We understand how difficult it can be when you are visiting other churches. We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help you decide whether Mayfield church of Christ is for you. If you have a question that is not listed here you may call the church office at (662) 869-5558 or use our Contact Us form. We hope to see you soon.
- If I come to a service, how am I expected to dress?
We have no “dress code”. At an average service, you’ll find people wearing everything from “dress clothes” to “casual” clothing. The only “dress code” that is laid out in the New Testament is the requirement to dress modestly (1 Tim 2:9), and we try to follow that command. However, we also realize that in worship we are in the presence of the Almighty Creator of the cosmos (Matt 18:20), and such an Audience commands respect (Heb 12:28-29)!
- How long do services normally last?
Sunday morning Bible class begins at 9:30am, and will dismiss at 10:15am. Morning worship begins at 10:30am, and is normally finished around 11:40am. Sunday night service begins at 5:00pm, and dismisses before 6:00pm. Wednesday Bible study begins at 7:00pm, and dismisses at 8:00pm
- I have young children: Do you have a nursery provided?
Yes – we have a nursery provided for mothers to use, and also attendants upon request.
- If I come to a service, will I be expected to give?
No – we do not have a mandatory offering. We do have a collection each Sunday as commanded in 1 Cor 16:1-2, but it is a voluntary offering. You also will not be solicited to give or support the church in any way upon your visit.
- What are your services like?
- Many may find our services very simple. We don’t see this as a problem at all! The early church met on the first day of every week to worship. When they met, they did five things as a part of their worship. They prayed (Acts 2:42, Rom 12:12, Eph 6:18, Col 4:2), they sang(Eph 5:19, Col 3:16), they gave(1 Cor 16:1-2), they were taught(Acts 2:42, Acts 17:11, Acts 20:7), and they took of the Lord’s supper(Acts 20:7, Matt 26:26-29, 1 Cor 11:23-29). These same components of worship are the same ones we practice today. Our worship services are carried out with a deep respect for the Recipient of worship: God, our Father (Heb 12:28, Jn 4:23-24). At the same time worship, by definition, cannot be emotionless. Worship requires two attributes to be “true” according to Jesus: to be done in “spirit” and in “truth”. We seek to fulfill both when we gather together.
- I am looking for a church, why should I choose Mayfield?
In the religious world, there are innumerable choices. The yellow pages are literally filled with churches with various doctrines, beliefs, practices, and locations. The church of Christ seeks one thing: to be the church that Jesus built (Matt 16:18), died for (Eph 5:25), purchased (Acts 20:28), and saves (Eph 5:23). The church found in the New Testament had no creed books, no constitution, and no organized governing body outside of the local congregation – we are no different. Our only creed is the Bible; we seek to speak where it speaks, and remain silent where it has not (Rev 22:18-19). We seek to have our faith, lives, and worship governed by only God’s will, and not man’s. If you are looking for a church where the word of God is honored above the whims of man, then we’d invite you to visit with us. We are blessed with a great group of teachers, elders, deacons, and members who can help you as you seek to please God. Along with that, Mayfield is a friendly, loving congregation. When you visit, you will be spoken to, and greeted with a smile! We are a diverse group from young to old, but all are friendly. We are also easily accessible right off of Hwy 45 on Hwy 145N in Saltillo, MS. We would love to have you visit with us.
- If I come to a service, will I be asked to stand, or be recognized?
No – we will ask you to fill out a visitor’s card upon your visit, but this is completely voluntary on your part. You will not be required to stand, come to the front, and we won’t call your name, or anything else that may embarrass you. You WILL however shake many hands and meet many new smiling faces upon your visit!
- Are women involved in your services?
To answer this question correctly, we need to specify what we mean by “involved”. When most people ask this question, they are asking if women lead singing, pray, preach, or in some other way take a “leadership role” in worship. The answer to that question would be “no”. This is not because we are chauvinistic, stuck in the past, etc, but because we respect what God’s word has to say on the subject (1 Tim 2:8-14, 1 Cor 14:33-35). However, this does not mean that women are not involved in worship; in fact, the exact opposite is true! Women are involved in every aspect of worship through their participation. We certainly value the women of our congregation; they are one of our greatest assets!
