The Southwest church is God-Exalting, Christ-Centered, Grace-Orientated, and Life-Related! The following are a few biblical principles that shape our life together. They are included only because we have found them to be helpful to people who want to know us better.
1. We Aspire to Have No Creed But the Bible.
While we acknowledge that our human tendencies get in the way, our objective is to keep coming back to Scripture to let the word of God keep shaping and reshaping our beliefs and practices. We simply want to be faithful in applying God's will to our time and place.
2. We Aspire to be Non-Denominational Christians.
Simply put, we seek to be a fellowship that belongs only to Christ. We do not desire that "Church of Christ" be interpreted as a denominational affiliation, but as a descriptive term, (i.e., a gathering of Christians belonging to Christ). Our goal is not to promote some sectarian form of Christianity, but merely to be faithful, obedient followers of Jesus. Becoming a member at Southwest is not joining a "Church of Christ" denomination, but simply becoming a part of a fellowship of Christians.
3. We Aspire to be Christians Only, but Do Not Claim to be the Only Christians.
We try to be as faithful and obedient to God as we possibly can, but we never assume God's job of judging the eternal destiny of others. To be sure, not everyone who claims to be a Christian is one. However, anyone who has entered into a saved relationship with God through Jesus Christ is a Christian and a member of Christ's church.
4. We are an Autonomous Fellowship of Christians.
This means that we have no organizational ties to any other local church. We are accountable to no one but God. There is no central headquarters, hierarchy of church government, or governing board beyond the local church. We serve under a plurality of shepherds who provide spiritual leadership as we seek to follow no one but Christ.
If you have specific questions about what we believe please contact one of our ministers or simply attend our next Southwest 101 class. This class is designed to give you honest answers to your questions. In the 101 class we will try to provide you with the space you need and the help you want. To register call Ranae at 870-932-9254 or e-mail us at family@swfamily.org.
