Who are we?
The First Christian Church is a dedicated community of believers that gather together in Irving, Texas to worship our Lord Jesus Christ. We are proud to be Disciples, associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

First Christian Church held its first worship service in December of 1940. The organizing minister at the time was Patrick Henry. One year later, on December 7, 1941, First Christian Church dedicated its new sanctuary with forty-seven charter members. As the nation was preparing for the most difficult challenge of this century, Irving Disciples were moving forward together in faith.  

Over the years, the church has seen several changes. We changed locations, built a new sanctuary, remodeled and built a larger sanctuary. In 1975 we dedicated a Family Life Center which we use for fellowship, recreation and education. More than any of the structural changes, however, this church's history is written in the lives of the people who have shared, worshiped and grown with us over the years. As we look to the future, we anticipate God's work in and through us in a variety of ways.

Four values characterize the ministry of First Christian Church

• We believe in strong involvement by the lay people of our church. From the active role several people play in worship, to the visitation by elders and deacons, to the uncountable number of hours given by volunteers inside and outside the church, our members believe in being the church. They consistently give of themselves in Christ's name. Each member of First Christian Church is encouraged to discover their gifts and use their abilities for the growth and benefit of others.
• We connect with God through worship. Each Sunday our worship incorporates familiar and new music, Biblical preaching, and participation from the whole body. Every Sunday our worship centers around communion where we celebrate with thanksgiving the saving acts and presences of Christ. All those who profess Jesus as Lord and Savior are invited to draw closer to Him around the communion table.

• We support outreach ministries--ministries that shine Christ's light beyond the boundaries of our congregation. We do this through our support of Irving Cares, the Church World Service blanket drive, Irving Together, and other special projects.

• Mutual care for members is a high priority for the folks at First Christian Church. Members of First Christian Church care for each other in a variety of ways. They share in prayer concerns. They support each other in times of trial, and celebrate together in times of joy. They love gathering in fellowship.

Membership
A person may join First Christian Church in one of two ways. First, a person may make a confession of faith in Jesus Christ and be baptized. Second, those who have already received baptism (either as infants, children or adults) may transfer their membership by a simple affirmation of faith in Jesus as the Christ, Son of the Living God, Lord and Savior. Both of these decisions begin with a response during the worship. Typically after the sermon the congregation sings a hymn of commitment at which time those decisions may be made.

Who are the Disciples?
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) formed out of two movements in the early 1800's. Barton W. Stone was a Presbyterian minister. In 1804, he and several followers broke with their denomination to enter into unity with "the body of Christ at large." They took, as their name, "Christians." The current name of the denomination takes the first part of its name from this contributing movement. The name does not imply that we are exclusively the Christian Church. Rather, as the old Disciples adage goes, "We are Christians only, not the only Christians."

In the 1810's and 1820's, Thomas and Alexander Campbell, also former Presbyterians developed a movement that pushed for the unity of the body of Christ and the restoration of the New Testament Church. This movement took the name "Disciples of Christ."  

In 1832, the two movements merged. For several years, the movement called itself a variety of things: Christians, Disciples of Christ, the Stone_Campbell Movement (some folks even called us Campbellites!) and the Brotherhood.  

Three major groups emerged from the Stone-Campbell Movement: the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the a capella Churches of Christ, and the independent Christian Churches. In Irving, First Christian Church, North Irving Christian Church, South MacArthur Church of Christ and Plymouth Park Church of Christ celebrate our Stone- Cambell heritage in a series of meetings called Common Ground.

Beliefs of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The only "test" of fellowship used in the Christian Church is the "good confession." In its earliest form, the confession was short and simple. Alexander Campbell wrote:  

The only apostolic and divine confession of faith which God the Father of all, has laid for the church and that on which Jesus himself said he would build it, is the sublime and supreme position: That Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God" (The Christian System, 58)  

In more recent years, we have used the first part of the Preamble to The Design, "We confess that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the Living God, and proclaim him Lord and Savior of the world." This confession includes four statements about Jesus:  

• We confess that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah. Christ is from a Greek word that is equivalent to the Hebrew word Messiah. Both words mean "anointed." To confess Jesus as the "Christ" means to say that you believe Jesus was anointed by God to fulfill God's purpose in the world. In Jesus Christ, God acted decisively in human history.  
• We believe that Jesus is the Son of the Living God . Through its history, Christian has tried to express that Jesus is divine. The early creeds used phrases like,  "God from God," and "of the same essence with the Father." The title of Jesus as Son of God seeks to express this same idea of Jesus' divinity and association with God the Father. The phrase "Son of God" comes directly from scripture. 1 John 4:15 says, "God abides in whose who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God."  
• We proclaim that Jesus is Lord . Paul wrote to the church in Rome, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved" (Rom 10:9). The confession of Jesus as Lord binds the confessor to obedience. A Lord is one who has authority to command. And so, to confess Jesus as Lord places a person in a specific relationship with Jesus.
• By saying Jesus is Savior we affirm that Jesus Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. His death on the cross and resurrection three days later made a way for people to experience salvation. While we could discuss what "salvation" means for a very long time, we should say that salvation is two_fold. First, it refers to eternal life waiting for us in the life to come. Second, it refers to a change in our life today that moves our lives (both individually and socially) more in line with God's will.  

Structure of the Church
This Christian Church is one church in three manifestations: general, regional and local. The general church is comprised of all Christian Churches in the United States and Canada. Our general headquarters are in Indianapolis. The general church is responsible for several common ministries including Disciples Home Mission, the Division of Overseas Ministries, Christian Board of Publication, National Benevolent Association and Church Extension.  

The general church is divided up into 33 regional churches. First Christian Church is part of the Christian Church in the Southwest (CCSW). It is made up of the Christian Churches in Texas and New Mexico. The regional church has two primary responsibilities. First, they participate in direct ministry through their areas' camps, conferences and assemblies. Second, they help nurture existing congregations and assist in starting new congregations.  

The Christian Church in the Southwest is divided up into eight area churches: Hi-Plains Area, Tres Rios Area, Central Area, Bluebonnet Area, Coastal Plain Area, Lower Rio Grande Valley, North Texas Area, and Trinity-Brazos Area. The Texas Christian Missionary Fellowship also serves as an affiliate group of churches in the region. These areas help facilitate the mission of the CCSW. First Christian Church is a part of the North Texas Area Christian Church.

The third manifestation of the church is the local congregation. Congregations are equal in authority to the general and regional manifestations. A local congregation calls its own ministers and sets its own policies.