OUR BELIEFS

THE TRINITY

We believe in one living and true God, eternal and of infinite power, wisdom, goodness and righteousness. He is a loving and faithful God who is the Creator and preserver of all things (Genesis 1:1; Jeremiah 10:10; 1 Timothy 1:17). In the unity of this "Godhead, there are three persons of one substance with identical qualities and attributes: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (John 1:1, 2; 4:24; 5:18; 10:30).

THE SON OF GOD

Jesus is the unique Messiah of God. Conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin, Mary, Jesus came to show us what God is like, and in turn, what we are to be like. Jesus walked our earth, suffered at the hands of men, was crucified, died and buried, and then resurrected from the dead so that he lives today. The purpose of his death and resurrection was to restore our relationship to God which is broken by our disobedience (Luke 1:27; 31:35; John 3:16; Romans 5:10; Ephesians 5:2). Christ now intercedes for the body of believers "at the right hand of the Father" (Matthew 28:5-9; Luke 24:4-7).

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the Holy Spirit as a person of the Trinity who is the form of God who lives within us, giving us the power to live a holy life, and guiding us to truth (Romans 8:9; Galatians 4:6).

THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE

We believe that the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments combined constitute the Christians scriptures; no books may be added or deleted. The Bible is inspired by God and it is authoritative in the life of individual believers and in the life of God's church. The Bible tells us the story of God revealing himself to humanity across the centuries, a revelation which culminated in the person of Jesus Christ, and the Bible contains all necessary truth to help us form and live out a relationship with God. (Psalm 19:7; John 17:17; Romans 15:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17).

THE HUMAN CONDITION

God created us with the freedom to choose to serve God and to live in relationship with him or to choose to serve that which is not God and to live in disobedience and alienation. Each of us has played out the Adam and Eve story in our own lives, and we have experienced alienation from God. However, because of the grace of God through Jesus Christ, we have the possibility of repenting and beginning a life lived in partnership with God. God initiates this relationship. God comes to each person convicting us of sin and offering us a new life in him. God creates each of us with an in-born sense of right and wrong, and the ability to choose between the two. We will all be accountable to God regarding the choices we have made, both moral and relational.

Our life with God is a relationship. And just as it is possible for us to turn our backs upon any human relationship, so can we also turn our backs upon God. It is possible for a person to once live in fellowship with God, and then to choose to break that fellowship. But by the grace of God, one who has fallen into sin may, by confession and repentance, find forgiveness and restored fellowship with God (1 John 1:9; 2:1, 24-25).

FAITH AND WORKS

We cannot earn God's grace through good works; it is truly a gift of God given to us on the basis of our faith. However, what we believe will influence how we live and what we do. For example, if we believe that a train is coming down the tracks, we will normally choose not to stand on those tracks. In the same way, knowing the harm sin causes our relationship with God and the harm it does to us personally, we will choose not to sin -- not to earn God's grace, but as a result of God's grace.

SANCTIFICATION

To be sanctified means to be set apart for God's use. It was first used in the Old Testament to describe the utensils used in the temple for the exclusive use of the worship of God. In the same way, God wants to dwell within us. We become the temple of God, and we are to be set apart for his use. Sanctification is both instantaneous and gradual. It begins when we first decide to follow Christ, and it continues throughout life. Sanctification is the point in life when a believer renounces the desire to live for self and desires to live totally for the glory of God.

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit has given spiritual gifts to all believers for the purpose of building up the body of Christ and bringing glory to God. The gifts are to be exercised in love, and they emphasize the need for unity (1 Corinthians 12:4, 11, 18, 21-25; Ephesians 4:11-16). All Christians are gifted by God for ministry.

Much of the Christian church has been divided over the issue of the gift of "speaking in tongues." Christians are divided as to whether this is a sign gift of the presence of the Holy Spirit or if it is a gift of languages to be used in spreading the gospel. The unity of the body of Christ is of the utmost importance. Therefore, we choose to practice the more conservative view in public worship. We do not believe that "speaking in tongues" is a necessary sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is present in the life of the believer whether or not one speaks in tongues. Following Paul's instructions for the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 12:1; 14:40), we use only languages readily understood by the congregation in public worship. If a member of Christ Community Church believes in "speaking in tongues," for the unity of God's church, we invite them to restrict this practice to their time of personal devotions and prayer.

THE UNITY OF GOD'S CHURCH

All believers everywhere are a part of God's church. When one becomes a Christian, one's name is recorded on God's membership roll book: "The Lamb's Book of Life" (Revelation 20:11-15). Christ Community Church is simply one local congregational manifestation of God's universal church. Our desire is to be simply a group of brothers and sisters in Christ bonded to one another by a relationship with a common Savior. Theological differences are secondary to our bonding by faith in Christ. Divisions between Christians are sinful since they are certainly not the will of God (John 17). As such, we attempt to be an influence in the larger Christian world to put this unity into practice.

THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST

We believe that those who have not accepted Christ as their personal Savior and are unrepentant will be judged by God in his perfect justice and doomed to eternal punishment/destruc tion (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 2:16). We believe in the personal return of Jesus Christ to receive his believers into heaven and eternal life. The time of his return is unknown, but may be at any moment. This is the glorious hope of all God's children (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; James 5:7.

OUR HISTORY

Completed in 1950, Christ Community Church began as a dream of Rev. J.L. Kendrick during World War II. This dream began to become reality in 1944 when four persons met together to form a Wednesday night prayer meeting and Bible study: Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Weeks, Rev. Kendrick, and George Martin. Thus, small groups have been important in the life of Christ Community Church since even before the congregation was organized formally as a church.

After four years, this home group incorporated as a church (non-profit corporation) in 1948, even though the church was not yet holding Sunday morning worship services. In March 1949, Verlin and Georgia Rogers moved to Lake Charles from Kansas. The Rogers had served as a traveling evangelistic team in Oklahoma and Kansas for a number of years before their relocation to Lake Charles. "Brother" Rogers was gifted in the area of music, and "Sister Rogers" preached. Within a month of arriving in Lake Charles, the fledgling church held its first Sunday morning worship and Sunday School in the home of the Rogers on April 24, 1949. Nineteen people were in attendance at that first service. During those early months, Sister Rogers and the elderly Rev. Kendrick shared preaching responsibilities.

Property was purchased for a church home in 1949. A white, wood-framed building was completed in 1950. It contained a sanctuary, a couple of classrooms, and an apartment for the pastor and his family.

Later, what would become the main church structures were completed in two stages. A new sanctuary was completed in 1963, and a major addition, containing most of the rest of the church's facilities, was completed in 1971. Growth forced the church to purchase the house to the south of the main building as a temporary home for our student ministries in 2003. This is appropriate since that house originally belonged to Verlin and Georgia Rogers.

Relocation of Christ Community Church had been discussed since the early 1970s. However, at that time, the church's buildings were new, and a few members still lived within walking-distance of the church. In 1998, the church agreed that the time had finally come. Relocation is an expensive project. And so many of us covenanted to give beyond our tithes to make relocation possible. In 2003, we purchased 13 acres on I-210 and West Prien Lake Road. Construction was delayed by Hurricane Rita, but it finally began in 2008. The new facility was completed in 2009.

And so at our 60th anniversary, the church is in many ways, a new church. What excites us is not a new building, but rather an opportunity to participate with God to see lives, and ultimately, our city, changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Come be a part of "his-story" at Christ Community Church.