Welcome to West End: an Orientation Fornew Members/Converts

Welcome to West End: An Orientation forNew Members/Converts

Welcome to Our Church Family

Dear West End Member,

We are thankful you have decided to identify with the body of Christ here at the West End Church of Christ. Whether you are a new convert or a new member from another congregation, we give God the entire honor, and all the praise for saving your soul.

It is our desire to provide you with some useful information that will ensure a smooth transition into your new family. We hope to establish you in our family by impressing you with our love, informing you of bible facts that will increase your faith and faithfulness in the body, and inspire you to grow in works of service in the ministries of the church.

Feel free to contact any of our leaders or members should you require any further assistance.

Yours in Christ,

Orpheus J. Heyward

Ministering Evangelist

Our Location and Address

Church building address for those needing directions to our physical location:

1303 Ralph D. Abernathy Blvd.

Atlanta, Georgia 30310

Church building main phone number:

Phone: 404-753-6271

Mailing address for people to send cards, letters and other written materials:

P.O. Box 10499

Atlanta, GA 30310

Congregational Website

Our campus consists of three buildings:

Legacy Building – Upper level houses the Wesley R. Brown, Sr. Fellowship Hall, three classrooms, and a teacher’s resource room. The lower level contains mainly youth and some adult classes.

Main Building – Location of our worship services, an adult class during Bible class time, and a nursery used during worship services.

Christian Cottage – Houses four classrooms used mainly for adult classes.

Our Television Program

Watch previously recorded worship sermons every Sunday at 10:00 p.m.

Tune in to Atlanta’s WATC-TV Channel 57.

You can also watch online at watc.tv.

The television program is 30 minutes long.

Worship and Fellowship Opportunities

New converts and established members of the Body of Christ alike ought to have an insatiable appetite for the Word of God. You are encouraged to place significant value on the access given to abundant life, found only in Christ Jesus (John 10:10).

Attending worship assemblies and Bible study classes, particularly West End’s New Converts Boot Camp if you are a new babe in Christ; participating in the ministries and committees of the congregation; and taking advantage of fellowship opportunities are sure ways of learning, applying, and maturing in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1: 2-3a).

You are encouraged to use all possible means to mature in your spiritual walk.

Bible Class and Service Times

Sundays:

8:00 a.m. – Early morning worship
9:40 a.m. – Classes for all ages
10:45 a.m. – Mid-morning worship
6:00 p.m. – Evening worship

Wednesdays:

10:00 a.m. – Adult class
7:30 p.m. – Classes for all ages

Core Bible School Classes

New Converts/Members Orientation
New Converts Boot Camp (Foundations)
College Class
Youth Classes (Nursery through Grade 12)

Elective Adult Class Offerings

Ladies Class
Young Adults Class
College-Aged Class
Various other classes as determined

True Disciples of Christ

A true disciple of God will be a life-long learner

As a new Christian, you are born again through the Word (1 Peter 1:22-25); born of God and born of the Spirit (John 1:1-3; I John 5:1-12). You need to have a burning desire to worship God and to study His Holy Word (Deut. 11:18-21; Acts 17:11). When you are maturing in the Lord, others will see through your activity, appearance, and attitude. As a new Christian, your zeal and excitement can be used to bring others to Christ.

A true disciple of Christ will worship God faithfully (Rev. 22:8-9; Psalm 63). A true disciple of Christ will be a life-long learner (II Timothy 3:14). A true disciple of Christ will be a soul winner (II Corinthians 5:20). A true disciple of Christ will be a worker in the ministry (Romans 12:1-8). A true disciple of Christ will be a liberal giver (II Corinthians 8:1-8).

As a new member here at West End, we encourage you to continue in your spiritual growth. This requires diligent effort on your part. You ought to find and develop your unique function in the body of Christ (Col. 2:6-7, Matt. 25:14-30) and the ministries and committees of the congregation.

Romans 1:17-25 and 2:17-24 teaches us that the knowledge of God should lead us to the reaction of glorifying God, thanks to God, worshipping God, and doing acts of service unto God.

What to Expect During Worship Services

We meet on the first day of the week as commanded in Luke 22:14-20 and Acts 20:7 (See Communion). Our worship each Sunday consists of the following: singing, praying, preaching/teaching, the taking of communion, and offering.

Acapella Singing:An opportunity to glorify, praise and worship God through songs. (Col. 3:15-16 and Eph. 5:17-21).

Praying:We teach and emphasize the power of prayer and its benefits on a personal level. We also teach and practice prayer in a manner that is pleasing and acceptable to God Luke 18:1; I Thessalonians 5:17; Psalms 55:17). In the assembly, the purpose of prayer is to intercede on behalf of others, pray for everything, and give thanks to the Almighty (James 5:12-15; Philippians 4:6; Luke 22:14-22).

Preaching/Teaching:This is the time in worship when we receive instructions from the word of God. The purpose is to save souls through the preaching / teaching of Jesus, His burial, His resurrection, and His Church; and to encourage the Body of Christ in her daily walk (Mark 16:15-20; Acts 17:16-18; Luke 9:6).