- We have a large family; do you have classes for all of us?
Yes – we have classes for everyone from nursery through older adults. We have special classes for teens, ladies, and many others that vary from time-to-time.
- Do you have any youth programs?
Yes – we have a very active youth group. The pre-teens have a devotional and activity every other month, and our teen group has devotional every month. On top of this, teens attend area-wide devotionals once a month, take a mission trip once a year, attend a spring and fall retreat, and are involved in many other things. Many of our youth attend camp at an area Christian camp for a week during the summer.
- I’m not sure if I am saved… How can I know that I am saved?
There is no greater question that a person can ask than what they must do to be saved. It is a question that was asked of the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:37. It was asked of Paul and Silas by the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:30. It was asked of Jesus Himself by Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus Acts 9:6. In all three of these cases, the ones asking the question received an answer. The answer in all three cases meshes perfectly with one another, and with the word of God.
The crowd on Pentecost was told to “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins”.
The Philippian jailer was told “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Saul was told by Jesus to “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” When Saul arrived, he was told by Ananias “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
You can know you are saved by doing the same thing that these did – obeying the word of the Lord. Notice Hebrews 5:9 – “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him”. Jesus is the Author of salvation to those who OBEY Him. In the murky, muddied religious waters of the world today, there are many answers given to those seeking salvation, but they cannot all be right!
The only way you can KNOW you are saved is by doing what God has said in His word. John said “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 Jn 5:13). You see, John told Christians that their salvation was verified by the words that he had written – it is no different today friend! The New Testament contains Jesus’ commands about salvation; listen to what He says: Jesus said we must hear and obey His word (Matt 7:24-27, Lk 11:28), believe in Him (Jn 8:24, Jn 3:36), confess Him before men (Matt 10:32-33), repent of our sins (Lk 13:3, 5), and be baptized to be born again (Mk 16:15-16, Matt 28:18-20, Jn 3:3-5). Once we have kept the commands of Jesus, we can know that we have eternal life.
- I’ve heard the church of Christ doesn’t have music – is that true?
No – we have music in our worship every time that we assemble! In fact, many visitors to our assembly comment on the “good singing” that is generally associated with churches of Christ.
However, what many mean by “music” is instrumental music; it is true that we do not use any instruments in our worship, and we stand firm on that fact. You may ask “Why not?” The reason is simple, although many have complicated the issue. We do not use instruments in our worship because we have no authorization from God to do so.
Today, we live under the new covenant of Christ, which is found in the New Testament. Nowhere in the New Testament do we find a command from God to use instruments, an example of Christians using them in the church, or even any evidence to point that they did. We must speak where God has spoken in His word, and be silent where He has. We cannot add to His word without penalty (Rev 22:18-19), and adding the instrument would do just that.
On top of that, it is a proven fact that instrumental music was not added to “church music” until at least the early 600’s AD. In fact, the word “a cappella” had an early definition “in the style of the church.” One must ask, “Why didn’t the early church use the instrument if they knew they could?” All of the early Christian writers, and then later the “reformers” (Luther, Calvin, Wesley, etc) were opposed to instrumental music in worship. In fact, in most denominations, instrumental music is a fairly recent addition. However, history and tradition are not our sources of opposition to the instrument, it is the fact the New Testament commands Christians to “sing” and never to “play” (Col 3:16, Eph 5:19).
When we strip back the desires of men, we see God does not desire the sound of the strings of the guitar or piano, but the melody of the heart of every believer!
- I’ve heard the church of Christ believes baptism is essential – is that true?
Yes – it is true that we believe and teach that baptism is essential for a person to become a Christian, and to be saved. However, that is not all we must do! There are many other things the scriptures tell us we must do to make our “call and election sure” (2 Pet 1:10).
Since we teach there are things a person must do to be saved, many accuse us of teaching a “works” salvation. There is no doubt that we are saved by grace, and not by works – we agree wholeheartedly on that fact! Paul said “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8-9). However, baptism is not a work that saves; it is a completely passive act! God is the one doing the work in baptism!
Notice Romans 6:3-6: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Who is doing the work? The burying, dying, raising, uniting with Christ, and the giving of new life are all things that GOD does when we are baptized!
