About Us
We're a faith community of followers of Christ in Huntington, West Virginia who believe that God has called us to live as light for the sake of this world. We are not a group of perfect people. Our glory is in the cross of Jesus Christ and the saving power of His sacrifice.
Norway has a relaxed nature to it with a passion for sharing Jesus. Feel free to dress comfortable, casual or even wear a suit!
We have a diversity of backgrounds and personalities all living to be servants of a GREAT God. This body of believers is on the faith journey called life. We are here to encourage each other and welcome other seekers as we meet the on the journey.
Come join us in this great adventure!
UPDATE AS OF JUNE 7, 2020 MESSAGE FROM OUR ELDERS:
The leadership of the Norway Avenue Church of Christ is speaking out to voice our utter contempt for recent events and instances of racial injustice and discrimination perpetrated upon members of the black community.
To state our constant position, we proclaim that racism of any form toward anyone is not to be tolerated and is a detestable act in the eyes of GOD. More specifically and in light of recent events, we also want to clearly state as spiritual leaders of the Norway Avenue Church family, we stand in support of our black brothers and sisters and completely abhor all acts of racism and discrimination perpetrated by any individual or group against them.
John 3:16 clearly states, “This is how GOD demonstrated His love for the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” GOD’s love is for all, regardless of race, nationality, or creed and our doors are open for all who will come accepting His amazing love while striving to walk in faith and obedience to His teachings. Our unwavering commitment is to provide for the flock under our care and helping advance His Kingdom which lives today in the hearts, minds, and souls of those The LORD has called for His purposes.
Our hearts and prayers are with the multitudes of GOD’s children who live everyday facing unspoken disadvantages and struggles that many can neither recognize nor understand. We are all sinners in need of grace from Almighty GOD and pledge our ongoing support to remain inclusive and compassionate toward all of GOD’s children.
Paul Thomas, Mike Shepherd, and Matt Hayes
Eldership of the Norway Ave. Church of Christ
Staff & Elders
Matt Hayes, Elder & Worship Minister
Mike Shepherd, Elder
Paul Thomas, Elder
Jeff Garrett, Preaching Minister
Jeanie Meadows, Secretary
Statement of Faith
We believe that God is completely sovereign, all knowing, perfect in holiness, infinite in power, and abounding in love. He has revealed himself to us in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Our triune God is one and there is no other god besides him.
We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We believe in his miraculous birth, his perfect life, his all-sufficient atoning death and glorious resurrection.Jesus ascended the highest place. Jesus is the King and kings and Lord of lords. His Kingdom will last forever. One day every living creature will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
We believe the Holy Spirit lives in all Christians. The Spirit’s purpose is to glorify Christ in us. The Spirit convicts us of sin and draws us to Jesus. He comforts, guides, and empowers Christians to understand the mind of Christ and obey the will of God. The Spirit distributes spiritual gifts and helps us bear good fruit.
We believe the church belongs to Christ. The church is spiritually united as one body with Christ as the head. There are no denominational, geographical, ethic/racial, or gender barriers in the body of Christ. We are all one in Christ and we must make every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ. Salvation is a free gift from God to man. It cannot be obtained or maintained by good works. We believe that justification is the saving action of God where he declares sinners righteous by our faith in Jesus Christ.
We believe that everyone who confesses the name of the Lord should turn away from sin. Since we have a sinful nature that cannot change and must die, we should repent of sin and obey the Lord. Repenting of sin and obeying the Lord are evidences of our faith, not the basis of our salvation. Our obedience is an expression of our love and gratitude and is empowered by the Holy Spirit.
We believe that the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper should be observed faithfully as God intended. Baptism represents identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Supper is open to all believers and is a time to commune with the living Christ and his church. The bread represents his body and the wine represents his blood.
We believe the Bible is the inspired, authoritative word of God. The Bible is our only standard of truth for all Christian beliefs and practices.
We believe that Jesus will return - Since the return of Christ is imminent we should teach the gospel to the lost with urgency.
We believe that love for God and people should be our motivation for everything we do. People will know that we are Christians when we love God and people like Jesus Christ loved us. Without love we cannot benefit from any of the beliefs above.
Nine Dreams for the Future
The dream that Jesus would be the star and the message and the true Lord of our church. And that the Church of Christ would be a description of whose we are and not a denominational designation or a sectarian category.
The dream that we would seek to use powerful and relevant ways to get the church out of the building and be disciples in the marketplace. That we would lift our eyes to the fields and see the lost and speak with compassion the instruction of the Lord to their hurt, confusion, and weariness.
The dream that we would be a people that would not ask “What can the church do for me?” But that we would be a people who serves a transcendent God and practices a costly discipleship –To look after orphans and widows and meet the needs of the poor as we serve from the strength of our spiritual gifts.
The dream that we will have dynamic assemblies that hits people at a heart level and ushers them into the presence of God.
The dream that we will develop a loving intolerance for sectarian language that implies that God loves us alone.
The dream that we will find effective ways to use the spiritual muscle and the spiritual wisdom of our women.
The dream that we will never compromise the gospel of grace. That we will speak where the Bible speaks, and despite the temptation to do otherwise, to be silent where the Bible is silent. To shout where it shouts, to whisper where it whispers, and to allow liberty where God’s Word allows liberty
The dream that we will have dynamic ministries that addresses the needs of every age and ethnic group. That we would be all things to all people so that we might save some.
The dream that we will be known for our love, our grace, our knowledge of Scripture, our moral excellence and our uncompromising loyalty to the Lord Jesus so that we may glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Two decades of dreaming. These dreams are woven through the fabric of all my preaching and teaching. Over the years, I posted them everywhere (Bibles, Bulletins, offices, refrigerators, day-timers, blogs, websites, etc.). Where did they come from? I heard Ken Durham speak on the power of dreaming at the Nashville Jubilee in 1989. For me, his sermon was life changing. Since then I have modified the list to make them my own. But the basic idea and much of the content came from Ken. I was an eager 25 year old when I had this Acts 2:17 experience. It was like God poured out His Spirit and said “Jeff, this is my vision for your ministry. Pursue these dreams for the rest of your life.” To me, they are just as fresh and inspiring today as they were the first time I heard them. I plan to pursue them until God takes me home.
Jeff Garrett