WELCOME TO CHRIST CHURCH
❖ Reformed
❖ Liturgical
❖ Expository Bible Teaching
(we preach from the Bible, through whole books)
❖ Weekly Communion
❖ Family-integrated
(all ages are welcome to worship together; but we have classes for infants–1st grade)
❖ Weekly Kids' Talks
(Gospel messages for the kids in the worship gathering)
Why another church in Madison?
Christ Church was planted in 2022 out of Immanuel Nashville as an independent, Reformed, Christ-centered church. We're all about treasuring and sharing Christ, to see many neighbors adopted into the family of God.
We believe that planting new, Bible-believing, Christ-centered churches is one of Jesus' primary means of reaching our communities. And we are eager to reach our communities with the good news of Christ.
What is our calling?
Christ Church is called to be a place where the weary and burdened are welcomed, nourished with Christ, and equipped to take his love to the people and places we love.
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS SUNDAY
Each week, we gather around God's word to hear the good news of Jesus and be renewed by his grace, together.
Order of Service
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Call to Worship from God's Word
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Sung Praises
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Prayer & Confession of Sin
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Assurance of Comfort & Pardon
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Kids' Talk
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Sermon from the Bible
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Lord's Supper
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Sung Praises
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Benediction
9am — The Fellowship Hour
1414 Old Hickory Blvd, 37207
(Davidson Academy)
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Coffee, tea, and snacks
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A great time to meet new people, ask questions, or browse the Book Table
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Youth Community Group is taking a break over the summer.
10am — The Worship Gathering
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Theologically-rich hymns & songs
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Sermons from the book of Exodus
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The Lord's Supper
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Kids of all ages are welcome in the worship gathering
WHERE WE MEET
We gather at Davidson Academy each Sunday. We are sinners, saved by grace, who meet in a high school gym for worship; we're not impressive. You don't need to be either.
KIDS MINISTRY
We have great classes for infants, and preschool–1st grade. They'll be cared for well, taught the Bible (for the older kids), and just down the hall from the worship gathering.
MUSIC
The music is a blend of traditional and contemporary, usually with piano, guitar, and vocals. Expect familiar hymns, and more recent songs that are biblically & theologically rich.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Statement of Faith
The Triune God
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who know, love, and glorify one another. This one true and living God is worthy to receive all glory and adoration.
Revelation
We believe that God has inspired the words of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. These writings alone constitute the Word of God, utterly authoritative, without error in the original writings, complete in its revelation of his will for salvation, sufficient for all that God requires us to believe and do.
Creation of Humanity
We believe that God created human beings, male and female, in his own image. Men and women, equally made in the image of God, enjoy equal access to God by faith in Christ Jesus and are both called to significant engagement in family, church, and civic life.
The Fall
We believe that Adam, made in the image of God, distorted that image and forfeited his original blessedness – for himself and all his progeny – by falling into sin through Satan's temptation. As a result, all human beings are alienated from God, corrupted in every aspect of their being and condemned to death-apart from God's own gracious intervention.
The Plan of God
We believe that from all eternity God determined in grace to save a great multitude of guilty sinners from every tribe and language and people and nation, and to this end he foreknew them and chose them, all to the praise of his glorious grace. In love God commands and implores all people to repent and believe, having set his saving love on those he has chosen and having ordained Christ to be their Redeemer.
The Gospel
We believe that the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ – God's very wisdom. Utter folly to the world, even though it is the power of God to those who are being saved, this good news centers on the cross and resurrection of Christ.
The Redemption of Christ
We believe that, moved by love, the Word became flesh, fully God and fully human being, one Person in two natures. The man Jesus, the promised Messiah of Israel, was conceived through the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven as our representative and substitute. On the cross he canceled the debt of sin and reconciled to God all those who believe. By his resurrection Christ Jesus was vindicated by his Father, broke the power of death, defeated Satan, and brought everlasting life to all his people. By his ascension he has been forever exalted as Lord and has prepared a place for us to be with him. We believe that salvation is found in no one else.
The Justification of Sinners
We believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice, he bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins. By his perfect obedience, he satisfied the just demands of God on our behalf, since by faith alone that perfect obedience is credited to all who trust in Christ alone for their acceptance with God.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
We believe that this salvation is applied to his people by the Holy Spirit. Sent by the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ and, as "another Helper," is present with and in believers. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and by his powerful and mysterious work regenerates spiritually dead sinners, awakening them to repentance and faith, baptizing them into union with the Lord Jesus.
