Why I Couldn’t Join Most Churches and what to look for...
Jun 7, 2015 9:28:29 GMT -5
jillian likes this
Post by Daniel on Jun 7, 2015 9:28:29 GMT -5
Why I Couldn’t Join Most Churches…and what you should look for in a church
by Randy White on May 13, 2015
If I were not a pastor, I would have a very difficult time finding a church. I find apostasy to be almost at an epidemic level in the modern church. Here’s why it would be difficult for me to find a church:
The doctrinal statements are weak (if they exist at all)
I don’t understand why a church doesn’t want to clarify and advertise its doctrine. I’m surprised how many churches have no doctrinal statement at all. Others simply say, “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, love.” Many doctrinal statements are so broad that evangelicals, Catholics and Protestants could all affirm the statement. I believe that a doctrinal statement ought to let people know where they are going to agree or disagree with you before they ever come in. At my church, the Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 serves as a broad parameter. However, the BF&M is far to broad for a local church, so we have adopted Doctrinal Distinctives that clarify certain points within the broader statement.
If I were attending a church, I would want a church with doctrinal convictions. It is easy to find a church with pragmatic convictions, social convictions, or value-related convictions, but almost impossible to find one with doctrinal convictions.
The denominational or networking affiliations are unclear
I want to know how a church is networked, and what they feel about those connections. Is the church easily discernible as a Baptist, Methodist, or independent church? Even if it is not in the name, can I find out from the website what the associations are? Is the Pastor or the church part of agenda-based networks such as The Gospel Coalition, Acts 29, or Willow Creek Association? Is the church denominationally affiliated, and, if so, to what extent are they supportive of their denomination? (I am denominationally affiliated and denominationally disgruntled, by the way, and don’t keep that a secret).
In short, I want the affiliations of my church to be clear, and I wouldn’t want to attend a church that was shy about their affiliations and their convictions about those affiliations.
The programs are the tail that wags the dog
What is the driving force of a church? The Pastor can answer this quickly, of course. I want a church that is doctrinally driven. Such a church will have programs, but you’ll never hear someone say, “Come to our church because we have the best children’s ministry in town.” Since we live in a day in which program structures have become the sacred cow of the church, I want to make sure I’m not at a church worshiping that old, fat heifer of program ministry, whether she be the music ministry, children or youth ministry, or the senior adult travel club.
The sermons don’t teach the Bible
If I were looking for a church, I’d want to find a pastor who was teaching my family, others, and the content of the Bible. Since I’m already an avid student of the Word, I wouldn’t expect him to teach me something I didn’t already know, but I would want him to teach the congregation the facts of the Bible. I would want evidence from his preaching that he has rejected the long-taught method of preaching that calls for “explanation, illustration, application” of each text. If he hasn’t rejected it, he’s going to be telling stories and making up application just to make his preaching professor happy. I think a good sermon is filled with solidly Biblical content. A great sermon is filled with solidly Biblical content with the addition of good delivery.
If you are looking for a church, here are some things you should look for:
Can you have a meeting with the Pastor?...
Does the Church have a clearly defined eschatology?...
Is the Church congregationally governed?...
Does the church believe in the verbal plenary inspiration and the sufficiency of the 66 books of Scripture?...
What is the Pastor’s presentation of the Gospel?...
please read full article here
www.randywhiteministries.org/2015/05/13/why-i-couldnt-join-most-churches-and-what-you-should-look-for-in-a-church/
by Randy White on May 13, 2015
If I were not a pastor, I would have a very difficult time finding a church. I find apostasy to be almost at an epidemic level in the modern church. Here’s why it would be difficult for me to find a church:
The doctrinal statements are weak (if they exist at all)
I don’t understand why a church doesn’t want to clarify and advertise its doctrine. I’m surprised how many churches have no doctrinal statement at all. Others simply say, “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, love.” Many doctrinal statements are so broad that evangelicals, Catholics and Protestants could all affirm the statement. I believe that a doctrinal statement ought to let people know where they are going to agree or disagree with you before they ever come in. At my church, the Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 serves as a broad parameter. However, the BF&M is far to broad for a local church, so we have adopted Doctrinal Distinctives that clarify certain points within the broader statement.
If I were attending a church, I would want a church with doctrinal convictions. It is easy to find a church with pragmatic convictions, social convictions, or value-related convictions, but almost impossible to find one with doctrinal convictions.
The denominational or networking affiliations are unclear
I want to know how a church is networked, and what they feel about those connections. Is the church easily discernible as a Baptist, Methodist, or independent church? Even if it is not in the name, can I find out from the website what the associations are? Is the Pastor or the church part of agenda-based networks such as The Gospel Coalition, Acts 29, or Willow Creek Association? Is the church denominationally affiliated, and, if so, to what extent are they supportive of their denomination? (I am denominationally affiliated and denominationally disgruntled, by the way, and don’t keep that a secret).
In short, I want the affiliations of my church to be clear, and I wouldn’t want to attend a church that was shy about their affiliations and their convictions about those affiliations.
The programs are the tail that wags the dog
What is the driving force of a church? The Pastor can answer this quickly, of course. I want a church that is doctrinally driven. Such a church will have programs, but you’ll never hear someone say, “Come to our church because we have the best children’s ministry in town.” Since we live in a day in which program structures have become the sacred cow of the church, I want to make sure I’m not at a church worshiping that old, fat heifer of program ministry, whether she be the music ministry, children or youth ministry, or the senior adult travel club.
The sermons don’t teach the Bible
If I were looking for a church, I’d want to find a pastor who was teaching my family, others, and the content of the Bible. Since I’m already an avid student of the Word, I wouldn’t expect him to teach me something I didn’t already know, but I would want him to teach the congregation the facts of the Bible. I would want evidence from his preaching that he has rejected the long-taught method of preaching that calls for “explanation, illustration, application” of each text. If he hasn’t rejected it, he’s going to be telling stories and making up application just to make his preaching professor happy. I think a good sermon is filled with solidly Biblical content. A great sermon is filled with solidly Biblical content with the addition of good delivery.
If you are looking for a church, here are some things you should look for:
Can you have a meeting with the Pastor?...
Does the Church have a clearly defined eschatology?...
Is the Church congregationally governed?...
Does the church believe in the verbal plenary inspiration and the sufficiency of the 66 books of Scripture?...
What is the Pastor’s presentation of the Gospel?...
please read full article here
www.randywhiteministries.org/2015/05/13/why-i-couldnt-join-most-churches-and-what-you-should-look-for-in-a-church/
!!