Communion/Lord’s Supper:We commemorate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord as we are commanded in 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 when we partake of the Lord’s Supper.

Giving: The Bible is clear on the subject of giving. Giving starts in the heart (Matthew 6:19-21). Giving is not an expense, but rather an opportunity. We are told to do so “cheerfully, willingly and not grudgingly for God loves a cheerful giver” (I Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Galatians 6:7-9; Matthew 6:19-21) and as we prosper (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). In Jesus’ words, “Give, and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put in your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38)

The Philosophical Approach to Biblical Leadership

It is important to understand the philosophical undergirding of biblical leadership. By utilizing the term "philosophical", what is being referred to is the fundamental nature of biblical leadership, and not leadership in general. The fundamental nature of biblical leadership is that of slave-hood, in which the approach to biblical leadership is vastly different from the worldly concept of leadership. Jesus Christ provides this radically different definition of leadership during his personal ministry, within a climate in which his disciples were disputing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. He states:

Within the contextual setting of this passage, Jesus is approached by the mother of the sons of Zebedee, requesting for her sons to be positioned at his right hand and his left. The disciples, becoming privy to this desire, responded with indignation toward the two brothers. Seeing this false concept of power and leadership permeate the mentality of his disciples, Jesus Christ announces this philosophical approach to leadership that is to undergird all that they do when the kingdom is established. In contrast to the gentile (worldly) style of leadership of “lording over” the people, he introduces the slave-hood model of leadership. He portrays leadership through the menial tasks of a slave, the extreme opposite of a dictatorial style of management. Jesus defines biblical leadership by the concept of serving. This concept was deeply rooted in his redemptive work (vs. 28), in which his death was to serve the need of others.

Subsequent to the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, the apostle Peter pens an epistle to the strangers that were scattered throughout Palestine. Within the corpus of this letter, he has an exhortation for the elders that labored among the people. In this exhortation, Peter echoes the words of Jesus Christ that he personally heard in the midst of a dispute over who would be the greatest. Peter says to these Elders:

With these passages in mind, it becomes evident that the undergirding philosophical approach to leadership is that of servant-hood or slave-hood, in which church leaders are to place the needs of the sheep as a priority. Leadership in the Body of Christ is not a positional phenomenon, but a functional phenomenon. Although there is a sense in which there are positions in the kingdom of God, God is concerned with how we function in the position. The power of any biblical position is derived from the authority of the word, and is for the spiritual welfare of the people (Hebrews 13:7, 17). Jesus Christ further accentuates this philosophical approach to leadership when he was going to engage in the observance of Passover with his disciples (John 13:1-14). With a deliberate intention, and purposeful action, Jesus Christ girds himself with a towel, and engages in the washing of the feet of his disciples. The task of washing feet was normally left for the slave of the house. Jesus once again purposefully stoops down, and humbles himself to do the task of the slave in order to impress upon the minds of his disciples the essence of leadership in the kingdom of God.

West End’s Leadership Team

Floyd Williams, Jr.
Elder/Shepherd
Training and Development and Marketing /
J. Edward (Ed) Gaines
Elder/Shepherd
Buildings and Grounds and Audio /
Greg Scruggs
Elder/Shepherd
Zones (M.E.E.T.) and Evangelism

Robert Wilson, III
Elder/Shepherd
Marriages and Worship Services /
William Johnson, Sr.
Elder/Shepherd
Retention, Singles, Young Adults, Women of Faith /
I. David Logan
Elder/Shepherd
Sick and Shut-In and Senior Citizens

David Bishop
Elder/Shepherd
Youth and Education /
Johnny Ross
Elder/Shepherd
Men’s Program and Missions /
Bill Moore
Elder/Shepherd

West End’s Leadership Team (continued)

Melvin Smith
Deacon /
Adam McGill
Deacon /
Marcel Combs
Deacon

Albert Hines
Deacon /
James Hilarie
Deacon /
Marion Clark
Deacon

Spencer Iverson
Deacon /
Jaha Howard
Deacon /
Antaures Jackson
Deacon

Orpheus J. Heyward
Ministering Evangelist /
Wesley Brown
Minister Emeritus

West End’s Ministries, Committees, and Programs

Available for your involvement…

Education Ministry
Evangelism Ministry
Member Retention Ministry
Worship Service Ministry

Marriage Program
Men of Valor Program
Senior Citizens Program
Singles Program
Golden Voices Singing Group Program
Women of Faith/Prayer Warriors Program
Youth in Action Program
Zones Program (M.E.E.T.)
Young Adults Program

Audio/Visual Committee
Marketing Committee
Children’s Nursery Committee

A Challenge to You

Identify one or more people who you would like to hear the gospel message. You don’t have to worry about teaching the class; we have people in place for that. By the grace of GOD, you were able to obtain salvation through baptism and develop you own relationship with the Lord. Why not help someone else to develop their own relationship?

West End’s History

From the years of the Great Depression to the turning of a new millennium, the West End Church of Christ continues to be a source of strength and endurance for the cause of Christ. Throughout a century of faithful service, we’ve lived and stayed true to the original principles of the church, keeping the faith and sharing our commitment with the community while maintaining a unified fellowship.

