We use this glossary to know what we mean by our words, practices, and beliefs. 
It’s divided into two sections: Care Church terms and Christian terms.

 

Care Church Terms

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Care Church — our name, communicating our desire to be known for our care. We seek to extend God’s care to each other and our surrounding communities. The letters of “Care” stand for Christians At Richardson East. In this way, our name connects us with our history as the Richardson East Church of Christ and as a place to belong for all Christians and all those seeking to be Christians. We are not the only Christians, but we are Christians only.

    

Ministry — the work of nurturing disciples and serving our neighbors. Our ministries include:
 

Care Child Development Center — a state licensed facility in operation since 1985 for infants through age 5. We also have a private kindergarten and after school pick-up & care for children through 4th grade who attend Yale, Big Springs, or Dartmouth Elementary. (Also referred to as “Care CDC,” though we encourage the use of the full name to avoid confusion with other organizations, such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

 

Care Corps —our benevolence and food ministry serving our neighbors-in-need as a local affiliate of the North Texas Food Bank. We have been an integral part of assisting low-income residents in the Richardson Independent School District area since 1986.

 

Care Kids — our Children’s Ministry and a place where we welcome all kids (through 5th grade), as Christ did, and acknowledge they are a valuable part of God’s family. Our mission is to encourage children to grow as disciples of Christ, on a lifelong journey of faith.

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Care Student Ministry — a ministry for 6th-12th graders.

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Celebrate Recovery — a Christ-centered, 12-step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain, or addiction of any kind. It is a safe place to find community and freedom. 

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Oasis — a ministry for older adults sharing in service as well as fellowship and support. 

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People Helping — a ministry of financial support for Care Church members in need.  

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Ruth and Naomi — a ministry and community for women who are single, divorced, widowed, attending church alone, college-aged, young professionals, and those who desire to put their hurtful past behind them. 

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Mission — the work of making disciples both locally and globally. In this effort, we have several mission partners: 

City Square (Dallas, TX) — fighting poverty through service, advocacy, and friendship.

Forestridge Elementary (Dallas, TX) — support for staff, students, & parents of a local school in an underserved neighborhood in the Richardson Independent School District. 

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FriendSpeak — partnership between teachers and readers helping people speak English conversationally by using stories from the Gospels. 

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Heritage Christian College (Accra, Ghana) — providing scholarships for students to receive a Christian education.  

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Predisan (Honduras) — a medical mission in western Honduras providing wholistic medical care, education, and an alcohol rehabilitation clinic. 

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The Feast (Providence, RI) — an urban church plant started in 2012.

 

Varazdin Church (Varazdin, Croatia) — a church plant serving the people of Varazdin in local ministry and the whole country of Croatia through television ministry. 

Shepherd — those overseeing God’s work here. Shepherds are caretakers of this church encouraging us, strengthening our faith, and leading us by being servants in the manner of Christ. The shepherds and ministry staff work together in leading our church. Also known as “Elders.”

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Small group — the place where we cultivate spiritual friendships and focus on our discipleship. 

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Table Group — our time around tables on Sundays discussing Scripture. Most Sunday mornings, we conclude our time together around tables guided by questions prompting conversations focused on that day’s story from Scripture. 

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The Commons — the large open area of tables and gathering areas, adjacent to our atrium and opposite from our worship auditorium. The Commons is a place for all kinds of community building activities: Table Groups, meals, small groups, special events, etc.  

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Breeze — software (web & app) helping us connect with each other and stay organized.

 
Christian Terms

 

Baptism — a practice uniting us with Christ and marking the transition from our old ways of sin to our new life with God. It establishes our new rhythm to life: dying to self and living for God.

 

Communion — also known as the Lord’s Supper & Eucharist, this is our weekly practice of gathering around God’s Table (the place where God graciously welcomes us each week as we remember God’s work in Christ together). We practice “Open Communion” inviting all to join us.  

 

Creation — a gift from God. God is the Creator, we are the created, and God has entrusted creation care to us. We are committed to growing in our faithfulness to this responsibility.      
 
Discipleship — the process of learning Christ, being formed by the Spirit, and partnering with God in making more disciples.    

 

Faith — a matter of investing our trust in God and demonstrating this trust by how we live and what we believe. It is the conviction, confession, and content of our life with God. 

 

Fasting — abstaining from eating for a period of time in order to focus on the spiritual life. We redirect our hunger toward spiritual transformation in some tangible way (prayer, worship, etc.). Fasting can be applied to other forms of consumption (social media, entertainment, etc.). 

 

Forgiveness — an ongoing process of choosing mercy over judgment and grace over grudges. It is both received and given. God forgives us, so we forgive others. 

 

Giving — a spiritual discipline of donating our money to this church. We give gratefully, generously, sacrificially, and cheerfully. All of us give, and the more we have, the more we give. 

 

God — the maker of heaven and earth and giver of life. In all things and all the time, God is love.  

 

Holy Spirit — the third member of the Trinity, is available to all, The Holy Spirit sustains God’s work within us, empowers us, and unites us.   

 

Jesus Christ — the Son of God, our Lord, and the Savior of the world.  

 

Justice — God’s expectation for the world. The church joins God in the work of making things right for the poor, the oppressed, and the vulnerable among us.   

 

Neighbor — everyone who lives in our communities and neighborhoods; anyone with whom our lives intersect. 

 

Outreach — all the ways we try to be a blessing to our community, serve our neighbors, and share the good news of Jesus Christ through our words and actions. 

 

Prayer — our primary stance in this world and how we stay connected with God as we navigate each day so we can maintain awareness of God’s presence and pay attention to God’s promptings. 

 

Repentance — the continual process of aligning our life and will with God’s. 

 

Salvation — from God, found in Christ, and experienced through the Holy Spirit. We receive this gift of eternal life through faith, repentance, and baptism.       

 

Scripture — the story of God and God’s work among us. We read, listen, learn, and memorize Scripture so we can be shaped by it. We study the Bible individually and communally. 

 

Service — a defining characteristic for how we live our daily lives and how we strive to make a difference in our community as a church. Since Christ came to serve and not be served, we seek to do the same. We seek to be servants in all areas of our lives. 

 

Spiritual Discipline — the habits and practices of discipleship. Spiritual disciplines create space for us to pay attention to the Spirit’s work and movement. 

 

Transformation — the process of becoming more like Christ. God transforms lives, and we partner with God in this process by creating space for the Spirit to work. 

 

Trinity — the Christian name for one God known as three: God, Christ, and Spirit.    

 

Worship — immersing our lives in the Trinity. It is a way of life, what we do, and the practice of coming together with others to sing, pray, give, learn, teach, and gather around God’s Table.    

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This glossary was last updated on May 18, 2021. It is not an exhaustive list. This is a living document intended to prompt further conversation and evolve as our understanding does.