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Proclaim: The West Orange Church of Christ exists to proclaim God’s rescue, restoration and freedom throughout West Orange County and beyond by making fully devoted, fully engaged and fully connected followers of Jesus.
Celebrate, Connect, Care: The West Orange Church will accomplish our mission by celebrating Jesus in our daily lives, connecting others with Jesus and with each other and caring for others as Jesus did.
Jesus said “You study the scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39,40). We believe not only that Jesus Christ was the source of life in the beginning, but that life without a relationship with him isn’t life as intended by God, but merely existence. We believe we were created in the image of God and the implications of that truth shed pivotal light onto a truth seeking worldview. God has been on a rescue mission since the fall in Eden. The very idea that God would notice us, much less love us (and number the very hairs on our head) is hard to conceive. In fact, if it weren’t true, it would be a ridiculously arrogant worldview. However, because it is the truth, Christ followers are grateful sharers of the grace of God and live to serve others because the love of God compels them from within.
West Orange has a rich tradition as part of the restoration movement which swept over America in the mid 19th century. This tradition was fueled by passionate believers who sought to “restore” the spirit of the New Testament church at a time when Christendom had devolved into human hierarchies of religion. We continue to teach relationship (beginning with us and God- then one to another) rather than religion. We are avid students of God’s word because “the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12). Though the New Testament church was established in the first century A.D. replete with its cultural practices and challenges, we find God’s Word completely adequate to address the challenges of our 21st century culture. While the message of salvation in Christ remains unchanged over the centuries, the followers of the Lord are obliged to change methods in an effort to be relevant in this still-fallen world.
We believe that there is only one God and that He consists of three distinct persons, all of Whom are fully Divine.
Holy and Perfect - We believe that it is impossible for God to ever be incorrect or evil or inconsistent or deceptive or lacking in perfection in any way.
Omniscient - We believe that God knows everything: past, present, and future.
Omnipresent - We believe that God’s presence/existence is unrestricted by time or space.
Omnipotent & Sovereign - We believe that God’s power is absolute. Nothing that He chooses to accomplish can be thwarted. We understand that His sovereignty is such that He is able intervene in Creation whenever He chooses and for whatever purpose he chooses.
Fully God - We believe that Jesus is in nature fully God and worthy of worship.
Fully Man - We believe that Jesus was born as an actual human child and experienced human life with its frailties and hardships. We believe that this was accomplished without compromising his Deity in any way.
Virgin Birth - We believe that Jesus was conceived supernaturally and that his mother was a literal virgin at the time of Jesus’ birth.
Sinless Life - We believe that Jesus was tempted to sin but that he was unique among mankind in that he successfully resisted all temptation his entire life.
Christ’s substitutionary Death for our sins - We believe that all humans deserve death and eternal separation from our Holy Creator as the just penalty for our sins. We believe that God the Father sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin so that we can be forgiven and experience intimacy with God. This penalty was paid when Jesus suffered and died on the cross.
Necessity of accepting Christ as Savior for Salvation - While we believe that the offer of salvation from sin is a genuine offer made to all people, we believe that salvation is only promised to those who accept Jesus’ sacrifice for their sin and embrace him as their Lord. An important component here is that a person must embrace their responsibility for and the gravity of their sins and genuinely repent.
Salvation by Grace and not earned by any works - We do not believe that anything that a person does (for example going to church, charitable acts, generous giving, etc.) in any way earns or merits good standing before God or forgiveness of sins. It is only by the free gift of God that people are saved.
Resurrection of Christ - We believe that Jesus literally died on the cross and that after being dead, his body literally came back to life.
Believer’s Baptism at the time of repentance- We find that the Bible is clear and consistent in its teaching that Christian baptism is to accompany a person’s faith response to the Gospel, as opposed to being administered to a person incapable of responding to the Gospel (such as an infant) or being delayed until a future occasion (such as settling on which local church to attend).
By Immersion -We believe that the Bible is clear that immersion in water is the intended mode of Christian baptism.
For forgiveness of sins and gift of the Holy Spirit - We find that the Bible teaches that forgiveness of sins and the receiving of the Holy Spirit occur on the occasion of a person’s repentance and baptism.
Weekly - At West Orange we observe the Lords Supper weekly, though we do not find that Scripture commands weekly observance nor forbids more frequent observance.
Open Communion for Believers - We welcome all Christians to partake with us.
Inspired; Original autographs inerrant - We believe that the 66 books of the Bible are inspired by God. By this we mean that, except where the text makes clear otherwise, their content reflects God’s Word and not man’s fallible opinion. While different inspired authors wrote in their own distinct styles, we believe their message was preserved from error.