Why Are We Changing Our Church Name?

      So you’ve heard we are changing our church name to Community Bible Church? Thanks for stopping by to learn about the exciting things God is doing! The past number of years have been an amazing testimony to this fact. From creating sport’s fields on the outside to amazing renovations on the inside, God continues to show us HIS faithfulness. We have been a presence in the community of New Prague for 111 years! Yes, our name is changing, but I can assure you our commitment to Christ, His Word, and our love for this community is unwavering. We are still a place to COME FIND REST!

    The decision to change our name to Community Bible church was not a quick decision. Our church, according to the pattern of Scripture, is congregational. We have a structure and process by which we make decisions together in an orderly way that promotes unity.  This decision was made over a long period of time involving praying, seeking God’s will and wisdom, and having specific times of intentional conversation as a church family. The unity and Christ-like love I have seen in this process has truly been a gift from God (Jm. 1:17)! Let me briefly give you two of the main reasons we made this decision as a church family.

First, we desire to outwardly emphasize our total commitment to the truth of The Bible.

As Christ-followers, our identity is NOT bound up in a denomination, creed, or tradition. Our identity is found in a saving relationship with Christ (Eph. 2:8-10, Mt. 4:4). Though we are changing our name, we praise God for our heritage and the work of The Gospel in this place! We also recognize that we live in a world of religious confusion on many levels. Our desire is to clearly and publicly make it known where someone can come and learn the truth that will set them free (Jn 8:32). Many do not understand or are intimidated by denominational labels but they clearly understand the word “Bible.” Again, our allegiance is to Christ, His Gospel, and to The Truth found in The Bible (Jn 17:17, 2 Tm. 3:16, 2 Pt. 1:21). We are unashamed to make this known in the clearest way possible.

Secondly, we desire to remove any obstacle, real or perceived, to more effectively share God’s Word.

I am an avid reader of church history and let’s be honest, denominational labels are the result of conflict and division. Denominational labels are the historical result of people either straying from The Bible or building their lives on it. Many of these divisions were the result of faithful Christians returning to and basing their lives on Scripture alone. We praise God for those who have continuously and courageously stood for the truth of God's Word in every way (Hb. 12:1-2). For many, an outward commitment to a denominational label carries an immediate negative reaction. As mentioned, this is real or perceived. It can be real in the sense that over time a denomination has lost touch with their historical roots and has become known for something else: legalism, tradition, clothing ect. It can be perceived in the sense that people assume things about a denominationally affiliated church that may or may not be true. I’ve heard many of them. We as a church wanted to ask ourselves, What can we do to reach the lost more effectively for Christ? What can we do to reach Christians who need to grow by knowing God’s Word?  The Bible is clear that there are times modifying one’s approach is wise if your heart and motives are pure.  As a church, we have decided that we will never do ANYTHING that compromises God’s Word; however, we are willing to do anything even if it impacts one soul (1 Cor. 9:19-23).                         

        To clarify, we are not saying our decision needs to be every church’s decision. Many factors need to be considered like demographics, location, and what it looks like to reach THAT community. My prayer is that in a brief way, you’ve been able to see my heart as a pastor and our church’s heart to advance the Kingdom. We serve an amazing God who loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal. 2:20). It is our privilege to carry the banner of The Gospel here in New Prague and it is our prayer that God will keep us faithful to the end!   

Pastor John Stephens

COME FIND REST

www.ncpbc.com