ABOUT FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
DIRECTIONS

First Christian Church of Bellingham is a part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  As the oldest denomination founded on American soil, our history is rich, our roots are deep and even stretch back to Scotland.  You can read about the history of our denomination at www.disciples.org. Our regional web site can be found at www.disciplesnw.org.

 How are we like other churches?

Like most Christians, Disciples believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  You'll hear us repeat these words when we place our membership in a local congregation.  We also believe that all people are God's children and that all are welcome in God's house.

 How are we different from other churches?

We celebrate The Lord's Supper, or Communion, each and every Sunday.  It is open to all who believe in Jesus Christ, regardless of church affiliation or style of baptism.  Often the focal point of our worship services, Disciples welcome this weekly opportunity to remember who we serve and why, as we commune with God and with our fellow believers.

We believe in unity with diversity.  We find liberals, conservatives, and middle grounders among our members.  We have no creeds and we believe that we are called to serve God together as people of faith and followers of Jesus.

We baptize by immersion.  While anyone of any background can be a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), in our own congregations, we dunk 'em!

We believe in "the ministry of all believers."  Both ministers and lay people serve as worship and church leaders.

 Living our Faith

First Christian Church is inspired by two scriptures that challenge us to do more than just sit in our pews on Sunday mornings.  Micah 6:8 asks us, "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God?"  And Matthew 25:40 reminds us of the words of Jesus, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."  (New Revised Standard Version)

As a part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), we support the many and varied ministries and missions of our denomination.  Among them are Disciples Home Missions, Division of Overseas Ministries, Higher Education and Leadership Ministries, and National Benevolent Association.

Believing that we also need to tend to the needs in our own community, we offer volunteer hours and financial support to many local ministries.  These include Interfaith Coalition, C.A.S.T (Coffee and Sandwiches on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which is an Interfaith cooperative venture, founded by Faith Lutheran Church, Temple Beth Israel, and First Christian Church, serving homeless and low income people in downtown Bellingham), Habitat for Humanity, Disciples House, and our soon-to-be Community Garden.

We invite you to come join us, as we seek to gain a better awareness of the love of God, a better understanding of the teaching of Jesus, and a better ability to follow those teachings.

Disciples House

Big dreams became a reality, in 2005, when we were able to move a house slated for demolition onto our church property.  With the help of countless volunteers from the community, the old house became Disciples House, a charming, comfortable 3 bedroom home.  Disciples House is now a part of the Interfaith Coalition's Family Housing Program. 

Crop Walk

The Crop Walk of Whatcom County is an annual occurrence started in 2005. 80 percent of the funds have gone to Church World Service and the remainder to local food banks (Bellingham Food Bank, Maple Valley Inn, and Ferndale Food Bank). We look forward to participating again in the fall of 2008.

Community Garden

A group from First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), broke ground in May 2007 to get dirty, enjoy the sunshine and rain, and create community. We have been dreaming and planning the garden for more than three years.

One of the members attended a 3-day workshop in Portland, OR called “Back to the Garden” sponsored by the Disciples Homeland Ministries in 2005. We were inspired to create a garden on our property to serve the neighborhood.

Our church occupies a portion of several acres amidst a senior housing development, several apartment complexes, and retail businesses. Offering a place to plant flowers, vegetables, fruit or flowers seemed to be a logical step in inviting our neighbors to meet each other as well as care for and watch out for others. We felt that gardening on some of the under-used land would help our community and be better stewards of our resources. 

Providing extra produce to people in need is another goal for our community garden. We plan to donate food to the local food banks as well as the hot meal programs that serve meals to needy people in Whatcom County. Of course, participants will also enjoy much of the produce.

We hope to have a space for friendship, helpful resources, guidance and just great community building. To achieve this goal, we need you to participate! If you are interested in having a plot or volunteering to help with any aspect of the community garden, please fill out the application below and let us know what you would like to do.

Cold Weather Shelter

Members of our congregation participate in this program (among others) of the Interfaith Coalition. Shelter is provided in two local churches for homeless men, women and children during periods of very cold weather.