The Church
Begin this lesson by first reading the Apostle’s Creed. See Resources section for text.
What is the Church?
The Church is the whole community of faithful Christians on earth and in heaven, called and unified into one people by God. The Church on earth gathers to worship God, to serve God and neighbor, and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
(Exodus 19:4–6; Psalm 22:22–23; Matthew 28:19–20; 1 Peter 2:4–10)
Why is the Church called the body of Christ?
The Church is unified under Jesus Christ who is our Head and source of life.
(1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Ephesians 1:22–23; 5:25–30)
What unifies the Church?
The whole Church is unified by the power of the Holy Spirit in the teaching of the Scriptures, in the right understanding of the Trinity, and especially Christ’s ministry on earth as expressed by the Apostle’s Creed.
Why is the Church called holy?
The Church is holy because the Holy Spirit dwells in it and sanctifies (makes holy) its members. Christians are called, as members of the holy Church, to live godly, upright, and holy lives, to the glory of God’s Name.
(Exodus 19:3–6; Psalm 15; John 17:17–19; 1 Corinthians 3:16–17)
Who are the saints?
The saints are all baptized Christians, those who are presently living on the earth, and those who presently abide with Christ, awaiting the joyous day of resurrection. The saints who are in heaven, some of whom are martyrs, intercede on our behalf and pray along with us for Christ’s swift return. We may at times name some who now dwell with Christ with the title of “Saint,” but we do not venerate or pray to the saints.
To what tradition does Flatland Church belong?
Flatland Church belongs to a cooperative fellowship of churches called the Assemblies of God. This tradition belongs to the Evangelical-Pentecostal stream of churches.
In what historic lineage does the Assemblies of God belong?
The Assemblies of God traces its roots to Charles Fox Parham’s Pentecostal revival in Topeka, KS. Parham was an Methodist-Episcopal preacher, which itself has its roots in John Wesley’s 18th century renewal movement within the Anglican/Episcopal Church in both England and the United States. The Anglican Church was a distinct child of the Protestant Reformation in the 1500’s. In this way, the Assemblies of God is both distinctly Pentecostal while also being historically Protestant.