What We Believe

Rock Bridge Christian Church joyfully welcomes persons of every race, ethnicity, age, sexual and gender identity, economic status, ability and educational level into an intentionally inclusive faith community. We experience the liberating, reconciling love of Christ through creative opportunities to worship God, pursue peace and justice, and serve in Columbia and throughout the world.

We are a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one Body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord's Table as God has welcomed us. Learn more about the Disciples of Christ here.

The Bible contains many books, written by a variety of authors, over a span of more than twelve hundred years. Yet there is an organic unity binding the parts into an interdependent whole. Our scriptures are a human testimony of God's revelation. Our discernment of truth is found in the Bible's underlying spirit rather than literal events, and we have faith not in the book itself but in God revealed there. (Duane Cummins, A Handbook for Today's Disciples)

We are called to read scripture for ourselves. Rather than having tests of faith and creedal statements, we critically and thoughtfully study scripture, taking into account the history and background (the context) in which it was written. (disciples.org/our-identity) 

We think about God in many different ways, reflecting the variety of images found in scripture and the diversity of our faith experiences. As non-creedal church, we do not have a formula or systematic theology to explain what we believe about God. Rather, we explore the creativity and multiplicity of our faith, trusting that there are many ways to be in relationship with the divine. 

The Table is a central symbol of our inclusive faith. In Disciples of Christ churches like ours, all are welcome to the Lord's Table. We celebrate communion weekly in worship. 

Baptism is both a divine gift and a human response. Disciples congregations believe baptism is a sign of a person's choice to follow God. Our tradition is to baptize by immersion when a person is old enough to make that choice for themself, usually middle school or older. 

Peace and social justice are central to our faith. Following in the ways of Jesus, we are called to solidarity with those who are vulnerable and oppressed, including immigrants, refugees, trans* and other queer folk. Sometimes this calling means resisting those in power, opposing unjust laws, and advocating in the public realm. Learn more about our Peace and Social Justice work here.