We are a body of believers in Christ in Council Bluffs, Iowa, that practice New Testament Christianity.     The New Testament Church has no headquarters, chain of command, or human creed.  We rely totally on the Bible.

1. "Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; and where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent" - This defines a commitment to speak, teach, and preach on the contents of the Bible while avoiding additions to the scripture that come about from traditions or cultural developments.
2. "In essentials unity, in opinions liberty, and in all things love"- Essentials include the direct teachings of the Bible, opinions refer to those areas not specifically defined in the Bible and love is held as the unifier that holds the congregation together in spite of differences in opinions.
3. "No head-quarters but heaven, no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible, no plea but the gospel, and no name but the divine."- These churches hold the Bible as the direct basis for doctrinal statements rather than referencing any denominational creeds and believe that churches should take on no name other than the one that defines them as followers of Christ. Hence the name "Christian"
4. "Christians only, but not the only Christians."- A recognition that the people of these congregations define themselves only as Christians (not Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc.), but they do not consider themselves to be the only Christians.

What We Believe...

About the Bible

The entire Holy Bible is the inspired word of God and the only inspired word of God.  The Old Testament gives us history and shows us how God dealt with man.  We learn from these examples, but we are not bound by its teaching (animal sacrificing, temple worship, tithing, or any of the laws of Moses).  We use the entire New Testament for instruction today without adding or omitting anything.  We speak where the Bible speaks, and where the Bible is silent, we remain silent.  The Bible equips us for every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17).  We do not need and do not use any other book, manual, or creed to make us complete spiritually.

About God

There is but one living and true God who is infinite, eternal, unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, truth, and love existing in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Mankind was created in the image and likeness of God; because of the sin in our lives, we became separated from God and are unable to remedy our lost condition.

Salvation is a gift from God brought to the world by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Church Structure

We have no other name other than that of the One who is the head of the church ( Colossians 1:18), and who purchased it with His blood (Act 20:28).  This is Christ's church and was established in 33 A.D. during the 1st Pentecost, after the crucifixion of Jesus.  Jesus built his church (Matthew 16:18).  It is the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23).  There is one God, one Christ, one body and one church.

The church structure is according to scripture with elders (Acts 14:23) as overseers of the congregation (Acts 20:28), deacons (I Timothy 3:8-12) in the service of the church (Acts 6:1-8) and a preacher (II Timothy 4:5; Acts 21:8).  Our worship service on the first day of every week begins with prayer and singing.  We partake of the Lord's Supper (Luke 22:19-20, I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-26) every Sunday (Acts 20:7) followed by preaching from God's Word (II Timothy 4:2; Acts 8:4-5).

Our Core Values

Faith:  The believers are committed to God in faith by a personal relationship with the Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

Prayer:  The people are committed to the power of prayer and intercession for transformation of lives including prayers of praise, confessions, thanksgiving and petition.

 Worship:  The church is faithfully committed to worship and to exalt God in ways that engage the heart, mind, soul, and strength of the people.

Unity:  The people make every effort to build loving and caring relationships with families, members, and community, realizing there is diversity within the Body of Christ and community.

Outreach and Growth:  The church is committed to encouraging believers to grow and serve in their walk with God, communicating and demonstrating the truth of Jesus throughout the community.