A Visitor’s Guide
If you are considering a visit to the Broadway church of Christ, either for Bible class or worship, you might wonder, “What can I expect?”
First, you will be greeted by a number of Christian people; some you may know. This welcome is very typical, as we are genuinely interested in you! Since many people seldom take time to study the Bible, your disposition to study God’s Word and worship with us is refreshing. Since you are our valued guest, we will NEVER embarrass you. Even though we may differ from you on some Biblical teachings, and even boldly speak our convictions, we always do so with kindness, courtesy, and respect to everyone. In fact, questions and comments are frequently solicited in the Bible class period. None are viewed as unimportant.
Second, you will notice our worship is well-organized. In fact, a great deal of planning goes into our orderly worship together. Our assembly is not an emotional display, but one of simplicity and reverence, as we are taught in the New Testament. For instance, we will come together to sing, study, and pray. There is nothing mysterious about it; there is nothing nerve-racking about it; there is not a moment when you will wish you had not come! High-pressure tactics will never be used to influence you in any way, nor will you ever be singled out for unwanted attention. We want you to feel secure; never out of place.
Third, our worship is simple and may be entered into by everyone. Our music is composed of simple songs, and all of us sing together. You are invited to sing along. Our prayers are fervent appeals to God. Every sermon is Christ-centered and Biblically accurate, which are designed to teach and uplift all present. Profound discourses on deep, mysterious subjects are never heard in our building. The sermons are plain and understandable for the purpose of revealing the messages of the Bible. At the close of the sermon, those who wish to become Christians are invited to come to the front to let their requests be known. But understand no one will use tricky propositions to force you to respond. We will never single you out by asking you to stand, or to raise your hands. Neither will anyone infiltrate the audience urging someone to go forward.
Our services are strictly designed to teach the Bible to all who attend and to worship our God. The only contribution taken from the audience is on Sunday morning and evening, after the Lord’s Supper is observed. These brief notes cannot possibly explain everything about our meetings together, but we cordially invite you to assemble with us at the Broadway church of Christ on 100 Cumberland Road in Tyler, Texas. “Come and see;” put our welcome to the test. “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed”
Meeting Times
Sunday
| Bible Classes for All Ages | 9:00am |
| Morning Worship | 10:00am |
| Evening Worship | 6:00pm |
Wednesday
| Bible Classes for All Ages | 7:00pm |
Worship
When you visit one of our Sunday services, you can expect to find a simple worship service that adheres to the teachings of the New Testament. When we assemble on every Lord’s Day (Acts 20:7, Revelation 1:10), which is Sunday, we will worship God by . . .
- Praying: We are led by different men in our congregation (1 Timothy 2:1-8).
- Singing: The whole congregation joins together in praising God in song without the use of musical instruments (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16). In case anyone is unfamiliar with one of the songs, the words are available in our songbooks and also on a screen in front of the auditorium. Many of our guests choose to join us in singing, while others prefer simply to listen as we worship.
- Taking Communion: Every Sunday, our members remember Christ’s death by eating unleavened bread and drinking fruit of the vine (Acts 20:7). We sit quietly for a few minutes and reflect on how wonderful it is that God loved us enough to give his own Son for us!
- Preaching: We will enjoy a Bible lesson that lasts about 30 minutes (Acts 2:42; Romans 10:14). Each lesson will take a Bible passage and explain what it means and how it applies to our lives.
- Giving: Each member of this congregation contributes weekly to the work of the church (1 Corinthians 16:2). We do not ask or expect our guests to give anything in the offering.
Wednesday Night Bible Study
Every Wednesday night has been set aside for a devotional and then a mid-week Bible study for the whole church and guests. You can expect the following schedule:
As a group, we meet in the auditorium for a devotional, which consists of singing praises to God, a brief thought from Scripture, an invitation, and a group prayer (10 minutes).
Bible classes are available for all ages. This time is used to study God’s Word, and to encourage each other in our daily walk with God. This normally lasts about 45 minutes.
We think there is tremendous value in gathering for Bible study and praise in the middle of our week; it gives a “spiritual boost” to our souls, and we think it will to yours too as you participate with us.
In all of our classes, you can expect to open the Bible so we can all study and grow in our faith. During these times we also encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24-25) and help one another maintain that Christian light (Matthew 5:16) to shine for others during our work week.
Word of God
You can expect us to have a wholesome respect for the inspired word of God, the sole and complete authority. Because the Broadway Church of Christ accepts the Word of God as the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, we reject all human creeds (Galatians 1:8-9; Revelation 22:18-19).
Becoming a Christian
If you’re interested in becoming a Christian, we would love to have an opportunity to share what the Bible says to you about your relationship to God. The Bible teaches that we are saved by God’s grace, through an obedient faith (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 1:5; 16:26; James 2:26). We are saved by what Jesus did for us at the cross.
In order to accept God’s offer of salvation, we believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (John 8:24). God convicts us of our sinfulness and leads us to commit our lives to him, which involves our repenting of and turning away from our past lives of sin (Luke 13:3). We confess our faith in Jesus (Romans 10:9-10) and accept the free gift of salvation as we are baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5).
As Christians, we try to live for Christ, though we fail Him often. We draw encouragement from our relationship to local Christians in the church, and we worship God regularly. We really are “family” (1 Timothy 3:15). As we study the Bible, we grow in our knowledge and understanding, and God shapes us into the person He created us to be.
If you have any questions about spiritual matters, or if we can help you in any way, please contact us. We would be thrilled to have an opportunity to get to know you better and to talk to you about God’s plans for your life.
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