Why is corporate worship important?
Scripture is clear that Jesus died for the church (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25) and that the church is His body (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 10:17; 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:23; 4:12; 5:30; Colossians 1:18, 24; Hebrews 13:3). Participation in a church is essential to the spiritual health of individual Christians. So, why should Christians attend church? First…
Should the church accept money if it is obtained in an ungodly manner?
The short answer is, no, a church should not accept money knowing it was obtained in an ungodly manner. However, it is important to define what ungodly means in this context. For example, a church certainly should not accept money obtained through theft. Doing so condones or accepts an action that is both immoral and…
What is a denomination?
In a religious context, the word denomination is often defined as “a recognized autonomous branch of the Christian church.” One denomination will include many local churches that are usually spread over a broad geographical region. At GotQuestions.org, we have many articles about denominations that you may find helpful: What are the most common denominations of…
Is ecumenism biblical?
Walter A. Elwell, in The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, defines ecumenism as “the organized attempt to bring about the cooperation and unity among Christians.” On an international level, the World Council of Churches represents ecumenism when it states its purpose this way: “The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess…
What is excommunication in the Bible?
First, we should note that the Bible never uses the word excommunication. It’s a word that has been adopted by some religious groups, especially by the Catholic Church, to denote the formal process of removing someone from membership and participation in the church, from relationship with the church community, or, in the Catholic view, even…
What is homiletics?
The term homiletics comes from the word homily, which basically means “a sermon.” Homiletics is the art of preparing sermons and preaching. Those who study homiletics seek to improve their skill at communicating the gospel and other biblical topics. The discipline of homiletics falls under the umbrella of pastoral or practical theology. Preaching and, therefore,…
What does the Bible say about the role of associate/assistant pastor?
Generally speaking, an associate/assistant pastor is a pastor who serves in a supporting role to a church’s senior pastor. Sometimes the role is somewhat of an internship, preparing the man to later serve as a senior pastor. Other times an associate/assistant pastor performs administrative responsibilities to free up the senior pastor to focus more on…
What is disfellowshipping?
Disfellowshipping is a term that refers to putting one out of the fellowship, or common group, due to some sin, moral lapse, or unfaithfulness. Although the concept is widely practiced among religious groups of various kinds, this specific term is used in the Church of Christ and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. To be disfellowshipped is to…
Why should a church have a small group ministry?
Small groups, life groups, cell groups, Bible studies—whatever you wish to call them—are an important part of many churches. Some churches wrap their entire identity and infrastructure around their small groups ministry. Others depend on small groups for growth. There is a growing trend that even uses an expanded small group model as a church-planting…
What is the Moses model of church leadership?
The Moses model or Moses principle (sometimes called the “Moses-Aaron” leadership style) is a church leadership structure based on the example of Moses’ leadership in the Old Testament. The Moses model could be considered a pastor-rule or elder-rule style of church polity, but it is definitely not congregational rule. The Moses model is usually associated…