A McAllen Congregation Restoring the New Testament Pattern
Laurel Heights Church of Christ meets on Tamarack Avenue in McAllen, Texas, a city in the Rio Grande Valley. The congregation's defining commitment is to follow the church as it appears in the New Testament, restoring what the members describe as "the purity, simplicity, and vitality of the New Testament Church." Every part of the church's life, from its weekly schedule to its method of interpreting Scripture, flows from that single conviction.
How They Read Scripture: Command, Example, and Necessary Inference
The interpretive framework at the center of the congregation is what they call CENI, an acronym for Command, Example, and Necessary Inference. The mission page spells out each component with a supporting verse. Command refers to the direct commandments of Christ and His apostles; the church cites John 14:15, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Example draws from the approved patterns of the early church, anchored in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." Necessary Inference applies careful reasoning to draw scriptural principles, illustrated by Paul's words in Ephesians 3:4 about the insight found in his writing.
Alongside these three, the church adds a fourth principle of practice: Silence. Where the Bible does not speak, the church remains silent, refusing to add to or take away from God's Word. The mission page quotes 1 Corinthians 4:6 and Deuteronomy 4:2 to support this posture. From CENI flows the congregation's stated mission: fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), fostering genuine discipleship (2 Timothy 2:2), worshiping in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24), serving with humility (Philippians 2:3-5), and reflecting Christ's transforming love and grace (John 13:34-35) in every aspect of life.
A Week Shaped Around the Word
Visitors will find four gatherings on the regular weekly schedule. Sunday mornings open with Bible study at 9:30 AM, followed by worship at 10:20 AM. A second worship service follows in the evening at 5:00 PM. The week closes with a midweek Bible study on Wednesday at 7:00 PM. Two Sunday services bookend a morning Bible study, and the midweek study gives a second touchpoint for digging into the text.
The church's blog describes these services as centered on the pattern the early church followed in Acts 2:42: the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers. Members devote themselves to apostolic teaching from God's Word, gather for prayer, sing together, and share in communion as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice.
Worship and Fellowship in Practice
Singing at Laurel Heights is congregational, with believers "addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" as Ephesians 5:19 directs. Prayer is a regular feature of the services, and the church points to Ephesians 6:18, "praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication," as the model. Communion is observed as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice, and fellowship is described as marked by "genuine love and unity," echoing Jesus' words in John 13:35 that all people will know His disciples by their love for one another.
The congregation understands its life together as part of the Great Commission. The mission page commits the church to proclaiming the gospel and seeking the lost (Luke 19:10), and the blog on services invites visitors to "journey together, guided by Scripture, committed to authentic worship, and devoted to loving one another deeply." The aim is that the Word of Christ would dwell richly among the members, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, as Colossians 3:16 puts it.
Teaching on Discernment
A recent teaching series by Herbert Berkley, the church's preacher, has focused on spiritual discernment. In a post titled "Anchored in Truth: Navigating Spiritual Deception with Discernment," he writes that discernment is not optional but "a divine imperative," citing 1 John 4:1, "test the spirits to see whether they are from God." He draws the example of the Bereans, who "examined the Scriptures daily" (Acts 17:11), and points to 1 Thessalonians 5:21, "Test everything; hold fast what is good."
The teaching contrasts the deceiver, who is "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44), with Christ, who calls Himself "the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). It also offers a litmus test from the Apostle John: any spirit that acknowledges the full deity and humanity of Christ is from God, while any spirit that undermines Christ's divinity aligns itself against God. The post ends with three reflective questions for readers about influences shaping their understanding of truth, daily habits of Scripture engagement, and confidence before Christ.
Visiting Laurel Heights
The church is located at 200 Tamarack Avenue in McAllen, Texas, 78501. Sunday Bible study begins at 9:30 AM, with morning worship at 10:20 AM and an evening service at 5:00 PM; a Wednesday Bible study meets at 7:00 PM. All gatherings are conducted in English. The congregation can be reached by phone at 956-984-9134 or by email at lhmcallencoc@gmail.com. Laurel Heights warmly welcomes newcomers to gather with them in McAllen as they seek, together, to follow the New Testament pattern of worship, teaching, fellowship, and prayer.