What We Believe:
■ We believe that the Bible teaches among other things: Its own divine authority, and that it is verbally inspired.
II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 1:21
■ We believe one God eternally exists in three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19, II Corinthians 13:14
■ We believe Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten and eternal Son of God miraculously born of the virgin Mary, and conceived by the Holy Spirit, and that Jesus Christ is the only one whose life was absolutely sinless.
John 1:1, Matthew 1:18-23, I John 3:5
■ We believe men and women are universally and utterly sinful by nature and practice, and that it is impossible for them to be saved by their own good works or religious observances.
Psalm 58:3-4, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, Romans 4:5
■ We believe that on the cross of Calvary, Jesus Christ wholly and eternally paid the penalty for sin, and was raised from the dead, according to the Scriptures, and that any person who in faith rests upon the finished work of Christ immediately enters into its benefit to the present and eternal salvation of his/her soul.
I Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 5:6,8, John 5:24, Hebrews 5:9, John 10:28-30
■ We believe Jesus Christ is coming again for His own, and will raise those who have died believing in Him, and will change the living believers, taking them to be forever with Himself.
I Thessalonians 4:14-17, Philippians 3:20-21
■ We believe Jesus Christ will be the judge of those who reject Him as their Lord and Savior, and that their portion will be eternal punishment.
Acts 17:31, John 5:22,25, Revelation 20:11-15
■ We believe the indwelling Holy Spirit is the One who enables the believer to live a holy life, and that He guides the church in worship and energizes believers for works of service.
Galatians 5:16, John 4:24, I Corinthians 12: 4,7,11
■ We believe the Bible teaches two ordinances for the church, the baptism of believers in water by immersion, and the Lord’s Supper for believers, which is remembered each Lord’s Day.
Matthew 28:19, Acts 8:35-38, Acts 20:7, Matthew 26:26-28, I Corinthians 11:23-26
■ We believe the church is pastored by a plurality of men the Bible refers to as elders. We also believe in the priesthood of all believers.
Titus 1:5, James 5:14, Acts 20:17, I Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6
Our Gatherings:
Worship & Remembrance Meeting:
Following the teaching of the Lord and the example of the Apostles, we meet weekly to remember the Lord Jesus and His death for us. This meeting is for worship and congregational singing. Without pre-arrangement, the meeting is open for men in the local assembly fellowship to stand and lead the congregation in praise and worship of Christ for his person and work at the cross.
Refreshments
We have a good time of fellowshipping with each other directly after the Lord's Supper, with snacks and coffee.
Family Bible Hour
The first 20 minutes is for congregational singing. Following, a speaker will take the pulpit and present a variety of doctrinal and practical truths, designed to teach and encourage Biblical principles and values.
Sunday School (Childrens Meeting)
Sunday School is taught during the Family Bible Hour. The young are the focus of this program. After a time of group singing, the children are taught a broad range of stories and principles from the Bible using flannel-graph and object lessons. Every other Sunday, the lesson is reviewed and the children do crafts pertaining to the lesson taught from the previous week.
Our teachers have all come into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ when they accepted Him as their own personal Saviour.
Wednesday Prayer and Bible Study
This meeting is divided into two equal sections; the first for prayer and the latter for systematic Bible study. The Bible study is opened, with a qualified speaker who is assigned a topic or chapter for the exhortation of the assembly with biblical principles and values from the word of God.
Our History:
A Brief History of Colonial Hills Bible Chapel
By 1965, the Assembly at Melrose Bible Chapel had increased in families in
fellowship and it became apparent that additional space was needed. The oversight
began considering relocating to a new site. In 1966, Brother Sydney Green,
chairman of the Security Foundation, a division of the Bible Tract and Missionary
Society, called the believers at Melrose Bible Chapel to offer to donate to them a
tract of land on Henry Road. Brothers Earl Richter and Frank Martin drove out and
viewed the property located in North Houston off FM 525.
In 1968, Sydney Green repeated the offer a tract of land out of a five-acre tract
owned by the Security Foundation. Again, Earl Richter and Frank Martin drove out
to the property and saw many new homes being built near Henry Road. Having the
potential of reaching families for the Lord Jesus Christ, the offer was discussed in
the Assembly and the Elders decided to have to accept the offer.
The Trustees of Melrose Bible Chapel at that time were brothers Luby J. Walker,
Walter S. Nelson, Frank P. Martin, Richard D. Selby, and Joe Dimarco. In July of
1968, the believers of Melrose Bible Chapel began meeting in Colonial Hills
Elementary School next to the property on Henry Road. Mr. O. W. Hammond of
Pasadena, Texas, was contracted to draw up the plans, clear the land, and build the
building. The new chapel was opened in March of 1969.
After the new chapel was completed, it was decided by the Elders to change the
name of the Assembly to Colonial Hills Bible Chapel in order to identify with the
area of the Colonial Hills Subdivision. The dedication of Colonial Hills was held In
March of 1969.
The oversight currently consists of Frank Martin, Paul Moffit, Mathew Thomas, John
Mathew, Robert Terrill, and John Varghese.
The believers at Colonial Hills have been involved in many activities to reach the
lost: Vacation Bible School, Sunday School, serial weekly meetings during the
week, nursing home meetings, Star of Hope Farm, Star of Hope Oldham Ranch,
flea markets, camp work, missionary commendations, and they initiated the annual
Houston Area Bible Conferences in 1991.
An early outreach for the believers at Colonial Hills began while still meeting at
Melrose. The Star of Hope Mission in Houston began a rehabilitation farm located
on Rankin Road in 1958.
Workers commended from our chapel include Maria Darling, Keith & Callie
Munsterman, Raymond & Jennifer Johnson, Johnson & Valsa John.
In 1975, a group of believers from India began meeting at various homes and in
1976, the Colonial Hills oversight was gracious enough to provide them a room to
meet and worship the Lord. Then in 1985, they purchased a portable school
building and began their meeting in it. From that Assembly, other believers have
now formed new Assemblies in the Houston area. By 1995, many of the believers
from the India Assembly began meeting with the Assembly of Colonial Hills.
Colonial Hills Bible Chapel has been much like a school; students come, learn, and
are promoted (Christians moving to new areas) and some graduate (saints who are
called into the Lord’s presence).