1306 North Beckley (PO Box 349) North Manchester, Indiana 46962
(260) 982-7523
manchestercob@gmail.com
The District Office is South/Central Indiana District of the Church of the Brethren is at 604 N. Mill Street, North Manchester, IN 46962
District phone: 260-982-8805
District E-mail: scicob@kconline.com
District Web-site: www.cob-net.org/church/isc
Manchester Church of the Brethren MISSION STATEMENT
Because we accept as our model the life and teachings of Jesus, as they are revealed in the New Testament, it is our purpose to:
· Create among ourselves a loving, caring community, undergirding each other where there is pain, encouraging each other with opportunities for Christian fellowship, and holding each other accountable for a loving lifestyle.
· Welcome into this community all persons, of any race, ethnic identity, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, education level, ability, age or life situation.
· Model the loving community in our relating with other congregations within our denomination, with the wider church, and with local, national, and global communities.
· Encourage understanding among us of the biblical tradition from which we have come and of the spiritual impulses that nourish our bond.
We see this as:
“Continuing the work of Jesus ...
…. peacefully, simply, together
The Meaning of Membership
According to the New Testament, life in Christ means life in the body of Christ. “For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13), so that we “though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Romans 12:5).
Membership in a local fellowship of believers, the congregation, is the way in which we affirm and live out our membership in Christ’s larger body, the church universal. In our inter-relatedness with other Christians in the local church, we experience the fullness of the gifts of the Spirit, we discover ways to be faithful to our covenant with God and each other, and we are able to support one another in carrying out our common calling as the people of God.
The congregation has a covenantal responsibility to care for its members, to encourage growth in freedom and discipleship, to help members discover their gifts and find ways to serve, and to provide ministries which respond to both spiritual and physical needs. Each member has a covenantal responsibility to participate regularly in the life of the congregation, to seek the counsel of the church in living out the way of Christ, to challenge the church to greater accountability to its calling, to respond to opportunities to serve in the congregation and beyond, and to contribute to the church’s ministries in every way possible.
At the heart of our calling as members of Christ’s body is the summons to follow Christ and His disciples. Christians do not live unto themselves but are called to seek first the Kingdom of God, to risk themselves for Christ’s sake, to take up the way of the cross. To accept and practice the costly grace of radical discipleship is no easy task. In the community of faith, however, we find courage and strength to live out our discipleship in solidarity with others.
A person may become a member of this church by being instructed in basic Brethren beliefs and in the meaning of membership in the Manchester Church of the Brethren and:
a. by the confession of faith and baptism by trine immersion as practiced by the Church of the Brethren.
or
b. by transferring membership from another congregation of the Church of the Brethren or from any other denomination which accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, or
c. by reaffirmation of faith, which may be followed by rebaptism, or
d. by applying for affirmation as an Associate Member.
Affirming and Inclusive
As a Christian Community, striving to be peacemakers, we are called by Christ to be inclusive and caring. We affirm that people of any race, ethnic identity, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, education level, ability, age, or life situation are welcome in our congregation.
The Stephen Ministry
The Stephen Ministry Program is a regular part of our pastoral care at the Manchester Church of the Brethren. It is designed to offer a caring, listening ear to any of us who feels such a need in our lives. All of us at one time or another could use such a person. While friends can provide some support and pastors and other professionals can give assistance, there is still a gap that can be filled during times of stress by a helping relationship with a trained, loving volunteer.
Stephen ministers receive an initial 50 hours of training in topics and skills related to caring ministry. These topics include working with the hospitalized, the terminally ill, the bereaved, the disabled, those in job crisis, families affected by alcohol or chemical dependency, the lonely, the depressed, the inactive, the shut-in and institutionalized, those in spiritual crisis and more.
The Stephen ministers receive regular support and supervision for their ministries through pastoral staff and continuing education. They are here to help you. If you or someone you know could use a Stephen minister, please call the church office and leave a message with your pastors. They will contact you or the person in need to determine if a Stephen minister is appropriate for the situation. All Stephen minister contacts are strictly confidential.
Lafiya Mission Statement
Manchester Church of the Brethren intends to be a congregation which lovingly ministers to one another as whole people, united in body, mind, heart and spirit in fulfillment of the new covenant established by God when Jesus Christ entered this world to offer us abundant life (John 10: 10). We intend to recognize ourselves and each other as one body and one in the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12). As God’s own holy vessel, we intend to do as Paul instructed, caring for our whole selves for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10).
As a Lafiya Congregation, one which is founded in the Nigerian precept of uplifting wellness through wholeness, we intend to encourage each other to remember that the body, mind and spirit are intimately connected. We will strive to empower one another to receive, as well as give, loving care with spontaneity and joy. We will help each other take responsibility for preventive approaches to our own wellness, and we will advocate this God-given responsibility near and far.
We envision the congregation of the Manchester Church of the Brethren as a community of faith which creates a safe and supportive environment for sharing our strengths and vulnerabilities as we collectively go about the tasks that God has appointed for us.
Our vision will be consummated by constantly uplifting each other in prayer and deed so that we grow in God’s love and become all that God intends for us physically, emotionally and spiritually.
