Get to Know Us

About the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Denomination

One of the best ways to get to know who the Disciples of Christ denomination is through the denominational identity statement:

“We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ we welcome all to the Lord’s Table as God has welcomed us.”

It centers that we are a denomination built on Christian Unity, Education, and Service. While each congregation within the denomination is congregational (run by its own board and body), we each have these ideals at our core. Below you will learn about the cornerstones of the denomination, read a bit of the history of how the denomination came to be and our statement of inclusion.

Unity & Inclusion

Disciples of Christ believe all are welcome to the Lord’s Table for the sake of mission and for the sake of the world as the one family of God. Most congregations do this by celebrating communion every Sunday.

That’s why we use a chalice as our logo. See below for more information about the use of the chalice.

Believer's Baptism

All are welcome to the Lord’s Table for the sake of mission and for the sake

of the world as the

one family of God.

Most congregations do this by celebrating communion every Sunday. That’s why we use a chalice as our logo.

Study Scripture

We are called to study and read scripture for ourselves. Rather than having tests of faith and creedal statements, we critically and thoughtfully study scripture, taking into account the history and background – the context – in which it was written.

Christian
Unity

We honor the heritage of Christian unity by staying together in covenant as a witness to the world that even when we disagree we can still make room, welcoming all to the table as Christ has welcomed us. Our spiritual ancestors were fond of saying, “unity, not uniformity.”

Chalice

The chalice symbolizes the central place of communion in worship for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The X-shaped cross of the disciple Andrew is a reminder of the ministry of each person and the importance of evangelism.

A History

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada grew out of two movements seeking Christian unity that sprang up almost simultaneously in western Pennsylvania and Kentucky – movements that were backlashes against the rigid denominationalism of the early 1800s. Read more>>