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Jacksonville Chapel is a non-denominational fellowship of Christians organized to worship Jesus, build the faith of those who claim a relationship with Him, and work towards making Him known. Our services and ministries are open to everyone. Jacksonville Chapel calls itself a "non-denominational church," and while this may be easy enough on the surface - that is, we are not associated or affiliated with any denominational superstructure* - it leaves many with a question in their minds, "Well, what are you?" We do not mind that people want to find some way to get a grasp on our church character. In fact, some will feel more comfortable giving us a try if they have some idea of who we are or what we are like. We find three phrases people often use to describe us. First, we are sometimes called a "Bible Church." The reason for this is that we base everything we do on the Bible. You might say that the Bible is our constitution. It guides our beliefs, our objectives, our policies, and our services. If you visit with us on a Sunday morning you will be able to observe this commitment for yourself because our services are centered on the Bible. We are convinced that the Bible is an intelligent communication from God; it is as up-to-date and believable and relevant today as it ever was, and it gives us solid direction for our lives. Second, we are sometimes called a "Born-Again Church." The reason for this comes from Jesus' use of the phrase in a conversation with a very religious man, a member of the Jewish ruling council. The story is in the gospel of John (John 3:1-8), but the idea is that if a relationship with God were based on living a seriously committed life before God, then this man would have been well off. Yet he came to Jesus because he knew something was missing from his life. Jesus said something very strange to him, "Unless a man is 'born again' he cannot enter the kingdom of God." In the succeeding verses it is plain that Jesus was describing the difference between physical birth (by which we get physical life) and spiritual birth (by which we receive spiritual life). In other words, each of us has physical life; but by believing in Jesus as God and Savior we gain spiritual life. Jesus found it appropriate to describe this entrance into spiritual life through faith in Him as a "re-birth" - a second birth, or being "born-again." Therefore, since Jacksonville Chapel believes that anyone may have the privilege of being certain about his or her eternal destiny by believing in Christ, we are sometimes called a "born-again church" - that is, a church of people who profess to have found spiritual life through faith in Jesus Christ. This is no claim to be better, only a recognition of undeserved, unearned forgiveness from the hand of God. Finally, our favorite label is to be called a "Christ-Centered Church." That is because we believe that the purpose of the church - in fact, the purpose of all of life - is to know Christ and to make Him known. The Bible presents Jesus Christ as the centerpiece of human existence, the focal point of all history, God in human flesh. He deserves our allegiance because He made us and everything around us. We worship Him, further, because He took on human flesh so that we could "see God" (get a visible idea of God's character), and then died for the purpose of taking the penalty for our sins. The Bible says the penalty of sin is death - separation from God - and if we do not allow Christ to pay that penalty for us, then we must pay it ourselves. But, because He paid it, when we believe in Him we receive "eternal life." We never have to fear death because we know our eternal destination, not because we are "good people" -- in fact, we are still sinners! But now we are forgiven sinners. Since He paid our debt for us we do not have to pay it for ourselves. Surely, there is wisdom in worshipping such a God as this! If God truly loves us this much, why would we deny Him? But this leads us back again to the labels that people sometimes use for us. They actually describe the three pillars of conviction at Jacksonville Chapel: First, that the Bible is an accurate revelation about God. It is not only trustworthy, but also should have authority over our lives and our choices. Second, that anyone is welcome to settle the issue of a personal relationship with God by believing in Jesus Christ. On that basis we can know with certainty our eternal future. Third, that Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of human existence and the worthy object of our allegiance. Every thing we do at Jacksonville Chapel flows from these three points. Now do you understand what we mean when we say that we are a "non-denominational church"? Why don't you visit us and see for yourself? We think you will like it. One thing is certain - it is not "church as usual!" *Many honest seekers will naturally want to know if there is some way in which a church like Jacksonville Chapel is accountable. We frequently hear about financial impropriety and theological adventurism. While we do not work under a denominational superstructure, we do have organizational affiliations. First, we are members of Independent Fundamental Churches of America (IFCA), a group designed to oversee theological and managerial integrity. IFCA is recognized by the IRS, and membership assures interested seekers that we are operating in a climate of accountability. Second, we have informal relationships with several other churches in the area who are like us. The existence of these "sister church" relationships not only enhances accountability, it also shows that "non-denominational" does not equal "independent mindedness."