Who We Are
Miscellaneous Information
about the Union Church
What We Believe... What to Expect When You Visit . . .How to Visit Us .....Our Affiliation
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WHAT WE BELIEVE. . . .
PURPOSE STATEMENT: It is our purpose to Honor God and to train and encourage
people to apply Christian truth in daily living and to show that only through Christ is life worth living.
We want to be a small town church making a worldwide difference.
OUR VISION
- Foster an Authentic
and Loving Community so the world may see Christianity in Action
- Encourage Growth in
Christian Understanding and Discipleship through systematic study of God's
Word
- Reach Out in the World in Practical Expression of Christian Love and Service
- Bring Non-Christian
People to an Understanding of the Truth of the Gospel
MISSION STATEMENT
We believe it is our mission to:
Go
into the world and seek to build bridges with the lost
Reach
them with the gospel message of forgiveness and life
Assimilate
them into a local church fellowship
Cultivate
them in order to help them grow
Equip
them for fruitful ministry
We want to be a church that stands for, is motivated by, and demonstrates G.R.A.C.E.
WHAT WE BELIEVE:
- The Bible is the infallible, inerrant, Word of God and is alone the rule of life.
(2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21) Our beliefs should be determined not on the basis of what we can make the Bible say but on what the
Bible teaches. We want to subject every belief to the careful scrutiny of Scripture.
- We believe God is the Author, Creator,
Ruler, and Sustainer of all there is and ever will be. He is Sovereign
over everything. (1 Chronicles 29:12; Psalm 135:6; Acts 17:24-26)
- Human Beings are by nature sinners (and will deny it with their dying breath)
and subject to judgment. Without God's intervention we have no hope and no desire for salvation. (Ephesians 2:1-5)
- Jesus was God in human form, born of a
Virgin (We believe in the Trinity). He was mysteriously fully God
and fully man. He lived a sinless life. Jesus was more than "man reaching his fullest potential" - He
is God who has taken the form of man. Jesus is unique. (Colossians 1:15-20; Philippians 2:5-11)
- Salvation comes only by God's grace (as a gift initiated by Him) through faith
(our willing acceptance of the gift) in the sacrificial, substitutionary, death of Jesus Christ (He died for our
sin, in our place). True faith involves a surrender of one's life to the Lordship of Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
- Jesus will literally return to the earth to draw the world as we know it to a
close. There will be a day of final judgment. Those who spurn the offer of salvation will be cast from God's presence
into eternal destruction. Those who have received His gift will be ushered in to eternal glory. As tempting (and
fun) as it is to speculate when that day will come, we must rest in the tension that "no man knows the hour".
We must live every day with the realization that "this could be the day He brings us home".
- We believe the Holy Spirit is given to every believer to seal, equip, and lead
us. We also believe the Holy Spirit is concerned not to draw attention to Himself but to Christ. We believe the
Holy Spirit builds Christlike character into everyone who believes; brings strength, comfort and assurance to all
believers; equips each believer with unique abilities to serve the body; and keeps us in the faith throughout our
life. (John 16:7-15; Ephesians 1:13-14)
- We believe at least 10% of all donations should be used beyond our church operations:
for ministry around the world and in our own community. We also believe the tithe should be the standard for our
personal giving.
- We believe there is no sin in laughter or smiling.
There are many other issues on which a variety of opinions is held. We adopt a
policy of understanding and humility in those areas where we may disagree. We believe diversity is healthy when
embraced with love and a desire to understand and grow.
What We Believe .....What
to Expect When You Visit ...How
to Visit Us ...Affiliation
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What
to Expect if You Visit
Here's some answers to questions you might have.
What Times are your Worship Services?
Sunday worship is at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday
School is at 9:15 a.m.
Where Should I Park?
There is a lot in the back of the church. A new
parking lot on Archer St. also available. You may also park on the street surrounding
the church.
Where Should I Enter?
The ground level glass doors are the main entrance to the church. The second floor
doors will lead you right into the sanctuary.
What Should I Expect When Entering?
You should be welcomed by one of our Greeters. These are families of the church
who take a turn welcoming people and giving them a church bulletin (or program). You can sit wherever you want.
There is a church balcony that is used every week.
Are Visitors "singled out"?
No. We believe everyone has a right to worship in anonymity if they so desire.
You will not be asked to stand, talk or wear a tag that identifies you as a visitor. However, we would appreciate
it if you would fill out one of the index cards in the pew with you name and address. This helps us get to know
you.
Will Someone Visit Me if I Submit a Card?
Not unless you request a visit.
What is Your Style of Worship?
It is a relaxed blended service that is
focused on the Biblical elements of worship. We sing some choruses as well
as traditional church hymns. There is freedom to laugh and cry. There is usually
special
music.
What is the Preaching Like and How Long are the Messages?
The message is usually 30 minutes long (if Bruce is preaching) and is almost always
a systematic exposition of a Bible text (in contrast to starting with a topic and then finding supporting texts).
The message is given in a conversational style and seeks to be practical (rather than
theoretical) and personal
(rather than academic).
Is There an "Invitation" Given?
