With suggestions and input from our members, our church's official name is "Living Waters Church of God."
What's In A Name?
Names have significance. That's why it took us months - years, even - to pick a name. Even then, we (the founders) had a really hard time of it, so we turned to our new members and one particular member (Linda) gave us a fantastic list of options that we then pared down and prayerfully considered and chose from. So what's in the name?
"Church of God" is one of the main names given to the church in the New Testament (NT), when using that term. It's also named "The churches of Christ" and other variations, even simply "My church", as Christ said, or "the church(es)". And when the apostles wrote to letters to the churches, they addressed that letter to the church in a particular place, for example, "the church in Corinth", or "the churches in Asia".
There are different organisations globally called "Church of God". Some of these are pentecostal churches, some are Sabbatarian, some are almost Mennonite in their practices. But this tends to be the case in the English-speaking world. In different languages and different parts of the world, the variation in churches using the name is even wider.
As a non-denominational church, it is important to us that we are both part of the larger, universal, church, but also we have to indicate where our allegiance lies. We also wanted to use a church name that was entirely consistent with the New Testament, which is our absolute and final authority in everything.
So the "Church of God" indicates to whom we belong, to whom we are accountable and who leads the church.
What is "the Church"?
Of course, in the original Greek language of the NT, the word used for "church" is ekklesia, which can literally mean "called-out ones" or "gathering", "assembly", or "congregation". So, the "church" are those called out by God the Father before Him, to be His people.
Due to the way the term has been used over the centuries, it is surprising to some people that the "church" is not a building, but actually the people.
The church is all of those whom God recognises around the world as His people. They are Christians, those "in Christ".
Living Waters
A lady - a Samaritan woman - was speaking with Jesus while at a well and He asked her for water. He then said to her, "If you'd known who asked you for water, then you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water" (John 4:10, paraphrase). Before a crowd of thousands at the Temple in Jerusalem, he stood up and said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water’ ” (John 7:37-38, NET version).
In the Book of Revelation, there are repeated references to the "living water" and "water of life" to which "the Lamb" (Jesus Christ) will lead His people and that God will make freely available to those who are thirsty, unsatisfied by the stagnant waters offered by this world and instead given abundant life by God.
In fact, the living waters are referenced in one way or another throughout the Bible, from Genesis Chapter One through to the last Chapter of the Book of Revelation.
So including "Living Waters" as part of our church's name is
1) our connection with the whole of Scripture,
2) our indication that we thirst for something far greater than anything in this life, brought to us by Jesus Christ, flowing into and out of us by the Spirit of God, going back to the world, to our neighbours and to God the Father Himself, the source of the water of life, and
3) that we are the church formed by Jesus Christ for Himself, as the one who offered the Living Waters through Himself to those who are to be His Body of believers and spiritual family.
Come Join Us
In the words of Jesus Christ, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. For the one who believes in me, then as the Scripture says, From out of his life, rivers will flow of living water."
Join us so that out of your heart will flow living waters.
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