FAQ

What is a Bible church?
Two-thirds of our church’s name is readily understandable. We’re in Irving, so that’s a no-brainer. And we’re a church, obvious. But the “middle name”, Irving Bible Church, is what throws most people when they’re first coming in the doors. What on earth is a Bible church?

Great question! Perhaps a good place to start is what a Bible church, our Bible church, is not. It’s not part of a denomination (like Presbyterians, Baptists, or Episcopalians), or a cult (thank goodness!), or a fly-by-night movement, or a personality-driven money making machine (just covering the bases here).

What it is, is a church that wishes to be identified by its chief operational value. . . the Holy Scriptures. A Bible church is a local expression of the Holy Catholic (that word means “universal”) church, the Body of Christ, that wants it understood up front that we glean our marching orders from the Word of God, the Bible. That’s all.

Though we’re an independent church (i.e., not formally connected to any larger network of churches in a denominational system), our theology and polity (church governance by an elected board of elders) is very much in the line of historical orthodoxy as expressed in any number of conservative denominations. In other words, you can breathe easy. IBC is a real church with legitimate governance and orthodox theology, just a funny name. Welcome!

What are women’s roles in the church?
At IBC we recognize that God created both man and woman in His image, that He offers the same Holy Spirit to both men and women at salvation, and that the same spiritual gifts are available to both men and women for service. While the New Testament seems to imply that eldership is reserved for men, the elders of IBC affirm that women in all other roles are scripturally qualified, spiritually blessed, and directly called to use their spiritual gifts to build Christ’s Kingdom. Download a PDF of our statement on Women in Ministry.

What do you believe about communion?
At IBC, we regularly observe the Lord’s Supper, a practice that Jesus instructed his disciples to do “in remembrance” of him. We sometimes call it “communion,” because it celebrates our union with God made available through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, as well as our union with other believers who share in the hope we have though Christ. You might even hear us call it “the Eucharist,” an ancient name for the practice that comes from the Greek word for giving thanks. We come to the table to celebrate our gratitude to God for what Jesus did for us on the cross. The “fancy” word for the way we do communion is “intinction,” which just means we dip the wafer in the juice. It’s one of several ways that Christians have celebrated the Lord’s Supper for centuries. Communion at IBC is open to anyone who has placed his or her faith in Christ.

How does IBC handle membership?
Once you are familiar with IBC and want to join us as a member of IBC in following Jesus Christ, come to a Story-Telling to share your journey to faith in Jesus Christ with a small group of other IBC’ers. We would like the opportunity to personally hear how you became a follower of Jesus. These meetings are scheduled on various Sundays for adults 18 years of age and older.

How does IBC use the church calendar?
At IBC we’ve been reconnecting in recent years with the ancient ways that the Christian church has observed special “seasons” of the year. These seasons revolve around important events in the life story of Jesus and are intended to cause us to revisit the significance of those events in a cyclical pattern, so that we truly enter into and experience all of the implications of those events in our lives today. The seasons of the church calendar are Advent (late fall), Christmas (winter), Epiphany (beginning January 6th), Lent (40 days before Easter Sunday), Easter (the fifty days after Easter Sunday), and Ordinary Time (summer and fall, between Easter and Advent). Each season has its own unique emphasis that is foundational to our spiritual life and growth.

What do you believe about baptism?
Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward change. It signifies our identification with Christ and his saving work done on our behalf on the cross. As we are immersed and raised out of the water, we mirror Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. With this act, modeled by Christ (John 1:29-34), we demonstrate that the old has passed away, and that he is making all things new. Baptism is a bold statement of our desire to be Christ followers. Furthermore, Jesus’ final words in Matthew 28, often referred to as the Great Commission, include the admonition that we should be drawing people to Christ and “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”