Next Steps at Perry christian church

People who confess their faith in Jesus and commit to turn away from their sins should be baptized when they place their trust in Jesus. The practice of baptism does not save us – God's grace does – but Biblical baptism is a believer's first act of obedience and submission to Jesus.

With very unique exceptions, all conversion experiences described in the Bible are accompanied by baptism. We believe God designed baptism to be a sacred event in the Christian life: it seals a new believer's faith in Jesus and marks the beginning of a new life. In the Bible, baptism is also connected with the reception of the Holy Spirit, God's indwelling presence in every Christian.

At PCC, we baptize by water immersion because we believe it is the most Biblical method of Christian baptism. “Baptize” comes from the Greek word meaning to “immerse or dip in water.” This same word is used in the Bible to describe the practice of baptism. In Romans 6:3-4, the Apostle Paul describes baptism in this way: “all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death … we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Paul was explaining that to lower a person into water symbolizes burial with Christ; likewise, to lift a person out of the water symbolizes resurrection from the dead.

Water baptism, in itself, cannot wash away sin. Only the blood of Jesus can do that. Water immersion is a God-given representation of the way in which our sin and guilty conscience are cleansed by Christ's blood.

IN BAPTISM:

◄WE OBEY JESUS, WHO INSTRUCTED HIS FOLLOWERS TO BE BAPTIZED►

◄WE PUBLICLY EXPRESS OUR BELIEF IN JESUS►

◄WE ACCEPT GOD'S GRACE AND FORGIVENESS►

◄WE RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT►

◄WE IMITATE JESUS, WHO HIMSELF WAS BAPTIZED►

Deciding to be baptized can be a difficult decision. It requires humility and a child-like obedience to God's commands. In baptism, many people find one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives. This religious feeling or emotion is not the purpose of baptism, but God has graciously given us this practice to fulfill our human need for a special marker of this all-important milestone. Baptism also serves as a continual reminder and source of reassurance to each baptized Christian.

We believe that God instructs us to be baptized by water immersion, but we do not condemn those who disagree with this position or have not been fully instructed about baptism. Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior of humankind; He is also our one and only judge. His judgments are merciful and just. The responsibility of First Christian Church is to teach the Bible as accurately and lovingly as we can, particularly on matters of eternal consequence.

We do offer strong counsel to anyone whose conscience is being led toward baptism to obey the Lord. Those who truly believe in Jesus must obey His teachings.  At PCC, you may be baptized at any time. To be baptized during a worship time, contact one of our ministry leaders or simply come to the front at the end of the service.

DO I NEED TO BE BAPTIZED AGAIN?

Those who lack assurance in their first baptism are encouraged to be baptized again; however, a second baptism is not needed for those who have sinned after their first baptism. The sanctifying work of God's Holy Spirit – our transformation into Christ-likeness – is a lifelong process, and believers make mistakes along the way. The Bible instructs us to pray for forgiveness and continually grow in our relationship with God.

Life was not meant to be lived alone.  At Perry Christian Church, LIFE GROUPS are important to our fellowship.  They provide an opportunity to spend time connect with God and others through Bible study, fellowship and serving.  Our purpose is to gather weekly to study the word of God as we build relationships with each other and impact our community for the better.

• Our CAMPUS LIFE GROUPS will meet at the church on Sunday mornings.
• Our COMMUNITY LIFE GROUPS generally meet in the homes of various group leaders during the week.

CAMPUS LIFE GROUPS

You may notice that many of our CAMPUS LIFE GROUPS (Sunday morning Bible studies) cater to a specific demographic. This isn’t meant to exclude anyone. Instead, it is meant to build community by reaching each individual where they are at in their life.

If none of the groups listed below sound like a good fit, we encourage you to consider joining a community life group. For more information about our community life groups, please check the box on the Attendance booklet during the weekly worship service OR contact Rod Geiger.

As always, there’s no need to register for Sunday morning life groups. All you need to do is show up!  We also have our Women’s group Sisters of Strength and Men’s group Full Armor, as well as our group for seniors JOY (Just Older Youth)

SUNDAYS: 9AM-10AM - IN THE STUDY

• The Mix Group with Jerry McCoy 

SUNDAYS: 10:30AM-11:30AM - IN THE CHAPEL

• Friendship Group with Larry Burgett  

SUNDAYS: 10:30AM-11:30AM - IN THE GYM

• Encouragers Group with Bill Hughes

OTHER LIFE GROUPS:

SATURDAYS: 8AM - IN THE CHAPEL - MEN'S STUDY GROUP:

• Study the book of Acts (Steve Brunker)  

WEDS: 6:30PM - IN THE CHAPEL - WOMEN'S STUDY GROUP

• (Carol Eschliman) 

HOME GROUPS:

• During the week there are several other Life Groups that are meeting in either homes or at the church. If you are interested in finding out more about these groups, please mark your registration book or call the church office and we will have someone contact you and help you find a group. environment for everyone.

Our mission statement says we exist to “care for others.” Part of following Jesus includes loving our neighbor and doing all we can to help those in need. In this way, we can impact the world in a positive way.  We offer several church-wide events throughout the year specifically geared towards making a positive impact in the world.  Such events include:

• Vacation Bible School
• Thanksgiving Outreach
• Baby-bottle Boomerang
• Perry Helping Perry Christmas
• Honduras
• Loads of Help Laundry program
• And much, much more.

Various other ministries within our church, such as our youth ministry, children’s ministry, and Life Groups, regularly engage in donation drives and/or community service several times a year.

These outreach efforts not only require a lot of time, the financial support as well. We encourage you to prayerfully consider financially supporting Perry Christian church.

Like any church, where several volunteer opportunities available! Some are seasonal and some are ongoing. 

If you would like to know more about our service opportunities, please continue to browse our site or contact one of our ministry staff.