About Us

Background:

A brief description of our background may help you understand us. We are a part of "The Restoration Movement." Our goal is to "restore" the New Testament church - to determine from the Bible what the church was like in the beginning, and to be like that. We believe this is a worthy and reverent goal. We want to be a Bible-centered church. We know our conclusions aren't flawless, that our practices are sometimes colored by habit, preference, tradition, or convenience. For more detailed information about the churches of Christ and the Restoration movement you may want to read “The Restoration plea of the churches of Christ”.

Who are we?

Spokane Valley is a family of caring and loving Christians. Our only guide is the word of God as revealed in the New Testament, and our only desire is to be faithful servants of Christ. We are not connected to any denominational structure or organization. Our desire is to be Christians only, simple New Testament Christians who are Biblical in doctrine, fervent in worship, aggressive in service, friendly in spirit, loving in outreach, and Christ-like in nature. We believe that it is the purpose of Jesus' church to help mold His image in the hearts of men, women, and children so that we can share Him and His offer of hope and happiness in a world full of struggles. The church of Christ is built on hope, a hope centered in faith in Jesus Christ and His power to change lives. Therefore, we want to make Christ and His word the center of our lives and pray that His Spirit will continue to remake us into His image.

The Worship Service:

Churches of Christ are autonomous. Each is self-ruled and independent. The Valley church of Christ meets collectively at 17221 East Broadway, Spokane Valley, Washington on Sunday's and Wednesday's. Small groups also meet most Sunday evenings in people’s homes. When you visit us, you will enter what we refer to as the "auditorium." There will be rows of chairs, none are reserved, you are our honored guest, feel free to sit anywhere you choose.

Worship at Valley is patterned after the simple worship of New Testament Christians. You will find enthusiastic congregational singing, prayers that flow from the hearts of the members, a celebration of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection in communion services every Sunday, Bible-centered preaching, and opportunities for Christians to give. It is not a formal worship led by clergy and witnessed by an audience, but a joyful celebration by all in a family atmosphere.

Singing:

There will be songbooks in the back of the chair in front of you for you to use. There will be a song leader that announces a number or you may find the words and music on the screen in front. One of the unique things about churches of Christ - and something you may find strange - is that the music is "a cappella." That is, we sing without the accompaniment of musical instruments. This is a conviction with us, not just a preference. It has its roots in our restoration heritage. We are seeking to worship according to the New Testament pattern. Since the New Testament leaves instrumental music out, we believe it's best to exclude it, too. You may consider us narrow on this point, but we hope you will respect our reason for it, and our conviction. We think you will find the singing meaningful and invigorating, with everyone being invited to participate.

Prayer:

There will be several prayers during the service. And specifically, there may be prayers for special needs and requests. James tells us to pray when we're in trouble, to pray when we're sick, to confess our sins to each other and to pray for each other so that you may be healed, healed of our sins and diseases. He says the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:13-16) Paul tells us that in everything, by prayer and petition, and with thanksgiving, present our requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)

Preaching:

Our minister doesn't have a title. He won't be referred to as Pastor or Reverend. He won't be wearing any ecclesiastical vestments, robes or special attire which set him apart. The hierarchy the bible teaches is that Jesus is our High Priest, that we are all priests in the sense that we have a one-to-one relationship with Him. In the eyes of God, we are all equal, making each of us responsible and accountable for our own sins. He will speak 25 to 35 minutes encouraging and challenging you to have a closer walk with God.

Invitation:

At the conclusion of the lesson, the preacher often extends an invitation. This is simply a convenient time to invite those who are encouraged and moved to make their needs known and request prayer or other support. He will encourage those who wish to respond to come to the front while those not responding sing a hymn. Don't feel ill-at-ease during this invitation. You will not be singled out in any way. There may be several who respond or none at all. Some may respond because they realize a need to for baptism, some respond to confess sins and some ask for prayers for a specific need. If anyone responds for baptism, you will witness the baptism during this service. The baptism will be by immersion. And it will be for the forgiveness of sins. Just remember, God's invitation is open to anyone at any time in any place. He loves you and accepts you just as you are, and so do we.

Lord's Supper:

If you visit on Sunday, the Lord's Supper will be included in the worship service - because churches of Christ observe this memorial every Sunday. The first century church celebrated this observance on the first day of the week. The inference is that they did it the first day of every week. We know from the annals of respected historians that in early centuries the Lord's Supper was an every - Sunday commemoration. During this memorial, plates containing pieces of unleavened bread will be passed throughout the congregation. The bread symbolizes the body of Jesus. Each participating Christian will break off a piece of the bread and eat it. Next, trays filled with small cups will be distributed. The cups will contain "fruit of the vine," usually grape juice symbolizing the blood of Jesus. Each Christian will drink the contents. If you choose not to participate, don't be embarrassed. Feel free to just pass the plate or tray to the person next to you.

Offering:

Again, if you visit on Sunday, plates will be passed to collect the weekly financial offering. This is a convenient time for members to contribute what they feel compelled to give back to God as He has blessed each of us. As our guest, you are not expected to make a donation. Feel perfectly comfortable in just passing the collection plate on down the row.

Bible Centered:

We believe that the Bible is God's word for us today, and that His love letter from Him to us today, is the foundation for our lives and the pattern for the church. Therefore, education in the Scriptures is the core of happy, successful, and Godly lives. We have a complete program of Biblical education for all ages, and we encourage every Christian to be a dedicated student of the Bible.

Family Centered:

The Valley Church of Christ is dedicated to doing everything possible to encourage strong, Christ-centered families, and we want to help our families to reach their potential for happy and abundant living. We have regular classes, seminars, and sermons designed to strengthen families and build up skills in Christian communication, child rearing, and family living. There are regular for all ages.

What Will Be Expected of You?

Nothing at all! You are welcome to participate. But don't feel obligated. Just make observations if that is what you want to do. You will be asked to fill out a Visitor's Card. This simply provides information so the church can write or call to thank you for your visit. If you don't mind, fill it out, and if you do mind, that's okay, too. We're just glad you came to visit us.

The People:

So, what kind of people can you expect to find at the Valley church of Christ? All sorts of people. We are not perfect. We haven't arrived- we're just on a journey.

We were not brought together by any illusion of our perfection or righteousness. We were brought together by our recognition that we are sinners in need of the cleansing blood of Jesus. That's the reason we can worship together, stick together, and, with God's help, accomplish some things that make a difference. You won't have to look very far to find our failures. The bottom line is you will find people at the Valley church of Christ that love Jesus and love the Bible.

For more information about our doctrine and beliefs you may want to read the article entitled
The Restoration Plea of the Churches of Christ.