Disciples of Christ anyone?

[kokotg]

We've been looking for a new church for nearly a year now, and the next one on the list is a Disciples of Christ church. We know we like the pastor, as he was the interim pastor at our old (United Church of Christ) church for awhile a couple of years ago. I'm in my obsessive research phase right now, I've already read everything on the church website, and I have a few days before we can actually get there to check out a service, so....anyone attend/attended a Disciples of Christ church? How is/was your experience? I am oddly curious about how they do communion, for example, although I'm not sure why. I know the leadership is at the congregational level, so I'm guessing there's a lot of variation by region and by congregation, but tell me anyway, please!

[kokotg]

a hopeful bump...nobody?

[littlebug42]

I attended a Disciples of Christ church at one time for a while. At the one I attended, the communion was each week but it was passed out to the congregation (trays were passed through the pews for each person to take their own).

[SheilaZ]

I am still a member of a Discliples of Christ Church though I do not attend anymore.

I wish I could find a church nearby to attend because it was the only church that I truely felt at home in.

 

What questions did you have about communion? Communion is passed every Sunday and those who wish to partake are encouraged to do so. You don't have to if you are not interested.

[cat in black]

We have moved around, so I have belonged to at least 8 or 9 different DoC congregations and they are all pretty much the same. Communion every Sunday and central to the worship service. Baptism by immersion. Very conservative. Any specific questions I can answer?

[SonshineLearner]

Wow, I've never heard of it. Is it Protestant.... Charismatic? Trinitarian in belief?

 

Interesting :)

[cat in black]

Not fundamentalist but conservative. Worship services are formal, similar to Methodist or Presbyterian services with the exception of having communion every Sunday and baptism by immersion. Bible based sermons. My experience has been that they are all very friendly and welcoming. Denomination originally separated from the Presbyterians in the 1800's over the issues of baptism and communion.

[kokotg]

Thanks everyone. Re: communion--I guess I was mostly just wondering whether they pass it or have everyone come up front. Just out of curiosity, really...it doesn't matter much to me either way.

 

I'm pretty sure (from knowing the pastor and reading through the website) that the church we're going to visit is actually not conservative...I get the impression that maybe there's something of an urban/rural dichotomy going on wrt to that sort of thing. I know the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ have some kind of relationship with each other where they work together in certain areas. I've always thought this was interesting since it seems like, in general, the UCC is much more liberal than the DOC. Although I guess they have a lot in common as far as being non-creedal and ecumenically minded and the congregational government....

 

So it sounds like the services are fairly programmed/liturgical? That's what I'm hoping for. We've just spent a few weeks at a church with very informal services, and I hadn't realized until then how important a somewhat more ritualized service and a focus on liturgy has become to me. And a pipe organ :)

[cat in black]

There is The United Church of Christ denomination and the Church of Christ. Two entirely different churches. United Church of Christ is indeed very liberal. I think they do stuff with the Unitarians sometimes. Church of Christ, the one that co-operates with Disciples of Christ, is even more conservative than DOC. You could google both online and pull up doctrinal differences.

 

I hope you find the church you are looking for, wherever it may be. Church-shopping is always so hard.

[kokotg]

This is the partnership I was talking about (I remembered the pastor saying something about it at our old UCC church, which might have been the first time I'd ever heard of the Disciples of Christ)

 

http://www.ucc.org/ecumenical/ucc-disciples-ecumenical.html

 

In 1989 the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) approved a historic partnership of full communion. The two churches proclaimed mutual recognition of their sacraments and ordained ministry.

 

Though remaining two distinct denominations, the UCC and Disciples have committed through their partnership to seek opportunities for common ministry, especially where work together will enhance the mission of the church.

 

The partnership is a unique experiment in U.S. ecumenism. In every setting of the two churches, UCC members and Disciples are serving Christ side by side. There are now more than 30 "federated" congregations affiliated with both denominations, and it is now common for Disciples and UCC ministers to serve congregations of the other denomination. The Common Global Ministries Board, formed by the UCC's Wider Church Ministries and the Disciples' Division of Overseas Ministries, unites the international mission work of the two churches.

 

thanks--church shopping IS hard. Maybe we'll be finished soon, though! We didn't make it today...with the time change and everything I was feeling too overwhelmed to do another brand new church. But definitely next week.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

There is The United Church of Christ denomination and the Church of Christ. Two entirely different churches. United Church of Christ is indeed very liberal. I think they do stuff with the Unitarians sometimes. Church of Christ, the one that co-operates with Disciples of Christ, is even more conservative than DOC. You could google both online and pull up doctrinal differences.

 

I hope you find the church you are looking for, wherever it may be. Church-shopping is always so hard.

 

Yes, United Church of Christ and Church of Christ are very different. Churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ come out of the same restoration tradition. They split over the issue of instrumental music, but I think are otherwise pretty similar. They are not liturgical, but do lean on a traditional service and hymns, rather than more modern praise worship.

[milovany]

I hadn't realized until then how important a somewhat more ritualized service and a focus on liturgy has become to me. And a pipe organ :)

 

I can't give you the pipe organ, but have you considered visiting an eastern Orthodox church? It's a highly liturgical church with the the Eucharist as the centerpiece (the reason, really) of the service during Divine Liturgy. This has been true since the very early days of the NT church. The Orthodox faithful come forward to receive the elements from the priest. You have to be Orthodox to partake of the Eucharist, but anyone can come and participate in the service. Let me know if you would like help finding an Orthodox church in your area.

[kokotg]

Yes, United Church of Christ and Church of Christ are very different. Churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ come out of the same restoration tradition. They split over the issue of instrumental music, but I think are otherwise pretty similar. They are not liturgical, but do lean on a traditional service and hymns, rather than more modern praise worship.

 

We attended a UCC church for years, so I know it's not the same as the church of Christ. Honest--I'm not just getting them mixed up; the DOC and the UCC really are in cahoots! :001_smile:

 

I can't give you the pipe organ, but have you considered visiting an eastern Orthodox church? It's a highly liturgical church with the the Eucharist as the centerpiece (the reason, really) of the service during Divine Liturgy. This has been true since the very early days of the NT church. The Orthodox faithful come forward to receive the elements from the priest. You have to be Orthodox to partake of the Eucharist, but anyone can come and participate in the service. Let me know if you would like help finding an Orthodox church in your area.

 

Oh, I've considered pretty much every denomination that's out there at some point or another, milovany :) ...there's a lot about the Orthodox church that interests me and appeals to me on some level, but there are also some reasons why I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be a good fit for me. Thank you, though!