I am happy to write to you.  I am wanting to know how you conduct your worship on Sundays.

God bless you.

Sincerely,
Looking For Order

Dear Looking For Order,

The Bible gives us examples and commands for five different elements to the public worship.

1. Teaching/Preaching (1 Cor 4:17)
2. Singing (Eph 5:19)
3. Prayer (Acts 12:5)
4. Taking A Collection – Sunday only (1 Cor 16:1-2)
5. Lord’s Supper – Sunday only (Acts 20:7)

Of these five elements, two of them are specifically allowed only on Sundays.  The others can be done any time the brethren get together.  The congregation here in Monroe, WA is a simple New Testament congregation, and our worship is just what you find in the Bible.

Why do many preachers preach, and they say that when a son or daughter have drifted to the wrong path (meaning the worldly life), it is the parents’ fault?  Yet, you see that in there own household, they have youth who aren't serving God and are roaming the world... why do many preachers say that?

Sincerely,
Double-Checking Double Standards

Dear Double-Checking Double Standards,

We don’t pretend to represent all preachers; we can only tell you what the Bible says on the subject.  When we preach on the topic of raising children, we talk about the fact that parents have a huge influence on the future of their children.  God tells us that we should “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old they will not depart from it” (Pr 22:6).  That is one of many verses that address a parent’s responsibility to instill the truth in their children.  When kids grow up, they still have the freedom to choose right and wrong for themselves, but how their parents raise them sets them up for failure or success.

The fact that we preach on the responsibilities of parents doesn’t mean that all preachers are perfect parents – in fact, it is quite the opposite.  We are always preaching Bible concepts that we personally fail at.  Preachers fall short just like everyone else (Rom 3:23).  We don’t preach on moral issues because we are perfect men; we preach on these issues because God has given us His Word to guide us (Ps 119:105).  The message is perfect, not the messengers.

We've been described by several in our group as a "blue collar” church.  We have many adults in attendance who don't read well.

Can a church teach reading, English, history, philosophy, Greek, or anything else necessary to understand deeper Bible concepts?

Sincerely,
Well-Read

Dear Well-Read,

Every command that you find in the Bible has specific and general qualities to it.  For example, when God told Noah to build the ark, He told Noah to use a specific kind of wood (gopher wood – Gen 6:14) and build the ark to specific dimensions (Gen 6:15-16), but He left the details of how to cut, fasten, and construct the ark up to Noah.  It would have been wrong for Noah to use oak or birch, and it would have been wrong for Noah to change the dimensions of the ark, but aside from that, Noah had freedom to use his own wisdom in the engineering of the ark.  The things that God was specific on, Noah had to be specific on to… but the things God was general about, Noah had freedom to decide for himself.

Now that brings us to your question.  The church has the authority to do whatever is necessary to teach and preach the Word (Acts 15:35) – the specific quality of that command is that the church must forward people’s understanding of God’s Word.  However, as any good teacher knows, you have to start teaching your students from where they are.  The church shouldn’t become a secular academic institution, but if providing someone with a better understanding of world history, Bible times and culture, language, etc. helps to further their grasp of Bible concepts, it is perfectly permissible.  God left the command to teach and preach as a general command for a reason; the specifics of teaching are left up to the Bible teachers.

Why do Americans go outside the United States on mission trips when I feel it is needed more in the United States?

Sincerely,
Worker At Home

Dear Worker At Home,

There is a need for the gospel in every corner of the globe.  Jesus told His disciples to spread the news from every housetop and in every street (Matt 10:27).  God doesn’t desire that any should perish (2 Pet 3:9).  We couldn’t agree more that the gospel needs to be preached in the United States, but the United States doesn’t need the saving Word of Jesus any more than other nations.  It isn’t a matter of exclusively preaching in America or exclusively preaching outside of America… both are necessary.  Jesus' Word is intended to turn the whole world upside down (Acts 17:6).

How do I become a preacher?

Sincerely,
Career Oriented

Dear Career Oriented,

Preachers always start out the same way – as christians.  When Paul enlisted Timothy to preach, he did so because Timothy was well spoken of amongst the brotherhood (Acts 16:1-3).  There is no magic formula for how to become a preacher.  Study (2 Tim 2:15) is the biggest key.  Any man who desires to preach needs to know his Bible (1 Pet 3:15).  The Bible pattern for preaching often involved an apprenticeship with an already existing preacher (i.e. Timothy and Titus studying with Paul).  Ultimately, every preacher started out as someone preparing himself to be of use to the Lord (2 Tim 2:21), and that preparation readied him to step into preaching when the opportunity presented itself.