Yes and No. There is generally no "altar call" given. But there is usually
an invitation to take personal action on the morning message and instruction on
how to make a personal commitment to Christ is regularly given.
Who Can Take Communion? How often is Communion Celebrated?
Anyone who has
received Jesus as their Savior and Lord is invited to take part in the Communion Celebration. You do not have to
be a member of this church. Communion is served the first Sunday of the month. Generally the bread and the cup are distributed
separately. We usually eat and drink at the same time.
Am I Going to Be Asked for Money?
There is an offering to give those who are a regular part of the church,
an opportunity to give to the Lord and to the support of the ministry of our church. You aren't obligated to give.
Many people give once a month, so on any given Sunday there are numerous people who aren't putting something into
the plate. We do not ask people for a yearly commitment. We live in a farming community so the income is inconsistent.
We do encourage people to give a percentage of their income. But you will never be pressured to give or asked to
give a certain amount.
What does Membership Involve?
A couple of times a year we offer a membership class. Those wishing to join the
church take that class and then have the option to join or not. We do require that a person be a believer that
has been baptized. We do not require someone who has been baptized to be re-baptized.
Are there programs for my children?
There is a Nursery available for pre-school children during
both or 8:00 a.m. and our
10:30 a.m. worship service.
Of course, parents are not required to take their children to the Nursery. The Nursery is staffed by a rotating
group of parents. There is a "Children's Church" program during the last half of our
10:30 a.m. worship for those
in Kindergarten through 3rd grade.
This is an activity-based worship time geared for children. Sunday School is
between our two services at 9:15. There are classes for children and for
adults. There is a nursery for
non-Sunday School age children so their parents may attend Sunday School. You can see what classes are currently being offered on our Sunday School page.
There is an AWANA program for children
pre-school through 6th grade (during the school year) on Sunday Nights from
5:30-7:00 p.m. A Junior High and a High School Youth group also meet from
5:30-7:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings. More information about these ministries is available on our AWANA page and our youth page.
We're happy to answer any other questions you might have.
Send us a note office@unionchurch.com
What We Believe...... What
to Expect When You Visit...How to Visit Us ...Affiliation
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How
to Join Us Personally 
MAP
From Macomb, IL:
Take Rte. 67 North to Rte. 9. Turn west (left). Go 16 miles to La Harpe. In the center of town
(Flower shop on the right, city park on the
left, You should see a sign for the Church on the flower shop), turn right (Center St.)
Union Church is one block past the First State Bank on Main street. The church is visible as you turn the corner.
(Allow 25-30 minutes)
From Carthage, IL:
Take Rte. 94 north a number of miles out of Carthage. At the "T" turn right. Follow the road (Rte. 9)
into La Harpe (Rte. 94 will turn to the left ....stay on rte. 9). When you get to the center of town turn left at
Center Street (one block past the Ayerco Convenience Center). (You should see a sign for the Church on the flower shop), city park
is on the right) (Allow 20-25 minutes)
From Burlington, IA:
Cross the bridge into Illinois. Turn Right at the Carman Road (gas station on the left hand corner). Take the Carman
Road 14 miles into Lomax. At the "T" in the road, turn left. After several miles there will be the first
main intersection where Rte. 94 goes to the right. Go through Terre Haute and on into
La Harpe. Go left at the "Y"
junction and this will put you on Rte. 9. When you get to the center of town turn left at Center Street.
(Flower Shop on the left (You should see a sign for the Church on the flower
shop), city park is on the right) The church is visible as you turn the corner.
(Allow 30 minutes from the bridge)
From Ft. Madison IA. Cross the bridge
into Illinois and turn left toward Dallas City. When you get into Dallas
City turn right at
the stop sign (route 9). Take route 9 into La Harpe. Go
one block past the Ayerco Convienience Center and turn left on Center
Street. The church is in that first block on the right. (allow 30
minutes)
What We Believe...... What
to Expect When You Visit....How to Visit
Us ...Affiliation
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Our
Affiliation
 Since we know people love "labels" we'll let you know what label we
wear. The Union Church of La Harpe is a "continuing Congregational Church". In brief that means we function
by the idea that the church is governed by God's Spirit working through the entire Congregation . . .
there is no denominational office telling us what to do and the Pastor (though a
member of the church) does not function as the CEO. The congregation
participates fully in the decision making process.
The name "Union Church" really has no
significance to our beliefs. It was a fairly un-creative name given to the
church when two church merged congregations back in the 1920's.
We are members of the Conservative
Congregational Christian Fellowship. This
body of believers holds to all the theological statements listed above and
maintains a healthy openness about some "non-essential" and often
controversial issues. (See their web site for their position
papers). We would also find ourselves closely aligned with the positions
of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. Our local fellowship is with
the Northern Illinois
Fellowship of Conservative Congregational Christian Churches If you have any further
questions about our beliefs we hope you will drop
us a line.
What We Believe......What
to Expect When You Visit....How to Visit
Us ...Affiliation
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Thank you for your interest in the Union Church of
La Harpe. It
would be our pleasure to answer your questions.
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