The Church of Christ is a group of people called out of the world by Jesus Christ to serve the one true and living God. The English word church is the rending of a Greek word which literally means "the called out." Hence the church is people, called out people. But called out by whom? They are called out by Christ. The words Church of Christ literally means those who have been called out by Christ. Where were they when Jesus called them? The Bible says of the Church of Christ in I Peter 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of the darkness into his marvelous light." Jesus calls people out of the moral and religious darkness of the world, and those who come out in response to his call, are then called out of Christ or the Church of Christ.

The Church of Christ is a group of people who have been converted to Christ. Their conversion was brought about by the one and only divine plan of salvation revealed in the New Testament. Every member of the Church of Christ was converted to Christ by taking the following four steps. The first step was faith. In conversion the Holy Spirit does not work by a direct, miraculous operation on the heart. He operates indirectly through the "sword of the Spirit", which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17). Romans 10:17 says, "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." We recognize that faith is essential to salvation, but not faith alone. James 2:24 says, "Ye see then how that works a man is justified, and not by faith only." Faith is the first step in conversion. The second step is repentance. Jesus said in Luke 13:3, "Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish." Repentance is a change of mind brought on by sorrow for sin and which leads to a change of life. Hence it cannot precede faith. After faith comes repentance. The third step is confession. Each member of the Church of Christ gladly made this confession: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8:36-38) The fourth step is baptism. Each member of the Church of Christ was immersed in water and in that act the past sins of his life were forgiven. Acts 22:16 says, "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."