The Kingdom of God
We believe that those who have been saved by the grace of God through union with Christ by faith and through regeneration by the Holy Spirit enter the kingdom of God and delight in the blessings of the new covenant. Good works constitute indispensable evidence of saving grace. Living as salt in a decaying world and light in a dark world, believers should neither withdraw into seclusion from the world nor become indistinguishable from it. Rather, we are to do good to the city, for all the glory and honor of the nations is to be offered up to the living God.
God's New People
We believe that God's new covenant people is manifest in local churches of which Christ is the only Head. The church is distinguished by her gospel message, her sacred ordinances, her discipline, her great mission, and, above all, by her love for God, and by her members' love for one another and for the world.
Baptism and the Lord's Supper
We believe that baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordained by the Lord Jesus himself. The former is connected with entrance into the new covenant community, the latter with ongoing covenant renewal. They are God's pledge to us and our public submission to Christ.
The Restoration of All Things
We believe in the glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the resurrection of both the just and the unjust-the unjust to eternal conscious punishment in hell and the just to eternal blessedness in the presence of him who sits on the throne and of the Lamb. On that day the church will be presented faultless before God by Christ, and his people will be enthralled by the immediacy of his ineffable holiness, and everything will be to the praise of his glorious grace.
Distinctives
We rally around the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and prioritize Christ-like love, humility, and unity. To that end, Christ Church does not divide around baptism, the gifts of the Spirit, or other matters secondary to the Gospel. You will find believer’s baptism and infant baptism, continuationists and cessationists, and people from all kinds of Christian backgrounds.
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We are passionate about gospel-centrality
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We enthusiastically embrace the sovereignty of God’s grace in saving sinners
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We recognize and rest upon the necessity of the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit for all of life and ministry.
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We are deeply committed to the spiritual & moral equality of male & female and to men as responsible servant-leaders in both home and church.
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We embrace a missionary understanding of the local church and its role as the primary means by which God chooses to establish his kingdom on earth.
Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. * "catholic" means "universal."
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.
Confessions
Our Elders broadly affirm the Westminster Standards (the Westminster Confession and Larger & Shorter Catechisms) and the Three Forms of Unity (namely, the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort).
POSITION STATEMENTS
On Baptism
In the waters of baptism God makes salvation promises, to be received by faith (1 Peter 3:21). Christian Baptism is not primarily a profession of our faith; it is a declaration of God’s faithfulness (Acts 2:38–39, Colossians 2:11–12). When baptism is united to faith, it is a physical sign, seal, and experience of salvation. Without faith, it is of no advantage (Hebrews 4:2). The promises made from God to us in baptism are for cleansing from sin, regeneration and new creation, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and eternal life (Titus 3:4–7).
At Christ Church, we gladly receive both credobaptist and paedobaptist convictions within our fellowship. We baptize professing believers by immersion, and (when requested) we baptize the younger children of one or more believing parents by sprinkling. While we do not minimize our differences, we covenant to bear with one another in love, to continue pursuing greater agreement from Scripture, and to preserve the unity we share in Christ.
On the Lord's Supper (Eucharist, Communion)
We rejoice in the truth that the Pharisees and scribes grumbled about, regarding Jesus: “This man receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). At the Lord’s table we are invited — as often as we eat and drink of it — to commune with Christ himself, to enjoy our union with Christ in covenantal remembrance, and to be nourished and satisfied in Christ. It is our great joy to receive these gifts from the Lord weekly.
1. Do we truly have communion with Christ in the Lord’s Supper?
Yes, all who receive the Lord’s Supper by faith commune and have fellowship with Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16).
1.a. Is Christ physically present with us at the Lord’s table?
No, the physical body of Christ is in heaven with God (1 Peter 3:21b–22).
The bread does not molecularly turn into the physical body of Jesus, nor does the wine turn into his blood in any way. We reject the doctrine of transubstantiation. Nor is the physical body and blood of Jesus in, with, or under the bread and wine mystically. We reject the doctrine of consubstantiation.
1.b. Is there any special enjoyment of Christ’s presence at the Lord’s table?
Yes, in two ways.
First, all those who believe in Jesus are his body, and as we approach the Lord’s Table together we are called by Scripture to “discern the body” — that is, to discern one another (1 Corinthians 11:17–29). We enjoy fellowship with God — in part — through our enjoyed fellowship of one another.
Second, we enjoy the presence of Christ spiritually, by faith. As we receive the bread and cup the Holy Spirit seals to us the Thing signified (Christ) through his signs (Romans 8:9–11).
2. Does the Lord’s Supper do anything in or to us?
No, the bread and the cup do not work any power in us in-and-of-themselves.
