Ex-Church of Christ Support Board

One thing I remember about growing up in the CoC is the constant nagging and pressuring to invite your friends to church with you...if you didn't bring any friends to church with you, people would ask questions and make you feel like you weren't doing a good job at "bringing people to Christ&qu...

I remember years ago I was talking with my mother (a lifelong COCer) about grace, works, and salvation. She said, "I'm just not sure that I've done enough good to get to go to heaven." She seemed genuinely worried. I told her, as softly as possible, that she hadn't. No one had. It was onl...

I recall a time as a kid when I absolutely believed everything I was taught in the COC without question...then I got to the point where I began to ask questions, which they hate. Eventually, "because the bible says so" followed by some not even close to convincing proof text didn't cut it ...

I remember several years back we had a major ice storm knock out power in the whole town and every town surrounding us. Power was out in the middle of winter for over a week and most churches opened their doors as warming shelters for people who had nowhere else to go without freezing to death. Of c...

I always used the NKJV. I think most people at our church used that one actually. I don't recall anyone ever saying that you should only use the KJV, but it seemed like the older members usually preferred that one. I also remember having The Living Bible at our house, but my parents didn't really wa...

Many I knew always seemed to be congratulating themselves that they had possession of the "truth". And smug in the idea that they would be the only ones in heaven. I always thought that even if they were the only ones in heaven, they would fight among themselves for the best seats... Conv...

In all my time in the COC, perhaps the most obnoxious phrase that I always heard them say was, "The Lord's work". The elders and biddies would always throw out that line any time you would splurge a little bit or spend what they decided was too much money on any kind of entertainment. &quo...

Like probably most of us, I hated Wednesday nights growing up. They always felt so rushed...rush to get homework done, the lesson book had to be filled out for that night, make sure I get cleaned up and dinner eaten with plenty of time to get there at least 30 minutes before it started (my parents a...

While browsing facebook this evening I somehow came across some COC page and was reading comments regarding instruments in worship. This one woman commented that she had read and studied the bible her whole life, but didn't see a problem with using instruments in worship. Of course the poor woman go...

When I was growing up, we had a tree and lights and presents...all that good stuff. But we didn't dare have any mention of Jesus whatsoever. If a religious Christmas song came on the radio, we had to change the station. If Christmas fell on a Sunday or Wednesday, it was just like any other service.....