Open Door Bible Church

This Sunday, in our annual business meeting, Randolph Christian Church will select a new name. In the process leading up to this decision, the church has narrowed the list of potential names to 3:

Open Door Bible Church
Friendship Bible Church
New Hope Bible Church

For the remaining 3 days in this week leading up to that final vote, I'd like to share a few thoughts about each potential name. Today, let's consider a few reasons why Open Door Bible Church might be a good choice in a name.

All three potential names contain the word Bible, for a good reason. We are becoming a non-denominational church, but we are in no way abandoning Randolph Christian Church's long-held belief that the Bible is our only rule for faith and practice. This church was founded on the Bible and must always be a Bible-based church. The original declaration affirmed that the church recognized "the Holy Scriptures to be their only guide" - a stand we cling to today, 180 years later.

An "open door" pictures hospitality, welcome, inclusiveness, belonging. It conveys a thought of invitation.

In the New Testament, the term was used to convey the thought of opportunity. To the church at Philadelphia, Jesus said, "I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." (Revelation 3:8) Again, in 2 Corinthians 2:12, we see Paul referring to opportunity with the term "open door" - "Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord..." And in Acts 14:27, we read "And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles." Here an open door describes the opportunity God gives for salvation.

Clearly, God has given us an open door to serve Him here. And He wants our church to have an open door to our community.

Will you pray about this potential new name for RCC?