe in the imminent return of Jesus to claim His own at the end of time.  Only the Father knows when this will be, hence the pondering of the time-table of Christ's return is considered interesting but irrelevant.