Church attendance is one of the baselines for admission to THEO. Why?
Over the last three years, push back has grown about Church attendance, but the THEO Board has held firm in spite of many awkward conversations, often referencing Hebrews 10:25 – Do not forsake the assembling together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. Even more as you see the day drawing near.
Recently when visiting with a THEO guest, the “why” hit me when the guest said he’s never left God but Church was never a part of his upbringing. For some reason, those words perfectly tied in and illuminated the book of Colossians, and I was able to articulate an answer – hopefully, a kind answer.
I replied, be careful before you throw out the Church. Colossians teaches that the Church is the body of Christ, and we should be careful before abandoning it, the body of Christ, as an old-fashioned habit disconnected from God. He wants us to be a part of the body. Jesus died for His body aka the Church.
Think of Ephesians 5:22-33 (not quoted word for word) says:
– Christ is head of the Church
– He Himself being the Savior of the body
– the Church is subject to Christ
– as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself up for her
– so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word
– that He might present to Himself the Church in all of her glory, having no spot or wrinkle, holy and blameless
– v29 for no one has ever hated his own body but feeds it and takes care of it
just as Christ also does the Church
– 30 we (as the Church) are members of His body
Suddenly, a ton of cross-references on this topic bubbled up – all reinforcing the importance of the Church as the body of Christ, the importance of us (believers in Jesus Christ as Lord) being a part of a Church.
I Timothy 3:15 especially speaks
I write you so that you will know how one should act in the household of God,
which is the Church of the LIVING God,
the pillar and support of the truth (another translation says a support and bulwark of the truth)
There are many more cross-references, such as
Hebrews 12:22-24
I Corinthians 12:12-13
Acts 2:46-47
In the New Testament, Church is the Greek word ekklesia #1577 which means assembly – one of the translations references a gathering of citizens out of their homes in a public place
ek – out of
klesis – a calling
Ephesians 1:22-23
And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and He gave Him to the church as head over all things. Now the church is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
The THEO Board writes this message to help reinforce how important Church attendance and membership is to THEO membership. Circling back to Ephesians 5 which says:
so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word. We are made holy and blameless by being washed by God’s Word – not by the water in an Old Testament “laver,” bowl or basin. We cannot be washed unless we are routinely sitting in Church hearing the Word of God and being washed/cleansed by it, sitting under the leadership of Christ.
In summary, Church attendance is critical to THEO’s DNA and I am so thankful that God struck with a lightening bolt to further articulate the whys – only 16 years after THEO was founded:) His timing is perfect. Thanks for reading this to the end.
Doctrinal Statement
Our doctrinal statement of faith is fundamental to basic Christian tenets and contains those doctrines to which we unreservedly adhere. The following areas are left primarily to the teaching of the home and church:
1. Church government, authority and discipline
2. Time and mode of baptism.
3. Security of the believer.
4. Timing of future events.
5. Second work of grace or baptism of the Holy Spirit.
6. Sinless perfection.
7. Gift of the Spirit, tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, miracle working and discerning of spirits.
In honoring its desire concerning their outreach of this school, there will be no attempt made by employees, teachers, parents or students to promote these denominational positions. We desire to remain united in the salvation and love of Christ, avoiding dissension, which may be caused by denominational differences.
Due to THEO’s collaborative nature between teachers, parents and students, THEO families are required to signify their doctrinal beliefs by signing this document. Your signature indicates your agreement with the beliefs outlined below and does not merely acknowledge the beliefs of THEO teachers and staff. This document was created in order to foster clear communication between families with students attending THEO’s classes and the THEO Board and teachers, never to indicate who might be a Christian or who might not be. The THEO Board believes 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely
you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.”
Because the THEO Board strongly supports the Biblical concept of a family, all of THEO’s documents are written to foster an organization of peace which supports THEO parents; the THEO Board and teachers strive to never usurp the authority of our parents.
THEO holds the following statements of belief to be the foundation on which we will operate:
I . We believe the Bible to be the authoritative Word of God, inerrant and infallible.
(II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 2:21)
2. We believe there is only one true God, manifested in three distinct Persons known as the Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1: 1, John 10:30) We believe these distinct Persons are omnipresent and unchanging.
3 . We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, who is the second person of the Trinity and that He possesses all of the attributes of the Father. He was born of a virgin and He is God incarnate (both God and man). He is mediator between God and man because of His substitutionary sacrifice for man’s sin. He will return in glory to judge all mankind. Christ is God and always was God. (Matthew 16:27)
4 . We believe the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity, possesses all the attributes of the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit indwells, instructs and empowers all believers for spiritual service. (Matthew 28:19)
5. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and the lost, the saved to eternal life and the lost to eternal punishment, (John 5:28-29)
6. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit who gives us spiritual gifts for the purpose of equipping us for the building up of the body of Christ. (John 14:26)
7. We believe that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ alone are placed by the Holy Spirit into the spiritual body of believers known as the church with Christ as the head. Genuine salvation will show itself by righteous attitudes and edifying conduct as a believer submits himself or herself to the control of the Holy Spirit who will always direct the believer to act in a manner consistent with the Word of God, the Bible. The purpose of the church is to glorify God by the teaching of the Word, by the building of faith of its members, by providing fellowship and by fulfilling the Great Commission to reach the world with the Good News. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 5:16, Acts 26:20, James 3:13, 1 Peter 27:12, James 2)
8. We believe in the value of the gathering together of Believers (Hebrews 10:24-25) believing the Lord has called us to meet together on a regular basis with fellow believers that we may stimulate one another to love and good deeds.
9. We believe in the creation of mankind, both male and female, by the direct act of God. (Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 5:1-2)
10. We believe that all men are created equal, regardless of race, nationality or ethnic origin. (Daniel 7:14, Psalm 119:1)
11. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning, and that is marriage sanctioned by God, which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive, covenantal union, as delineated in Scripture.
• We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
• We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexual conduct, bisexual conduct, any use of pornography or any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God.
• We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
• We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of this organization. (Genesis 1:27-28; Genesis 2:18-25; Exodus 20:14; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 1:26-27; I Corinthians 6:9-20; Ephesians 5:22-33; Hebrews 13:4).
12. We believe that man is sinful by nature and that regeneration by the Holy Spirit through the blood of Jesus Christ is essential and an absolute necessity for his salvation. We believe that eternal life is a free gift of grace for all who believe. (Romans 3:19 and 23, John 3:16-19, Ephesians 2:18-19, Titus 3:5-6, Matt
24:13)