ABOUT US
![meriden church of christ auditorium](https://www.meridenchurchofchrist.org/wp-content/uploads/meriden_coc_group-1.webp)
Who are we?
We are simply a group of Christians committed to the teaching of the Bible and to being faithful followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are striving to be the church you read about in the New Testament. Our focus is on God and our Lord Jesus Christ who loved people and died on their behalf.
We teach only from the Bible and we study both the Old and New Testaments. Our clergy are regular men who are called by their given names and not by special titles such as “father” or “reverend”. Our worship is patterened after that which we read about in the New Testament and is always spirited and yet reverent.
Our fellowship is warm and friendly and it doesn’t take long to get to know everyone. Our congregation is made up of all kinds of people: different races and backgrounds, old and young, married and single. Our diversity adds to the personality of this warm congregation.
What do we offer?
We are simply a group of Christians committed to the teaching of the Bible and to being faithful followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are striving to be the church you read about in the New Testament. Our focus is on God and our Lord Jesus Christ who loved people and died on their behalf.
What do we believe?
About God
God is eternal. He has always existed. God created the world and He rules everything in it. God is, therefore, the ultimate truth of the universe. He is the one and only eternal, immortal and invisible being. The one God exists in three "personalities:" Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (See Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1-2; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 1:17)
About Jesus Christ
Jesus is the Son of God; the eternal God in human flesh. In His incarnation, God became human and lived a sinless life on earth. In His crucifixion and resurrection from the dead, He became our Savior. In His ascension to glory, He is our Lord. In His ultimate return, He is our hope. (See John 1:1, 14; 6:35; 8:12, 23; 8:56-59; 14:6-9; Colossians 1:13-20; 1 Timothy 6:14-16; Hebrews 1:1-3; Philippians 2:5-11)
About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the "third personality" of the eternal God, equal with the Father and the Son. He acts in the world to make people aware of their need for God. He is present in Christians to guide us, to instruct us, to comfort us, to purify us and to strengthen us for daily living. (See Matthew 28:19; John 16:7-14; Acts 2:38; Romans 8:10-11, 14; 26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Peter 1:2; Galatians 5:22)
About People
People are God's highest creation, made in God's own "image." The GOOD NEWS is that people share many of God's own characteristics: our ability to reason, our knowledge of right and wrong, our creativity, our capacity for love and our desire for meaning and purpose in life. The BAD NEWS is that the image of God in us has been marred by an attitude of disobedience called "sin." Every person has two insoluable problems: (1) a problem with sin, and (2) a problem with death. God solved these two problems for us by sending Jesus Christ into the world. (See Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Romans 3:10-23; Ephesians 2:1-3. 11-12)
About the Bible
The Bible is God's word to people. It is the result of divine-human cooperation: God's message in human language. Because the Bible comes from God, it answers our most important questions with authority: Who is God? What is life about? What is my purpose? (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 19:7-11; 109:105; John 17:17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 24:35)
About Salvation
Salvation is God's free gift. We cannot earn it. In Jesus Christ, God solved our two greatest problems. His death on the cross provides forgiveness for our sins. His resurrection gives us hope beyond the grave. Salvation is offered freely to any who will receive it by believing the good news about Jesus Christ, by turning away from sins and by being baptized into Christ.
About the Church
The church is God's family; the people who have been born again through Jesus Christ. The church is the body - Christ is the head. The church is the bride - Christ is the groom. The church is the flock - Christ is the shepherd. The church represents Christ in the world and seeks to fulfill Jesus' commission to preach the good news to all nations. If you belong to Christ you also belong to His church. (See Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:21-23; 3:20-21; 5:25-26; 1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31)