What kind of Church is the Union City Christian Church?

The Union City Christian Church is an independent, undenominational Church fellowshipping with Churches in the Restoration Movement. You may ask: "What exactly does that mean?" Our congregation believes denominationalism is sinful, in that it elevates the creeds of man above the Word of God, submitting to the headship of man, rather than aknowledging Jesus as the only head of the Church. We believe the Bible is sufficient for matters of faith & practice and man-made creeds are unnecessary. We are 'undenominational' rather than 'non-denominational' because we have an autonomous leadership and function independent of any denominational headship or association. Our goal is to fully restore New Testament faith by following the model established by Jesus and the Apostles in the New Testament.

We are a Christian Church, bearing no name but Christ's.
We are an Independent, Un-denominational Church because we only aknowledge the Headship of Jesus over the Church.
We are an Apostolic Church, "... established upon the foundation of the Apostles & Prophets, with Jesus Himself as the Chief Cornerstone." (Ephesians 2:20)
We are a Restoring Church, actively involved in the process of restoring faith by following the New Testament model.
We are a Great Commission Church, laboring to meet the commission given the Church by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20.
We are a Generous Church, which understands resources entrusted to us belong to the Lord for His kingdom work.
We are a Praying Church who actively seeks the Lord's will, believing His promises are true.
We are a Church seeking unity within the body of Christ, desiring to abolish denominational barriers through the perfect unity of Christ's Word.
We are a Bible Church, knowing "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17)

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What can I expect when I attend services or programs at Union City?

From the moment you enter the doors of our building, you will find a warm greeting by people who are genuine in their faith and sincerely glad to meet you. Presently, we offer one morning service on Sunday, at 10:50AM. This service employs a wonderful blend of 'traditional' and 'modern' methods. Our music includes the use of a grand piano with familiar hymns and choruses. Union City believes the message of Christ is relevant to the needs of humanity and effective communication of that message requires relevant methods. Therefore, we employ a presentation system of large screen flat TV monitors during our assembly to assist with displaying lyrics, announcements & sermon material. We strive not to be 'flashy' or to employ showmanship, rather, to honor the Lord in a well thought out & organized flow of worship.

Our assemblies are always very encouraging, including a special opportunity during the service to greet family, friends & guests. You will find many sincere Christians who are pleased to introduce themselves to you & begin a new friendship. Although some folks choose to attend in more 'formal' attire like suits & tie, or a dress, some choose to wear more comfortable clothing. Our expectation is for modesty to be shown, and you will never be looked down upon for not wearing 'Sunday-go-to-meeting' clothes.

Our services include singing, times of prayer, an offering time, recognition of the Lord's sacrifice through the observance of communion, a relevant, Bible based message and an invitation of response to the message. No expectation of participation in the offering is ever placed upon our guests, and the Lord's table is open to any obedient Christian. If you have special prayer needs you are encouraged to speak with one of our ministers or elders.

Because we are a Bible based Church, the Scripture is a prominent part of each service. Our minister uses the New American Standard version of the Scripture most often in his teaching and preaching, and we provide New International Versions of the Bible in the seating. In addition, Scripture reading and any passages used during the sermon are shown on the screen for convenience. If you should need a Bible, please speak with one of our ministers or elders and we will provide a Bible to you at no cost.

Sunday evening services are a mix of topical Bible study and preaching. Each sermon and lesson follows a theme, yet they function as a stand alone lesson or message which allows individuals to enter into the study at any point and not be lost in the process. Bible study lessons include ample opportunities for class interaction and discussion, and the messages are designed to be challenging and encouraging.

Sunday School classes for each age are offered at 10AM on Sunday morning, with an opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee before & after the class sessions. You will find the breezeway area of our building is bustling with people enjoying laughter, sharing encouragement and good conversation before and after the Sunday School time and leading up to the service.

Union City has a very well organized children's minsitry, offering age appropriate Sunday School classes during the Sunday School period, and age appropriate children's programs during the service time. A staffed nursery (called Waddlers) is available for children with such needs, and pagers are employed to alert parents of any needs their child may have during the service, allowing parents to worship without the distraction of trying to provide care for their child during the service. Of course, children are always welcome in the assembly if the parent should so choose. Children ages 3 to the 1st grade have a special environment provided during the services called '3to1 Junction'. This group has several volunteer workers who provide age appropriate Bible learning and activities for children in this age group. Students in the 2nd grade through Middle School meet in our fellowship hall for 'Jr. Church' during our services. Similarly, this group is led by men who are skilled in providing age appropriate lessons and activities for this age group, in order to challenge them to grow in faith & knowlege of our Lord.

For information on any of our programs or ministries, check out the links at the upper left of each page on our website.

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Early History of the Union City Christian Church

During the 1830's a movement swept through Central Kentucky, stirred in part by the teaching of Alexander Campbell, urging congregations to abandon denominationalism by restoring faith and practices to the model presented in the New Testament. At this time, the Union City congregation was a Baptist congregation in the Tates Creek Association. Many members of the Union City Baptist congregation recognized the theological error of remaining under the headship of a denomination as a result of the Biblical teachings of Campbell and his associates. In October of 1830, the majority of the congregation officially left the Baptist Association and referred to themselves as "Christian only".

The Christians continued to share the "Union Meeting House" with the smaller Baptist congregation by alternating Sundays, with the Baptists meeting on the 1st & 3rd Sundays, and the Christians meeting on the 2nd & 4th Sundays. By 1848, both congregations agreed that a newer facility was needed to replace the old log building erected in 1812. Members of both congregations assisted in firing bricks on location to erect the new building (part of the Union City Baptist Church building today) which they continued to share until the Christians began to outgrow the building once more. By 1893 the Christians, without the support of the Baptist group, raised around $1500 and secured property from Madison County to begin construction on a building at a nearby location. In November of 1893 the Christians sold their interest in the Union Meeting House to the Baptist congregation for $200.

Union City Christian Church has undertaken numerous renovations to the original wood sided building over the years, adding a hand-dug basement, brick veneer and an indoor baptistry, as well as a Sunday School annex addition. In 2002, the congregation dedicated a large addition of a fellowship hall, as well as a renovation of the entryway to the 'Old' building, and most recently, in 2009, acquired adjoining land for future expansion... the first land purchase in the congregation's history.

We recognize the sacrifices of those faithful members from our past who, with prayerful vision, faith and hard work, have established this congregation in this wonderful community. Ultimately, we honor God for allowing us this special responsibility as heralds and agents for His Gospel message in this community. It is our prayer, as we continue progressing forward, that the Union City congregation will continue seeking God's will and use all available resources to accomplish His will for us. Our future is bright, indeed.

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