Beliefs

We hold the Christian faith which is common to all believers (Titus 1 :4; Jude 3). Our faith is composed of the following beliefs concerning the Bible, God, Christ, the work of Christ, salvation, and the church:

The Bible

Our belief is based on the Holy Bible, which is the word of God written under His inspiration word by word (2 Tim. 3: 16) and which contains the complete divine revelation.

God

God is uniquely one (Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4b; Isa. 45:5a), yet a Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, who coexist simultaneously, from eternity to eternity, and are each fully God (Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14).

Christ

Eternally Christ is the only begotten Son in the Godhead (John 1:1, 18). In time He became a genuine human being through incarnation (John 1:14). He is like us in all respects, yet He is without sin (Heb. 4:15; 1 John 3:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 2:22). Christ is complete God and perfect man, possessing both the divine nature and the human nature.

The Work of Christ

In dying on the cross for our sins, Christ accomplished an eternal redemption for us (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:12) and brought us back to God (1 Pet. 3:18). After His resurrection, He ascended bodily to the Father, who exalted Him to His right hand as Lord of all (Acts 5:31; 10:36). Today He is in glory as the ascended Lord and as the Son of Man (Acts 7:56), still human and always God. We eagerly await His return when He will come back as the Bridegroom for His bride, the church (John 3:29; Rev. 19:7), and as the King of kings to rule over all the nations (Rev. 11:15; 19:16). With all believers we share the blessed hope of being glorified by God (Rom. 5:2; Col. 1 :27) and of dwelling with Him eternally, having Him as our full enjoyment while He has us as His eternal expression (Rev. 21:1-22:5).

Salvation

Every human being is constituted a sinner by birth and by action (Rom. 5:19, 12). To be saved from the righteous judgment of God, a person must repent to God and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; Acts 16:31; 26:20; John 3:15-16) to be forgiven of his or her sins and to be redeemed, justified, and regenerated (Acts 10:43; Rom. 3:24; Acts 13:39; John 3:6). Through regeneration we become the children of God (John 1:12) and members of Christ (l Cor. 12:27). It is our great privilege as co-laborers with God to preach this gospel to all peoples.

The Church

Finally, we believe that for the accomplishment of His purpose and to make known His multifarious wisdom, God produced the church (Eph. 3:10), which is the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1 :24), composed of all persons irrespective of time and space who are believers in Christ. It is God's intent that this mystical, universal Body be practically manifested on the earth in time and space as local churches, each of which encompasses all of the believers in a given city (Acts 2:44; 8:1).

To Visitors

We warmly welcome you to the church in Woodbridge. We are believers in Jesus Christ from all backgrounds who gather locally to be the Lord's testimony in Woodbridge, Connecticut. We have listed some frequently asked questions below; read some of our responses to these questions or ask us a question of your own using the form at the contact page.

I'm looking for fellowship, but I'm not ready to attend a Sunday meeting yet, can someone visit or call me?

Absolutely. Attending a Sunday meeting is not the only way to have fellowship with us. If you leave your contact information on the contact page we will be sure to contact you promptly and in a manner that makes you most comfortable.

Are there facilities for children and teenagers?

Yes, ministering to families, including children and teenagers, is an important part of our responsibility and stewardship. Most of our meeting venues have comfortable facilities for children and teens, and we typically have age-appropriate classes or sessions each Sunday. See the Children and Jr. High & High School pages for more information.

What should I expect when I come to a meeting?

You should expect a warm welcome and to meet some joyful Christians. We love to sing with our heart to the Lord and to speak to one another in psalms and hymns (Eph-5:19). Our gatherings are characterized by mutuality: we encourage praise, prayer, and speaking from one another (1 Cor. 14:26). Our meetings are frequently punctuated by "Hallelujah!" "Amen!" "Oh Lord Jesus!" and other joyful noises to the Lord (Psa. 100:1; 1 Thess. 5:16; Phil. 2:11).

If your worship style is more meditative, you will also feel comfortable meeting with us. We are not for any particular outward form, practice, or liturgy. Our only goal is to worship the Lord in spirit and truthfulness (John 4:24).

Is there a dress code?

We have no dress code, and we simply encourage you to be led by the Spirit in all things (Rom. 8:14).

Who is your pastor?

God's intention is that all of His believers would serve Him as priests (l Pet. 2:5). All Christians have the innate capacity to contact God, worship God, be filled with God, pray to God, speak for God, and represent God (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 14:31; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rom. 1:9).

Of course, the ascended Christ has given gifts to the Body which we treasure, including apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers (Eph. 4:11). There are many who serve as shepherds and teachers among us, including the elders of the church, along with others who have the spiritual gift of shepherding and teaching (1 Pet. 5:1-3; Acts 20:28).

What kind of Bible do you use?

Probably the personal Bible collections of our church members are as diverse and expansive as any other congregation. But when we gather together for larger meetings we frequently find it useful to use the same text: the Recovery Version. The Recovery Version of The New Testament is based on the Nestle-Aland Greek text as found in Novum Testamentum Graece (26th edition) and is part of the great heritage of Bible translations through church history (including but not limited to KJV, ASV, NASB, and many other translations). To receive a free copy of the Recovery Version of The New Testament, or to learn more about it, please visit Bibles for America.

What denomination are you?

We are not part of any denomination. We follow the New Testament pattern which shows Christ's believers who congregate only on the basis of the locality in which they live (see Acts 8:1; 13:1; Rom. 16:1; 1 Cor. 1:2). Because our meeting place is in Woodbridge CT, we meet simply as the church in Woodbridge. As the church in Woodbridge, we receive all of the believers in this locality, as Christ has also received us (Rom. 15:7).

What is your relationship with other local churches?

We have a rich fellowship with thousands of other local churches throughout the world to express the one Body of Christ. Members in the church frequently travel to visit other churches both locally and internationally. There are frequent regional, national, and international conferences and trainings throughout the year where we see more of the "breadth, length, height, and depth" of the Body of Christ (Eph. 3:18).

What is your relationship with Witness Lee and Watchman Nee?

Witness Lee and Watchman Nee are two of the most influential Christian ministers of the 20th century and the church in Woodbridge has been a beneficiary of their ministry since our inception in 1962. They both stress the same general theme of the Christian's experience of Christ as life for the building up of the Body of Christ in many practical ways.

Watchman Nee's (1903-1972) writings have been appreciated by Christians around the world and translated into many languages. His book The Normal Christian Life has been widely hailed as a Christian classic. He has been included along with such influential Christians as John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, John Bunyan, John Wesley, George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon, D.L. Moody, and Hudson Taylor in collections such as Barbour Publishing's Heroes of the Faith series. In 2009, Watchman Nee's contribution to the church in China and his influence on Christians in the West was recognized in a Congressional statement on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.

Witness Lee (1905-1997) was a prolific speaker and writer whose ministry produced and served over three thousand local churches worldwide. His monumental work, the Life-study of the Bible, comprises over 25,000 pages of commentary on every book of the Bible from the perspective of the believers' enjoyment and experience of God's divine life. These messages continue to be broadcast in multiple languages worldwide across the radio and Internet.

Living Stream Ministry publishes the collected works of these two servants of the Lord Jesus Christ and makes the complete texts of many of their publications freely available here.