I’m New What Should I Expect?

You can expect many friendly people that want you to worship the Lord with them each Sunday. Carlisle First Church of God has two different worship services with Sunday School at 10:15 between them.

Our first service is Traditional Worship and begins at 9:00 a.m. This service typically has an organ and hymns that are sung. The sermon comes from God’s word each Sunday. You will see people dressed up to include, dresses, suits and ties, down to a more business dress. This service is held in the sanctuary and you can enter the doors above the steps on the far right of the building if you are looking at the church from Walnut Bottom Road, or by the back door which does not require steps.

Our second service is Contemporary Worship and begins at 11:15 a.m. The music during this service is contemporary. The sermon comes from God’s word each Sunday. You will see people dressed casually in this service. This service is held in the gymnatorium and you can enter the doors on the far left of the building if you are looking at the church from the Walnut Bottom Road.

Our GPS Address is 851 Walnut Bottom Road this will bring you to the front of the church. The mailing address, 705 Glendale St. Carlisle, PA will bring you in the back of the church.

About Us

The Carlisle First Church of God is a non-Pentecostal evangelical church. We believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible authority. It is the Word of God. This is our only rule of faith and practice. Our church dates back to 1894 when an organizational meeting was held in Sipe’s Hall on South Hanover Street, Carlisle. At that meeting thirty-six people formed a covenant that established the First Church of God in Carlisle. That same year the new congregation purchased a church on West Louther Street. We worshiped in that location until 1974 when the congregation moved to our present location.

Our Pastors

Michael Poe and Family

Pastor Michael Poe is the senior pastor at Carlisle First Church of God. He is originally from Shippensburg, PA. He graduated from Shippensburg High School, received his Bachelors in Elementary Education from Shippensburg University, and later received his Master of Divinity from Winebrenner Theological Seminary. Pastor Mike served the Churches of God General Conference as a missionary pastor in Brazil for nearly thirteen years. He married Natinha in 2003 and they have one daughter who was born in Brazil.

 

Pastor Greg Hench is the Associate and Youth Pastor at Carlisle First Church of God. He grew up right here in Carlisle, and is one of five brothers. Graduating from Carlisle High School and later received his “Diploma In Pastoral Training” upon completing the Pastoral Training Institute (in cooperation with Winebrenner Seminary). He has been married to Beth since 1988, and they have two amazing adult children. Greg and Beth became grandparents for the first time in July of 2020.

What We Believe

We believe that the Holy Scriptures are the complete and verbally inspired Word of God, the supreme standard for faith and conduct. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21

We believe in one living, eternal, and true God, existing in three persons as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:17; 2 Corinthians 13:14

We believe in the absolute deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; in His virgin birth; in His perfect humanity; His vicarious death through the shedding of His blood for the forgiveness of sins; His bodily resurrection and ascension, His present High Priestly ministry, and in the personal , imminent, pretribulation and premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones, and His subsequent return to Earth, with His saints to establish His millennial kingdom. John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 7:25; Titus 2:13; Revelation 19:11-16

We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and that He is the agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. John 16:8-11; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved and of himself utterly unable to redeem his lost condition. Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12

We believe that the salvation of the sinner is wholly of grace through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that the redeemed are kept by God’s power unto everlasting life. Ephesians 2:8-9; John 6:37-40; 1 Peter 1:5

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts such as the gifts of evangelist, pastors, and teachers, for the equipping of the saints. We believe God does heal and does answer the prayer of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:7-12; 1 John 5:14-15

We believe the Church of Jesus Christ began at Pentecost and is the Body and Bride of Christ, a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age. We also believe in the local church as defined in the New Testament Scriptures. Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11

We believe that Satan is a supernatural person, the author of sin, and the cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 25:42; Revelation 20:10

We believe in the observance of the three ordinances – Baptism, of believers by immersion, the Lord’s Supper, and the Washing of the Saint’s Feet. (These are to be perpetual remembrance for all believers.) 1 Corinthians 11:23-29; John 13:14-15

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost. John 5:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20-:11-15