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Matthews Street church of Christ, at the corner of Matthews St. and Avenue I, is in Bay City, TX. The church is so named for its location, thus, helping people locate it.

The Matthews St. church practices New Testament Christianity using the concept, "Let's speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent." Every course is based on New Testament commands, examples, and necessary inferences. The church is a "restoration church" - seeking to restore first-century Christianity. The church believes the way to end denominationalism and sectarian beliefs is by replicating the activities of first-century churches. The thought is that if a church bases its practices strictly on the first-century church, as in the New Testament, it can be assured of pleasing the Lord, Jesus Christ.

The church is autonomous - working independently of other congregations. There is a "brotherhood" in which all churches of Christ share the same beliefs, but there is no "head" church from which any church receives its practices and beliefs. Therefore, there are no synods, associations, conventions, or organizations this church belongs to. The church's efforts are spiritual. They share the good news of Jesus Christ, edify its members, and provide benevolence but only to its members.

The church is a loving congregation of God's people. Each church member is a saint, just as individual members of churches in the New Testament were saints, Philippians 1:1. Members of the church are also known as Christians, Acts 11:26, as they were called in the first-century church of Antioch. And finally, a member of this church is also a disciple who learns the way of Jesus and practices such.

A group of men called Elders oversees Matthews St. church of Christ. Sometimes these men are known as Pastors, Shepherds, or Bishops. The names reflect different aspects of the Elder's functions. Helping the elders are servants of the church, called Deacons. Their function is to help the church in its needs. Saints are members of the body of the church. The church bases this structure on New Testament examples, Elders, 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Deacons, 1 Timothy 3:8-13; and saints, Philippians 1:1.

Admittance to church is through Jesus Christ. In Acts 2, Peter and the rest of the apostles preach to the Jews in Jerusalem, persuading that Jesus of Nazareth is the true Messiah, Christ, Acts 2:36. Upon hearing their words, many asked, "What shall we do?" Peter answered, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Later, in verse 47, Jesus adds those who were baptized to His church. All of Jesus' saints follow the same God-given pattern for salvation. See the table below to understand God's steps for man’s salvation. Christians who have been baptized and moving into town are admitted by announcing their desire to worship and work with the church.

The Matthews Street church of Christ has five acts of worship. Number 1, the church uses acapella singing. The singing is from the heart, making melody to the Lord, Ephesians 5:19. Therefore, no musical instruments are used in any service. Secondly, the church collects funds to do the work of the Lord, 1 Corinthians 16:2. We collect funds on the first day of the week, each week. The church also engages in prayer as directed by the New Testament, Ephesians 6:18. Fourth, Matthews St church of Christ also takes the Lord's Supper - every first day of the week, Acts 20:7, 2:42. And finally, the church preaches sermons from God's word.

Preachers for the church are sometimes called evangelists. An evangelist heralds or preaches the gospel, Romans 10:8-17. Preachers are sometimes installed as an Elder if he meets the qualifications for such, but there is no requirement for making a preacher an Elder. The one-pastor system used in many denominational churches is never used at the Matthews Street church. The Bible speaks of a plurality of Elders in any one congregation, Acts 20:28, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

Pertinent information about the church: The church offers various activities throughout the year. Contact the church for any upcoming events.

References

External links.

 * www.matthewsstreetchurchofchrist.com
 * www.instagram/mscofc


 * www.linkedin.cim/in/garlandvandyke/
 * www.twitter.com/Matthews_St_coc


 * www.facebook.com/matthewsstreetchurchofchrist


 * www.biblepoints.org/bible-points