Who we are
A loving family called by God, saved by Christ and led by the Spirit who seek to honor God in all we do.
We’ve been in Ballwin since 1962, and today people come from throughout the greater St. Louis metro to worship and serve with us.
Our mission
To be and make disciples of Jesus Christ in our families, community and world.
More about Lafayette
Our Community
Rooted in Ballwin
We’ve been gathering in Ballwin (St. Louis County) since 1962, and have always sought to further God's kingdom and do God's will in Ballwin as in heaven. As the early church did, we are Spirit-filled witnesses of Jesus from Ballwin "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
Our people
From St. Louis & Beyond
People come from throughout the greater St. Louis metro and beyond to gather for worship each Sunday—longtime members, newcomers and everyone in between. Our families and individuals come from many different walks of life and we seek to balance broader, intergenerational relationships along with more focused relationships in your specific walk of life.
Our tradition
A Church of Christ
We belong to a wider Christian tradition focused on unity with fellow believers through shared commitment to God's written word (the Bible) and shared discipleship to the Word made flesh (Jesus Christ). Our members come from diverse religious backgrounds, including those with no prior church background. While we are an autonomous local church, we partner with many other Churches of Christ in the metro area, as well as other church traditions within our local community.
Our core values
Discipleship
We strive to participate meaningfully in God’s story as apprentices/disciples of Jesus Christ, by imitating God’s life of love and inviting others to join us on our journey with God. We practice our discipleship within the realms of our families, our community, and our wider world.Worship
We strive to be a church which responds to the character and work of God with gratitude, praise and obedience. While our entire lives are to be worshipful, we come together for Sunday worship as a gathered people to praise God and to be formed more into his image.Unity
We strive to be a church united in and through Jesus Christ, a foundation which allows us to embrace other forms of diversity within the body and within our community. "Diversity within unity" is both a value and goal that reflects the very triune nature of God.Giftedness
We strive to be a church that discerns, affirms, and nurtures spiritual giftedness among every leader and member of Lafayette. We come from a "non-charismatic" theological perspective however the presence, work, and gifting of God's Holy Spirit is taught about and emphasized with regularity.Prayer
We strive to be a church which openly and honestly communicates with God via various forms of prayer, corporately and individually. Prayer is embedded in all of our weekly rhythms, we maintain a congregational prayer list, we have a shepherd couple in the "prayer room" every Sunday, and we often conclude sermons with silent periods of prayer and reflection.Ministry & Mission
We strive to be a church in which each person ministers or practices mission in the name of Jesus Christ, whatever they find themselves doing. Our leaders seek to equip members to minister, rather than leaving "ministry" solely to religious professionals or formal leaders. We strive to embody and proclaim the good news message of Jesus Christ in all we do, whether in our individual walks as we "scatter" across St. Louis or in different settings when we "gather" as a body and practice mission communally.Relational Community
We strive to be a church which recognizes the image of God in every person and treats all people accordingly. We want everyone to be able to find a place to belong and grow their faith regardless of cultural background, race, age, family demographics, or economic status. We cannot love God without loving people. Christian fellowship is a necessary outpouring of Christian faith.
What we believe
The short version, in plain words. We are happy to meet and share more about our congregation's biblical and theological beliefs.
God
We believe there is one true and living God who is the creator, redeemer, and sustainer of all life. God has been revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is over all, through all, and in all.
Genesis 1, John 1, John 14Bible
The Bible tells the God-breathed story of God’s relationship with people since the beginning of time. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, God’s story informs and transforms God’s people, shaping them into God’s image for God’s service.
Psalm 119, 2 Timothy 3People
God created people with the desire to live in intimate relationship with him. When we sin we sever that relationship with God. In spite of our sins, God has repeatedly chosen to pursue this relationship. This loving pursuit ultimately led to the gift of God’s one and only Son, Jesus, and the gift of God's Holy Spirit.
Genesis 3, Ephesians 1, John 3, Acts 2Salvation
Because we are helpless to heal our broken relationship, God graciously restores relationship with people and reconciles us to him and to one another through the gift of God’s son, Jesus Christ. God calls people to respond to the good news of God's salvation through faith, confession, repentance, baptism, and a life of Spirit-filled discipleship. We pour out praise and thanksgiving for all God has done through lives of worship, while eagerly awaiting Christ's return and an eternity in heaven with God and God's people.
Isaiah 40, Romans, Ephesians 2, Revelation 21-22Church
The church is a community of imperfect people saved by God’s grace and shaped by God’s Spirit to reflect Jesus to the world. The church is the body of Christ. Each Christ-follower is uniquely gifted by the Holy Spirit to take on his or her role in God’s unfolding story. The church is God’s family called to live in unity and in fellowship and in mission together.
Isaiah 2, Colossians 1, 1 JohnBaptism and Communion
We practice and receive believer's baptism by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit.
Acts 2, Romans 6
We practice and receive Communion (the Lord's Supper, the Table, Eucharist) each and every Sunday as a gathered body of God's people.
Luke 22, 1 Corinthians 11
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