|
|
And
they [the disciples] continued steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in
prayers."
Acts
2:42
ESV
|
|
On August 3, 1980, twenty-nine Christians met
to worship in an insurance office on the east side of Plano. One
month later this dedicated group of Christians began meeting in
rented facilities at the Park Mall shopping center. With Loyd Smith
serving as its minister, the congregation prospered and grew and
soon purchased five acres of land on Merriman Drive.
The beautiful church building in which the
church now meets was constructed in 1984. With dedicated members
such as I.E. Crane, Clarence Shockey, Zerrial Bass, Seth Abbott
and Jack Bowling, the
|
|
church continued to thrive. In 1988 Hal Smith
became the second minister for the congregation, and in 1991 Ken
Gardner became the third preacher and first full-time minister for
the church.
The members of the Plano East Church of Christ
look to the future with optimism. Our initial mortgage has been
paid off, and we've recently hired an architect to begin plans for
a new fellowship hall and kitchen. In addition, several men of the
congregation are in training to become elders and deacons of our
congregation. The future is bright indeed!
|
|
"God
is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit
and truth"
John
4:24
ESV
|
|
|
of the Plano East Church of Christ, we take very seriously our privilege
and responsibility to "preach the truth
in love" (Ephesians 4:15).
We consider ourselves nothing more nor less than simple New Testament
Christians (Matthew 23:1-12), committed
to doing what is right, and devoted to sincerely encouraging others
to be faithful Christians also (Mark 16:15-16).
|
|
He
{Jesus}
said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news
to all creation.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever
does not believe will be condemned. "
Mark
16:15-16
NIV
|
|
We recognize our debt to God for sending His
son to die for our sins (John 3:16)
and understand that God saves us by grace -- we do not earn our
salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10). Salvation
is a gift God gives us when we believe in Jesus (John 8:24), confess
our faith (Romans 10:10), repent
of our sins, and are immersed in water so that God will forgive
and wash away our sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16).
We are convinced that God still speaks to us
today through the pages of the Bible, and we insist on a "thus
saith the Lord" for all we believe and practice. We
know that God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked, and
we hope our efforts -- our exhortations and our example -- result
in sinners being saved and saints being strengthened. We hope you
will join us as we endeavor to love God with all of our heart and
our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36:40).
|
|