Why Christ Church?

Rooted in Christ

In September 2023, Wellsboro Bible Church became Christ Church. The change was prompted by our efforts to plant a congregation in Mansfield and a desire to remove our geographic identity.

As the Elders considered what to call our church, they identified several criteria. Primarily, the new name needed to summarize the church’s identity in Jesus Christ while remaining simple and clear. The name “Christ Church” was selected after considering the Scriptures below.

Scriptures guiding our name

The Bible reminds us that our identity is in Jesus Christ, and that God created the church to bring Him glory.

1 Corinthians 1:23-24
“But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:2
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

1 Corinthians 12:27
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

2 Corinthians 5:20
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

Galatians 3:27-28
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 3:10–12
“So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.  This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,  in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.”

Philippians 2:9-11
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Colossians 1:18
“And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”

Colossians 3:1-3
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Same Church, New Name

Our church name has changed, but our doctrine and practice have not. The name change merely reflects the next step of stewarding all that God has entrusted to us as a church-planting church with a desire to make Christ known in everything we do.

Christ Church Exists to MAKE disciples who represent Christ to every man, woman, and child.

Christ first OVERALL

  • Christ is our first importance (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

  • Christ is the first/last Alpha/Omega (Revelation 1:8)

  • Christ is our Creator and life-light (John 1:1-4)

  • Christ is the Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20-21)

  • Christ is our King and Lord (Revelation 19:16)

  • Christ is the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18)

  • Christ is our Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14)

  • Christ is the way, truth, and life (John 14:6)

identity = in Christ

  • We are Christ’s betrothed Bride (Revelation 19:6-10)

  • We are Christ’s beloved Body (Ephesians 5:22-33)

  • We are Christ’s authority-bearers (Matthew 16:13-20)

  • We are Christ’s disciplemakers (Matthew 28:18-20)

  • We are Christ’s representatives (Ephesians 3:10-11)

  • We are Christ’s new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17)

  • We are Christ’s peacemakers (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

  • We are Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20)

“equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”

Ephesians 4:12–13