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About Us
Disciples Christian Church invites you to
discover more about us.
Please explore this page to learn about our congregational mission
and story as well as our denominational ties and history.
Our Mission |
Our Story | Our
Denomination | Our History
Our Mission
Located on the corner of Independence and Park, Disciples
Christian Church is quite literally in the middle of Plano's life. This
geographical reality mirrors our spiritual call to be a church for the
community. Our mission statement reflects this:
In order to follow Jesus and worship God: we will serve
our neighbors; we will minister to one another; we will live and tell the Good
News of Jesus Christ in all we do.
As part of our on-going mission, we continue to explore
the most pressing needs of our community to discern how God's spirit will lead
us next.
Our Story
Disciples Christian Church began its ministry as a
congregation in 1971. With the city of Plano expanding westward, several active
members of First Christian Church perceived the call to start a new church in
this growing area. As with the early church, Disciples Christian Church first
met in members' homes for worship and fellowship. When the gatherings outgrew
individual homes, the congregation starting meeting at Wilson Middle School. In
1978, we moved to our current location on the corner of Independence and Park.
From the very beginning, Disciples Christian Church has
been active in the community; we take seriously our call to serve our neighbors.
In the early years, a number of local agencies operated in our facilities,
including the Palmer Drug Abuse Program and the South Collin County Infant
Program. Today, we are host to many community groups, such as the Boy Scouts,
Narcotics Anonymous, Nar-Anon, and the Youth Mentor Network of Plano. In
addition, we contribute regularly to many social service agencies through
financial and volunteer support. If you would like to know more about our
involvement in the community, please
see the "Community Service" portion of our Ministries page.
Our Denomination
Disciples Christian Church is a member congregation of the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This denomination has more than 800,000
members in 3,700 congregations across the United States and Canada, but our
ministries extend throughout the world. Our mission comes straight out of the
New Testament: just as the first disciples were commissioned by Christ to spread
the Good News of the Gospel to all nations, we accept that same call to love,
witness, and serve "from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth."
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was founded on
several basic principles that continue to guide the church today.
"No creed but Christ"
These simple words express one of our most central
convictions: Christ called us into being, and it is in Christ's name that we
serve. Therefore no human creeds or "tests of faith" can be used to exclude
anyone from the church. Our one confession is that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of the Living God, and our Savior."
"Where the scriptures speak we speak; where the
scriptures are silent we are silent."
We are a people of the Bible. We read the scriptures
weekly in worship, and we study them faithfully in Sunday School and in our
private devotions. Emphasis is placed on each individual's responsibility to
read, study, and know the scriptures for himself/herself. Yet we recognize that
the scriptures can be interpreted in several ways. Rather than allow conflict to
interfere with our community, we rely on this guiding principle.
"In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in
all things, charity."
As with the interpretation of scripture, we realize that
there are many differing opinions about beliefs and practices in the church. In
the essentials of faith, we strive for unity. However, we affirm everyone's
right and responsibility to express his/her faith in unique but accountable
ways. In these nonessentials, we allow for diversity and liberty. Yet despite
our slight differences in beliefs, we are still able to gather around the Lord's
Table each week as one community, bound together through the love of Christ. In
all things, we live in charity and love.
If you would like to know more about the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ), our beliefs, and our national and global ministries,
please see the following websites:
www.disciples.org
and www.ccsw.org
Our History
Born on the American frontier, the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) is one of the largest churches to be founded in the United
States. From the beginning, our message has appealed to those with a pioneer
spirit. It is a message of independence mixed with responsibility, freedom mixed
with commitment.
In the rolling hills of nineteenth-century Kentucky,
Presbyterian minister Barton W. Stone began to be disillusioned by the discord
within and among the traditional Protestant churches. Because of his experience
at the 1801 Cane Ridge Revival, Stone recognized that these denominational
divisions detracted from the simple message of the Gospel. He and several
colleagues formed an alliance whose sole purpose was to "enter into unity with
the body of Christ at large." In keeping with this mission, they used the simple
name "Christians" to describe their movement.
Meanwhile, another Presbyterian minister, Thomas Campbell
was coming to the same conclusion in Washington, Pennsylvania. Looking toward
the simplicity of the New Testament church, Thomas and his son Alexander aimed
to recreate the early church by casting off denominational creeds and
restrictions. They believed that all Christians, regardless of denominational
labels, are simply "Disciples of Christ," and that the Church should be one.
They called themselves "Disciples."
In 1832, the "Christians" and the "Disciples" joined
together into one fellowship of believers, hence our name, the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ).
For more information about the history of the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ), please visit the Disciples of Christ Historical
Society at
http://users.aol.com/dishistsoc/
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Our Mission |
Our Story | Our
Denomination | Our History
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