Winterville Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

1. We believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. This statement is more than words or simply a confession of faith. Jesus came to show us the profound love of God, a love that lifted up the downtrodden and affirmed the powerless. We are to express that same kind of love, which goes against some social norms and expectations.

2. We believe that The Lord’s Table is an open and inclusive table. Communion, which we celebrate weekly, is open to all persons who love Jesus as the Christ, regardless of age, denomination, or theological beliefs. We believe that Jesus called everyone to table fellowship. The table becomes a symbol of our hospitality – open and affirming to all people. When we partake, we are asked to examine ourselves, to make our confession, and to commit to a deeper form of the Christian journey when we eat of this Love Feast.

3. We believe in the ministry of all believers. Each member and participant of our church is gifted in many ways; each is a minister of the church. We seek to use our gifts corporately, as the body of Christ. None is more important than another. The focus of leadership in the church is not through controlling power, but through “servant leadership”.

4. We believe in the love of unity. Recognized or not, we are in relation to one another as persons and through nature. “Unity is our polar star” has been a theme of the Disciples. We believe that we are to work together as denominations to be the witnesses of Christ. Actually, unity is not something for which we strive; we are united though at times we are not conscious of our unity. We seek to help people recognize this unity and to use the power of unity to serve God in this community.

5. We believe in the justice of God. We are called to love and serve all of God’s people. We are to serve the marginalized people in our community. We are called to take a stand on social issues that demand a Christian response, rather than an acceptable and non-offensive response. This takes us back to the first belief – to confess Jesus as Christ means that we serve in ways that Christ would have served. Ultimately, we die seeking to love all people.