About Camarillo Church of Christ
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Historically, the churches of Christ have their roots in the American Restoration Movement. In the early nineteenth century several independent movements began which longed for the unity of all Christians under the authority of Scripture. It was, in the judgment of these Christians, the denominational creeds and doctrinal statements which kept so many Christians apart. It wasn't that these creeds were wrong so much as they were divisive. Each denomination demanded allegiance to their particular confessions in order to be considered a member. "Why," these Christians asked, "should the creeds be given so much authority?" Why not simply go straight to the source: God's word? It was in this conviction that groups of Christians began churches which sought to be just Christians. As these small movements grew, they began encountering each other and united on the plea that Christians return to the Scripture as their source of faith and practice. They wanted to own no name but Christ's and as much as possible to be like the earliest churches in organization, doctrine, faith, and zeal.
They did not claim to be the only Christians but did claim to be Christians only. They invited people from all the denominations to set aside the barriers which divided them and unite under the authority of the Bible.
We share that hope and plea. We are certainly not perfect nor do we claim perfect understanding of the Bible but we do long to be a church which belongs to Christ.
We, like other churches of Christ, have no denominational organization to which we are accountable. We pray that Jesus will always be the only Lord of our church. As you can see on our home page we have elders, deacons, and other ministers to lead us but we are convinced that all Christians are called to be servants of Jesus.
Our worship is simple. Our most important goal is to praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our songs are unaccompanied and sung by the congregation. We regularly read from the Bible and respond to that word in praise and prayer. Preaching comes from Scripture (see Sermon Outlines) and has its aim in bringing God's word into our lives. Each week we celebrate God's grace and the incredible gift of His Son in the Lord's Supper.
We deeply care about families and especially our children. We have Bible classes for all ages every Sunday morning and Wednesday night. We have special worship programs for children, up to the sixth grade, during our worship time. We also have a staffed nursery for children under three. On Sunday evenings we have three meetings. Two of these are at homes where families can come and share in a devotional, study, and pray together. Each summer we have a exciting Vacation Bible School.
We also have an energetic and devoted teen youth group. In addition to participating in all of the other church activities, Sunday evenings they meet for their own devotional. Wednesday nights they meet for class and then go out for a meal together. There are periodic events such as retreats, lockins, and community or world service projects. They are constantly busy in praise, service, and having a good time. Each summer they present a Vacation Bible School to the small community of Shaver Lake. We are very thankful for them!
This year we are involved in a journey through the Bible, called "A Look At The Book." Each Sunday the sermon, adult and teen classes, and our evening study-devotionals center upon the book or books we have been reading during the week. We are finding the program to be a productive way to learn as well as a powerful challenge for our lives. Our goal is, of course, to know more about the Bible but more importantly, to grow into the very image of our Lord.
We now return to our starting point. We are just Christians, living in fellowship with Jesus and one another. It is our prayer that we will always be a faithful community of the children of God and that through our life together God will be honored and made known.