Baptism is not a work that saves; it is a response to the call of the gospel by which we are saved! Notice what Paul says later in Romans 6 after he reminds them of their baptisms: “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered” (Rom 6:17). They were delivered from their sins after they had obeyed from the heart!
You see, a response on our part is necessary, and baptism is a portion of that response! Notice what the Bible says baptism is and does for us: Jesus said in Mark 16:16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Peter said in Acts 2:38 “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Saul was told by Ananias “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Paul said “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal 3:27). Peter said “There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 3:21).
Just in these few verses, we have learned that baptism is to be saved, to have our sins remitted, to have our sins washed away, to put on Christ, and once again to be saved; if that is true, can a person go to heaven without baptism? Friend, it is essential!
- I’ve heard the church of Christ doesn’t believe in the Old Testament – is that true?
No – Paul told Timothy “all scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Tim 3:16). The word “inspiration” is a translation of theo-pneustos, which is literally “God-breathed”. We believe that all of the Bible (Old and New Testaments) are given by God’s inspiration. That means literally that these are “God’s words” in “God’s word”!
He gave men the words they should pen as they wrote, thus making the entire Bible absolutely true (2 Pet 1:19-21)! When Paul told Timothy about “Scripture’s” inspiration, he was speaking of the Old Testament. Paul said in Romans 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” The Old Testament stands for us today as a guide in morality, a book of prophecy about Christ and His kingdom, a history of the world, the Patriarchal and Mosaic Ages, and many other things! However, Paul did not say “whatever things were written before were written for our law”, the Old Law of Moses was nailed to the cross, and died there with our Precious Lord (Col 2:14).
The Old Testament is valuable for teaching, but not as a rule of life – we are under the law of Christ (Gal 6:2), the perfect law of liberty (Jam 1:25). Since this is the case, we cannot turn to the Old Testament to learn how to be saved, to worship, or to live – the New Testament contains those things. Because we teach this fact, many accuse us of not believing in the Old Testament, and nothing could be further from the truth! - I’ve heard the church of Christ thinks they are the only ones saved – is that true?
Unfortunately, yes or no would not give an adequate answer to the question. There are some questions that are “loaded,” and this is one such question! No matter which way we answer, someone will use our answer against us. This question assumes many things which are not true. First of all, it assumes that we have an arrogance about us. Peter instructed Christians to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Pet 3:15). To answer anyone, we must use meekness. Most of the brethren I know have such humility when they attempt to teach the word of God. There is no greater subject with any graver consequences if we are mistaken! Secondly, the question assumes that we believe we are the “right” church among many “wrong” ones. Members of the church of Christ do not seek to be another denomination, the “right” denomination, or a denomination at all! Jesus said that He would build His “church,” singular (Matt 16:18). He purchased the “church,” singular (Acts 20:28). Those on the day of Pentecost were added by the Lord to the “church,” singular (Acts 2:47).
When the Bible speaks of the church, it speaks of one body, one church (Eph 4:4-5). This idea is alien to a society filled with countless churches of “your choice”. In the first century, there was only one church: the church that belonged to Christ! Jesus prayed that His disciples would be “one,” yet the religious division that exists in our modern world hardly honors that prayer (Jn 17)! Ask yourself, what does God desire: one united church, or many divided ones? We seek to be the church of God, the church of the New Testament, the church of Christ!
With that groundwork laid, let us notice what God says about being saved, and being a member of Christ’s church: In Acts 2:47b, the Bible says “and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Notice here that those who were added to the church were those who were saved! In the New Testament, no one joined any church; they were added to Christ’s church upon their salvation – what a beautiful picture!
When God speaks of the church, it is not brick and mortar; it is the souls of men! Notice also Ephesians 5:23 “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” Who does this verse say Jesus will save? the body! In Eph 1:22-23, we learn that the body of Christ is synonymous with the church, so Jesus is the Savior of the church. The Bible makes no promise of salvation outside of Christ (Jn 14:6, Acts 4:12), and those who are saved by Christ are added by the Lord to the church. With these facts in mind, we can clearly see that those outside of Christ are lost, and they are also outside of His church.