Is Evangel affiliated with any particular
group of churches?
Evangel is an independent church whose members and attenders come from a
diverse spectrum of church backgrounds. Though loosely related to a small
national association of Baptist churches, the General Association of Regular
Baptist Churches (GARBC), we are not officially a member of that group.
What is the history of the church?
Our church actually began in the 1960s as a Christian residence
for Michigan Technological University students, in a house at our current
location. From student Bible studies at that house, a mission church comprised
largely of students was established in 1968. Later a small Baptist Church
in Hancock merged with the mission church and in fall 1972 construction
of our building began.
If I show up at Evangel some Sunday
morning, what should I expect?
Our Sunday morning worship service begins at 11 a.m. each
week and lasts an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. We begin with a few
minutes of singing and music, followed by a time for prayer, a reading from
the Bible, and then a 30-minute teaching time based on the Bible.
Which beliefs do you consider most
significant?
For us, the beginning place is a conviction that the Bible is trustworthy,
reliable revelation from God. Most of what we do and teach derives from
that. So we take the Bible quite seriously. We seek to understand and apply
its teachings to our lives.
What do you think is the core teaching
of the Bible?
Actually, our church name, "Evangel," which comes
from one of the original languages of the Bible (the Greek language), is
the one word description the first Christians gave to the founding message
of Christianity. Evangel means "good news." We believe this good
news is the core teaching of the Bible. To make a long story very short,
the "good" news begins with the "bad" news that we as
humans are by nature hopelessly alienated from God our creator. This is
evidenced in many of the conflicts, large and small, personal and interpersonal
that we see and experience, and in the feeling of many people that their
lives are without ultimate meaning and purpose. But the "good news"
is that God bridged this gap and expressed his love for us by becoming human
himself, as the man Jesus. This all happened in accordance with centuries
of prophetic descriptions and promises given throughout the Bible's history
before Jesus came to earth. By acknowledging our lost condition and need
for God, and by personally acknowledging Jesus as God's sent one, we enter
into what Jesus called "eternal life"--a state of fellowship with
God that does not end when we die, but just gets better.
Where can I turn in the Bible to
begin a study of its core teaching?
We would recommend the Gospel of John. You will find it in
the Bible's New Testament. Its author is one of Jesus' disciples named John.
His purpose for writing the Gospel of John was "that you may believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may
have life in his name." If you do not own a Bible or have access to
one, they are available at bookstores. We also have copies of the Gospel
of John and of the whole Bible which we provide free of charge. Contact
us if you would like either.
Additional questions?
Please ask. We are happy to attempt to answer. Also see the recommended
web sites. Several of them specialize in providing in-depth answers
to questions about the Christian faith and other faiths. | 