**We rely solely on the Bible for doctrine and practice – have no formal creeds or "doctrinal statements" or "statements of faith", and;

**Lead only by local elders supported by deacons;

**We observe the Lord's Supper each Sunday;

**We practice a cappella singing, and reject use of instrumental music in worship;

**Salvation is Hearing and believing Jesus is the Son of God, being convinced to live in Him and away from sins committed, we submit to scriptural baptism to become the Christian God will see and know. (Acts 2:36-47; Rm 6:3-6);

**Baptism is by immersion of consenting believers for the forgiveness of sins; (1 Pt 3:21);

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*Does the church of Christ believe in heaven and hell?

Yes.  The statement of Christ in (Matthew 25), and elsewhere, are taken at face value.  It is believed that after death each man must come before God in judgment and that he will be judged according to the deeds done while he lived (Hebrews 9:27).  After judgment is pronounced, he will spend eternity either in heaven or hell.

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*Does the church of Christ believe in purgatory?

No.  The absence of any reference in the scriptures to the temporary place of punishment from whish the soul will eventually be released into heaven prevents the acceptance of the doctrine of purgatory.

*How does one become a member of the church of Christ?

In the salvation of man's soul there are 2 necessary parts: God's part and man's part. God's part is the big part, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory" (Ephesians 2:8-9). The love which God felt for man led him to send Christ into the world to redeem man. The life and teaching of Jesus, His sacrifice on the cross, and the proclaiming of the gospel to men constitute God's part in salvation. Though God's part is the big part, man's part is also necessary

**Hear the Gospel.

"How shall they call on him whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14).

**Believe.

"And without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him." (Hebrews 11:6).

**Repent of past sins.

"The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent." (Acts 17:30).

**Confess Jesus as Lord.

"Behold here is water; What doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, if thou believeth with all thy heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8:36-37).

**Live a Christian life.

"Ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (I Peter 2:9).

*Why does the church of Christ baptize only by immersion?

The word baptize comes from the Greek word "baptizo" and literally means, "to dip, to immerse, to plunge." In addition to the literal meaning of the word, immersion is practiced because it was the practice of the church in apostolic times. Still further, only immersion conforms to the description of baptisms as given by the apostle Paul in Romans 6:3-5 where he speaks of it as a burial and resurrection.