All the efficacy and power of the Lord’s Supper comes from God himself, through his Holy Spirit. By God’s grace, through these ordinary signs made holy by Christ’s institution (Luke 22:19–20), God extends the comfort of Christ, strengthens our faith, and brings us into sweet fellowship with our Savior.
2.a Is it just a symbol?
The Lord’s Supper is a symbol, but it is also more than a symbol.
Through the sign, God gives to us by his Spirit the Thing signified (Christ). Just as when we read Scripture by faith we are drawn near to the God it speaks of, so in the Lord’s Supper we, by faith, are drawn near to the Christ whom it symbolizes.
3. Are all invited to the Lord’s table?
The invitation to believe on Christ and be saved is extended to all; the invitation to receive the gifts of Christ at the Lord’s table are extended to those who have been baptized into the New Covenant community of faith and have professed their faith in Christ.
3.a Are infants and small children welcome to receive the bread and the cup? (Paedocommunion)
No, infants and small children should not be admitted to the Lord’s Table until they are able to “examine themselves” (1 Corinthians 11:28), “discern the body” (1 Corinthians 11:29), and consciously remember the death of Christ as if it is their own (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:24, Galatians 2:20), in light of their union with Christ.
There is no particular age at which point children are admitted to the table. Rather, the decision should be prayerfully made by the child’s parents in conversation with the Elder Session.
3.b Is the Lord’s Supper a suitable “altar call” to the unconverted?
No, it would be out-of-order in the same way that, in the Old Covenant, it would be out-of-order to offer the Passover meal to an uncircumcised male.
Let the unconverted confess their faith in Christ and be baptized, and afterward joyfully received at the Lord’s table.
On Family-Integrated Worship
At Christ Church, we believe the gathered worship of the church ordinarily belongs to the whole covenant community—men and women, young and old. For that reason, we encourage families to worship together and seek to welcome children as active participants in the life of the congregation.
Why We Value Family-Integrated Worship
First, Scripture regularly portrays children gathered with God’s people to hear his Word and worship him. Moses commanded Israel to assemble “men, women, and little ones” so that they might hear, learn, and fear the Lord (Deuteronomy 31:11–13; cf. Joshua 8:35). In the New Testament, Paul addresses children directly in letters intended to be read to the assembled churches (Ephesians 6:1–4; Colossians 3:20–21). We therefore believe children should ordinarily be welcomed into the worshiping assembly.
Second, we want our children to hear the preaching of the gospel. God has appointed the preaching of his Word as a means by which people hear of Christ, believe, and call upon the Lord for salvation (Romans 10:13–17). Children may not understand everything they hear, but they often understand far more than we expect. Week after week, they are learning the language and rhythms of Christian worship: hearing God’s Word, confessing sin, receiving assurance of pardon, praying, singing, giving, and watching the church receive the Lord’s Supper.
Third, children need to see the adults who love them worshiping Christ. As they hear their parents and the rest of the congregation sing, pray, listen, confess, repent, and rejoice in the gospel, they are being shown what it looks like to treasure Christ. Family-integrated worship is therefore not simply about keeping families physically together; it is one way the whole church participates in the discipleship of its children.
What We Mean by “Family-Integrated”
Family-integrated worship does not mean that every child of every age must remain in the gathering for its entirety. Scripture speaks of gathering those who are able to understand what they hear (Nehemiah 8:1–8), and children differ in maturity and ability. For this reason, Christ Church provides nursery care and age-appropriate instruction for our younger children as often as possible. Families are welcome to use these ministries or to keep their children with them in worship. Our aim is neither to pressure parents nor to divide the church rigidly by age, but to help every child participate meaningfully in the worship and discipleship of God’s people.
A Shared Responsibility
Family-integrated worship requires love from the whole church. Parents should patiently prepare and train their children to participate in worship,
recognizing that learning to worship attentively takes time. Reading the sermon passage beforehand, practicing the songs, explaining the parts of the service, and giving calm correction can all help children grow.
The rest of the congregation should extend patience, encouragement, and grace to children and their parents. Children will sometimes whisper, wiggle, cry, or need to leave the room. A living church will not always be a silent church. At the same time, parents should lovingly address behavior that persistently distracts or prevents others from worshiping. We are not merely a collection of individual households worshiping in the same room. We are the household of God. The children among us are our younger brothers and sisters— children whom the whole church is called to know, love, encourage, and help disciple. Our desire is that Christ Church would gather as one body across generations: hearing the same gospel, singing the same praise, receiving the same promises, and learning together to treasure and share Christ.