The West End Church of Christ locale began in 1905, a time marked by economic recession, racial division, and voting inequality for women. But out of such troubled times, faithful Christians who transitioned from Nashville established a work that would spread from the community, throughout the state, and around the brotherhood. The message that drove the work was, “Doing Bible Things the Bible Way.”

Among our earliest efforts of outreach and spreading the gospel, we established new congregations such as the East Point Church of Christ, as well as Moreland Avenue – all in the our first decade. In addition, we were one of the first churches to support Christian education and use radio as a way to reach masses of lost souls.

From the ministries of Bro. S.H. Hall, Bro. B.C. Goodpasture, Bro. H. Clyde Hale, Bro. Howard Allen, Bro. Franklin T. Puckett, Bro. J. Ed Nowlin, Bro. A.R. Hill, Bro. J.V. Copeland to the decision in 1973 to hire Bro. Wesley R. Brown, Sr. – our ninth minister who served through more than 30 years of change – to the current ministry of Bro. Orpheus J. Heyward. God has used great men to orchestrate and carry out the vision for his people.

Since his arrival, Bro. Orpheus J. Heyward has touched a special chord with members especially among the young adults. He has stimulated members from the youngest to the most mature to express an evengreater interest in the Bible. His charismatic, energetic, and scholarly approach to ministry has invigorated and promoted a new wave of enthusiasm.

Under the ministry of Bro. Orpheus Heyward, the West End Church of Christ is the fastest-growing African-American Church of Christ in the nation, on pace to becoming the largest African-American Church of Christ in the brotherhood. Following the installation of Bro. Heyward as Minister of the West End Church of Christ in February of 2007, West End has been blessed to experience tremendous growth. With additions of more than 500 baptisms, the West End congregation now exceeds more than 1,000 members in attendance each Lord’s day.

One of the highlights of Bro. Heyward’s ministry was the addition of the television ministry. Bro. Heyward and the Elders sawan evangelistic opportunity to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a greater audience. In fall of 2009, Bro. Heyward and the West End Church of Christ commenced with the addition of a new T.V. program that airs weekly on Sunday nights on WATC 57. The television ministry reaches homes throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area, all the way to cities as far away as Rome and Athens, GA. Through the television ministry, many bible studies have commenced and many souls have been won to Christ.

The West End Church of Christ has a rich and diverse history of God’s people working to serve Him faithfully, and through His continued love, grace and mercy, we look forward to a productive future.

Nine Core Biblical Beliefs of the West End Church of Christ

West End maintains strong biblical beliefs, keeping the local body of Christ free from any foreign theological teachings. Therefore, we maintain loyalty to the apostles’ doctrine, those who were sanctioned by Jesus Christ, and led by the Holy Spirit. In addition, we take serious to warning passages such as Galatians 1:6, where the apostle Paul identifies the danger of "another gospel". Throughout the history of New Testament Christianity, there have always been attacks on the purity of the gospel of Christ. Therefore, the West End Church of Christ stands by nine core doctrinal tenets, which are essential to the distinction of New Testament Christianity. This is not an exhaustive list of all that we believe as the body of Christ, but a look at nine affirmative propositional statements that aid in defining our theological identification as Christians.

We believe that there is One God manifested through three distinct personalities, which are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We believe that Christ Jesus, who was God in the flesh, came and died for our sins, in which he is our substitutionary sacrifice by which salvation is made available to all mankind.

We believe that salvation is offered by Grace, and obtained through an obedient faith manifested in repentance, confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and baptism for the remission of sins.

We believe that the scriptures, both Old and New Testament, are God’s inspired word, provided through the medium of the Holy Spirit, in which the scriptures are infallible, inherent, and immutable.

We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the physical grave, which guarantees the bodily resurrection of all believers at the second coming.

We believe that The Lord Jesus Christ established one Church on the first Pentecost after the Resurrection, through the medium of the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and designed to be inclusive of all races.

We believe that the second coming of Christ is a future expectation of the believer that will take place at an undisclosed time, in which Christ will descend from Heaven to receive His saints in the sky to usher them to glory to be forever in the presence of the Lord.

We believe that worship is an activity governed by the principle of “in spirit and truth”, in which worship must be genuinely expressed through five activities; these activities are praying, giving singing, receiving of the word, and the partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

We believe that the local Church is placed in the care of a plurality of leadership consisting of the Man of God who ministers to the congregation through the word, Elders who guard the flock, and Deacons who serve in the official capacity.

You’ve Completed Orientation

If you are a new convert…

Your next class is the Foundations of Faith – New Convert’s class. The Foundations of Faith class is designed to have you discuss, study, and become firmly grounded in scripture and understanding in how you became God’s possession. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need to ask. Your Orientation instructor(s) will direct you to this class and make the initial introductions.

If you placed your membership with us from a sister congregation…

There are a variety of adult and youth classes for you and/or your family. Your Orientation instructor(s) will provide you with class information and assist you in selecting your next Bible class.

Welcome to West End: An Orientation Class for New Converts/Members – Page 1