Getting Acquainted With Us
by David Padfield
The Church of Christ in Zion, Illinois is a local, independent congregation of God's people, i.e., believers who have been baptized into Christ for the remission of sins, and who are committed to living by faith in Christ. We seek no affiliation with any organization larger than, smaller than, or other than this local congregation. When we have opportunity to cooperate with other faithful congregations of God's people, these efforts are always done so as to protect the autonomy and independence of all of the local congregations involved.
Our membership includes Christians from the local area, as well as those who travel from places in Illinois like Gurnee, Round Lake, Antioch, Waukegan, Lake Villa, Grayslake, the Great Lakes Naval Base, and Chicago, as well as from cities in Wisconsin, such as Pleasant Prairie, Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee. We are located just a mile from the Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center in Zion, Illinois.
It is our sincere desire to come to a full understanding of the teaching of Christ. While we work together toward this goal, we agree to be tolerant of one another in matters of opinion and to not be contentious about matters we differ on. Our joint action is based upon those things we all agree the Bible teaches that the local church is authorized to do. This tract will explain our current areas of activity.
Evangelism
We actively support the preaching of the gospel in this area and overseas. In recent years we have had fellowship with brethren who preach in the Philippines, China, Romania, the Czech Republic, Nigeria, and South Africa. Christians in over forty foreign countries use our website on a regular basis to obtain free Bible class books and other printed matter.
We do not use entertainment as a means of drawing people to Christ—we believe the drawing power of the gospel is sufficient. The entertainment of young people is a duty of the home, not the church.
Edification
The teaching program has always been a high priority for the brethren in Zion. Faithful men and women of this congregation take an active part in this work. The Bible class curriculum for our children, and the Bible study guides for adults are prepared by members of this congregation and are well adapted to the needs of the students. The printing and production of these handouts and teaching aids is both expensive and time consuming, but the brethren here believe such efforts are well worth the effort—the souls of our children and the future of this congregation depend upon a well-balanced teaching program.
Printed sermon outlines are prepared for every sermon so those in the audience can easily follow along. When members of this congregation are absent on the Lord's Day, copies of these outlines are mailed to them along with a note to let them know they were missed.
Public Worship
Following the New Testament pattern, we assemble together on the first day of every week to partake of the Lord's Supper and to sing, pray, teach and give of our means. During these periods of worship, any physical or spiritual needs of the members of this congregation are made known, so their brothers and sisters in Christ may tend to their needs. While there is no formal ritual for us to follow, our assemblies are always conducted "decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40).
Organization
Unfortunately, we do not currently have elders at this congregation. The men of this church meet on a regular basis to discuss the work here. When circumstances dictate, we call a special gathering of the men to take care of any spiritual or physical need which could not wait until the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Benevolence
This church is willing and able to take care of the needs of its own members and other needy Christians. We are also aware of the responsibility each individual has towards the needs of their own family (1 Timothy 5:8, 16). Individual Christians are always interested in the plight of their fellow man and will continue to care for those outside of Christ who have genuine physical needs.
If You Are Considering Joining Us
If you are a Christian and would like to join the disciples here (Acts 9:26), we ask that you talk with the preacher first so your intentions can be made known to all the brethren. Once identified as a member here you will be encouraged to participate in the work of this congregation.
If You Were Withdrawn From By Another Congregation
We do not recognize another congregation's actions as binding on us. However, in order to preserve the purity of this local congregation, it might be necessary for us to investigate your situation before we can decide whether to accept you into our fellowship.
If You Are Not A Christian
We would like to study with you and present the wonderful news about Jesus Christ as it is revealed in the Bible. Home Bible studies can be conducted at your convenience. If you do not have a Bible we would be more than happy to supply you with one—just stop by our meetinghouse.
