Church of Christ Washington Illinois

Welcome friends to the website of the Washington Church of Christ. We hope that in it you will find the information you are in quest of. If not, feel free to contact us by phone at 309-444-4676 or 309-745-3103. Or email our Evangelist Don Potts at

[email protected]

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT WHEN YOU VISIT

Many people hesitate to visit an unfamiliar church because they are unsure of what to expect. Well, be assured that you will not be called upon or embarrassed in any way. You will be greeted with kindness and courtesy.

Evangelist

The term "evangelist" in the minds of many is a traveling preacher who conducts revival meetings. That is not exactly correct. The word simply means "a bringer of good tidings, an evangelist. A name given in the New Testament to those heralds of salvation through Christ." (Thayer, pg.257).
In other words, a Gospel preacher. Those who have served the church at Washington are as follows:

Carrol R. Sutton

John Barns
Gerry Sutton

Hubert Robertson

Gary Halcomb

(currently)
Don Potts

About Us

The Church of Christ in Washington was established in 1958 by those who were members of the Paris Avenue church in the area. Many of the group lived in the Washington area and felt there was a need of a church in the area. They first met in a building near the Washington square.
Their number grew and soon there was a need of a new meeting place. So in 1958 the old school house building at 430 Wilmore Road, then the meeting place of the Grace Bible Church was for sale and the men of the church made a loan and purchased the property.
Between 1958 and 1965 they grew to over 100 in attendance, so the southern part of the building was added. Over the years many of our original number retired from their occupations and moved away, and many have passed from this life and are no longer with us.

The sign in the yard reads, Church of Christ" because we are endeavoring to be apart of the church our Lord purchased on Calvary (Acts 20:28). As individuals we wear the name Christian, saint, or child of God as did those of the first century.

Worship

Singing

The entire assembly joins in singing spiritual songs, no choir or special groups, just simple congregational singing. Since the early church knew nothing of mechanical instruments to accompany their singing, we do not use them in our worship (eph.5:19;Col.3:16)

Prayer

The congregation is led in prayer by one of the men in the assembly. We pray, not only to praise and thank God, but also to ask for our needs and the needs of others (I Timothy 2:1-4)

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Preaching

The lessons and sermons are designed to teach God's word so as to encourage compliance by those who listen. It has become increasingly popular for preachers to appear sensational by discussing subjects revealed in the Bible, and even laying claims to miraculous powers. We make no claim for sensationalism- just plain Bible teaching and study.

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The Lords Supper

Like the church during the time the New Testament was written, we partake of the Lord's supper each first day of the week (Acts 20:7). The supper consists of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine as a memorial of the body and blood of Jesus (I Corinthians 11:20-36).

Giving As We Have Prospered

We do not take up a collection every time we meet, but only on the first day of the week (I Corinthians 16:1-2). Should you attend our Sunday service when the collection is taken, you are not expected to give. This is the responsibility of the members, not our guests.

Our worship procedures are very simple, spiritual, scriptural and orderly. As Jesus said to the Samaritan Woman, "True worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
The frenzied emotionalism so common in denominations today is absent. Each element of worship finds its origin in the commands and examples found in the New Testament.

Location

Directions to Building

From Highway 24 turn south on North Main Street and come to City Square and turn right on Peoria Street and go West to Stop light at Wilmore Road. Then turn right on Wilmore and go past the Five Points Community Building one block to the meeting house on the left.

History

The Church of Christ is not a modern invention of man, or a denomination. It is indeed the Church of Christ, the church that was purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28) and established in A.D. 33 in the city of Jerusalem as described in Isaiah 2:2;3 and Acts 2.
The Church saw immediate growth and success. Luke wrote that on the day of Pentecost "they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:41). In Acts 4:4 he said, "Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousands." In Acts 6:7 we are told, "And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith."

The first citizens or members were added to the church in 33 A.D. (Acts 2:47). Thirty two years later in 65 A.D. , Paul declared that the church would experience an apostasy or a falling away (I Timothy 4:1-3; Thess. 2:3). It would experience an apostasy, but it had been prophesied by Daniel 2:44 that it would "never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall notbe left to other people." Apostasy came about slowly. First, it was seen in church government, a presiding bishop over a diocese, or a number of church. In the past God's pattern was, a polarity of bishops who were to have the oversight only of the church among them. (I Peter 5:2). Other departures from the faith were seen such as the introduction of Holy water in 120 A.D. , the doctrine of penance in about 157 A.D. ; the worship of Mary in the 4th century; the doctrine of purgatory in 5-6th century.

Then in 606 A.D. Boniface III was appointed and recognized as the universal head of the apostate church. This was truly a departure from heaven's design. God raised Jesus from the dead and "set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and domination, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come; And hath put ALL THINGS under his feet, and gave him to be HEAD over ALL THINGS to the church. "(Eph. 2:1:20-21) But, in 533 A.D. Justinian, the emperor of the eastern part of the empire, issued a decrial letter solemnly recognizing the Roman bishop as the "head of the churches." (Elliott's Commentary, pg. 151-160).

This false system grew worse until men like Thomas Aquinas, John Wycliffe (The morning Star of the Reformation), John Huss, Martian Luther and John Calvin arose and oppose the corruption of the church of Rome. From their efforts arose Protestant denominational ism, The Lutheran Church in 1517, the Episcopalian (Church of England) in 1534, Presbyterian Church in 1536, Congregationalist in 1578, the Baptist Church in 1607 and many others.

By this time the Church of Christ had sunk into obscurity because of persecution, and these sects now dominated the world. The book of the Revelation described it like this-- "And the woman (church) fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED and THRESCORE DAYS."(Revelation 12:6) In verse 14 "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent." This was a period of 1260 years in which she would be preserved. But how would it be brought to the open again? William Jennings Bryan once found in an Egyptian tomb in Cairo, grains of wheat that had slumbered thirty centuries. He took them home and planted them. The result, a plant identical to the original. The word of God is the SEED of the kingdom. When it is sown in the hearts of men in the 21 Century it produces exactly what was produced in the first century, a child of God, a Christian, a member of the church of Jesus Christ, Christianity! Peter wrote, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. "(I Peter 1:22-23). God's law of nature is, the seed produces after its kind (Genesis 1:11-12). What we sow is what we will reap (Gal. 6:7). If one sows "Baptist doctrine" he does not produce a Mormon. The doctrine of Christ planted in good and honest hearts produces children of God, the family of the the Lord, the church of Christ.

And that dear friend is what we are all about!