About Lawrence Bible Chapel
Our Foundation
The Lawrence Bible Chapel is a non-denominational, Christ-centered, Bible-believing local church that seeks to meet according to principles set down in the New Testament.
As a group of people, according to the Bible, we make every attempt to love and follow a perfect God. There are many metaphors we could use – a body (1 Corinthians 10:17, Ephesians 1:22-23), a spiritual building (1 Peter 2:4), a bride (Ephesians 5:25), a family (Galatians 6:10). Each of these emphasize that we are a group of people connected in community because of God's work in our lives and we gather to honor Jesus Christ.
Our Mission
Our primary purpose is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ as we gather to worship and serve our Savior. To accomplish this, we have three primary goals:
- To encourage each other to grow more like Him, and to help cultivate our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. We want Him to have the first place in our church meeting, our service, and our lives (Colossians 1:18)
- To build up those who love and follow Jesus by proclaiming Him, admonishing, and teaching every person so that every person may be presented mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28)
- Our desire is to reach out to all people who have not heard the Good News: that even though we deserve separation from God because of our sin, Jesus died for each of us on the cross and rose from the dead, and now freely offers forgiveness of sin and everlasting life to whoever will believe in Him.
What We Believe
The teaching of Lawrence Bible Chapel (LBC) is based on the following:
Scripture
The Bible is inspired of God, inerrant in the original documents, and of final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
The Trinity
There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was born of a virgin and is sinlessly perfect. His sacrifice is substitutionary and representative. He rose bodily from the dead and ascended to His Father's right hand, where He now ministers as our Great High Priest. He will come to gather His Church and subsequently return to reign over the earth.
Salvation
Each member of humanity is fallen, sinful, and lost; and regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for the salvation of man. Redemption is wholly by the blood of Christ, and salvation is by grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit indwells the believer, who is thus empowered to live a godly life.
Eternal Destiny
There will be a resurrection of the saved and of the lost, of the saved unto eternal life, and of the lost unto eternal and conscious judgment.
The Church
The Church began with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and is composed of all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. These believers are united to Him, and to one another, by the indwelling Spirit. The Church's calling, hope, and destiny are heavenly, and its chief functions are to glorify God and to witness for Christ until His return.
Spiritual Gifts
Christ, the risen Head, is the Giver of spiritual gifts to all believers. Gifted individuals such as evangelists, pastors, and teachers are responsible to Him for their service, and are given "for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ."
Christian Ordinances
There are two Christian ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism by immersion signifies that the believer, having died with Christ, is buried with Him in baptism and is risen with Christ to walk in newness of life. The Lord's Supper is a memorial feast, instituted by the Lord Himself exclusively for His own people.
Eternal Security
Every child of God possesses eternal life; and being justified, sanctified, and sealed with the Holy Spirit, is safe and secure for all eternity.
Christ's Return
The personal, imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ to gather His Church will be followed by the Tribulation and the inauguration of Christ's reign over the earth; He will then deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father, that the Triune God may be all in all.
Our Approach
LBC's teaching follows the historic, evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures, which has, in general, been accepted by the Christian church since its inception. It recognizes no sectarian barriers and seeks to declare the whole counsel of God without over-stressing any one line of truth.
What to Expect
When You Visit
Our meetings are simple and focused on worship, Bible study, and fellowship. We don't have a formal liturgy or elaborate programs. Instead, we gather to:
- Study God's Word together
- Pray for one another and our community
- Share in the Lord's Supper (Breaking of Bread)
- Encourage one another in our faith
- Welcome visitors and new believers
Come as you are - we're a family of believers from all walks of life, united in our love for Christ and His Word.