Our Purpose:

To bring honor and glory to God and enjoy Him forever.

Our Mission:

To help people fall in love with Jesus by our worship, service, fellowship, discipleship, and evangelism.

About First Church of Christ

First Church of Christ is a nondenominational Christian church. Founded in 1895, our desire is to establish an authentic Christian community where everyone can experience Christ’s love and grace. Our practices and beliefs are founded on the truth of the Bible which is our sole authority when it comes to such matters.

  • We strive to cultivate a community of people set on following the way of Jesus. We do so through our commitment to four crucial aspects of the Christian life: evangelism, discipleship, worship, and prayer.
  • We are committed to evangelizing the city of Altoona and sending out evangelists worldwide.
  • We are committed to discipling church members, young and mature alike.
  • We are committed to worship in spirit and truth as one body of believers.
  • We are committed to prayer as the continual act of trusting and depending on the grace of God.

For more information on the practice of our church, you can find our current Constitution and By-Laws here.

What We Believe

About God

We believe that God is the creator and sustainer of the universe. Everything which exists owes its existence to God. We believe God created the universe out of nothing – it was by His power alone that He brought the world into existence. We believe that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. We believe that God is eternal, that He was, is, and will be forever. We believe that God’s nature cannot change; who He is today will be the same as yesterday and tomorrow. We believe He is faithful and true. We believe that He is good. We believe that He is actively seeking the restoration of this world.

About Jesus

We believe that Jesus is fully man and fully God at the same time. We believe that Jesus was with God the Father at creation, and that it was through Jesus that all things were made. We believe that Jesus is the Christ – the savior king which the Hebrew people had been waiting for. We believe that Jesus arrived to bring about the Kingdom of God. We believe that Jesus brought about this Kingdom through His life, death, and resurrection. We believe that we can be a part of this Kingdom through faith in Jesus the Christ alone.

About the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the living, breathing Spirit of God. We believe that the Holy Spirit works in and through people to bring about restoration. We believe that the Holy Spirit opens up our eyes to see who Jesus truly is. We believe that the Holy Spirit gives us faith in Jesus. We believe that the Holy Spirit empowers us to work in the Kingdom of God and share Jesus’ good news about this Kingdom. We believe that the Holy Spirit has been given to the followers of Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit performs miracles in the people of God.

About Humanity

We believe that all human beings are made in God’s image. We believe that we were made to reflect God in all that we do. We believe that we are called to work alongside God to create wonderful and beautiful things in this world. We believe that the first human beings rejected God and the purpose they were given. We believe that since then, all human beings have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We believe that our sin produces chaos, destruction, and death. Our sin negatively impacts this world, the people around us, and ourselves. We believe that our sin can be forgiven because the sacrifice which Jesus made on the cross. We believe that we can be made new just as Jesus rose from the dead.

About the Bible

We believe that the sixty-six literary works which make up the Scriptures are inspired by God. We believe that these works were written, edited, copied, and preserved by human beings. We believe that the Holy Spirit has worked through these authors, editors, reproducers, and preservationists to communicate the truth about God. We believe that the Scriptures tell us everything we need to know about who God is, who we are, and how God is at work in this world. We believe that the Scriptures are complex and diverse. We believe that the Scriptures contain multiple different genres and literary styles. We believe that the Scriptures are true. We believe that all theology must be rooted in the truth of the Scriptures.

About the Sacraments

We believe that Jesus gave His followers two significant actions which convey the grace and mercy we may receive through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

We believe that the first sacrament is baptism. We believe that baptism is the immersion and washing of water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe that baptism signifies our adoption into the family of God. We believe that baptism signifies the washing away of our sins. We believe that baptism signifies our newness in Christ.

We believe that the second sacrament is the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Jesus commanded His followers to break bread and drink wine in remembrance of Him. We believe that this meal is to be taken regularly when we gather together. We believe that this meal signifies the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. We believe that this meal signifies that God feeds and nourishes our souls. We believe that this meal signifies the continual grace and mercy we receive from God. We believe that this meal signifies that Christ’s death did away with all our sin – past, present, and future. We believe that this meal signifies Jesus’ return. We believe that this meal signifies the coming of the Kingdom of God. We believe that this meal signifies the unity we share as brothers and sisters in Christ.