The PuritanBoard - Church Order

All Church Work Day.

DD2009 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:47:58 GMT

We recently had an all Church work day at the Church on Saturday. We did everything from washing windows to transplanting bushes, to painting.

It was great. I had never been to one before, but it was a good time of fellowship and work. I'm actually looking forward to the next one.

Does anyone else have all church work days?

:D

Tithing to Missions

baron — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:44:10 GMT

Regarding the Tithing Post lately:

I was discussing with a friend why do churches teach that members must or should tithe but it's not required for the church to tithe to World Missions or just Missions in general? It seems that most Churches budget a certain amount per year and that is all the Missions receive regardless of what the Church takes in.

So if a certain Church teaches Tithing should not the Church lead by example?

Or do Churches not have to Tithe to Missions?

I was wondering how many PB members churches give at least 10% of their yearly income to Missions.

Thanks.

What if everybody tithed?

kceaster — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:27:30 GMT

This post is in no way suggesting that the argument I'm about to put forward justifies God's people to not give 10%. But I am interested in what you all think would happen.

Scenario: A church has about 100 members. Those 100 members are largely white collar professionals. Some have pretty decent incomes, some have moderate, some have modest. Let's say that these 100 members represent 25 familes. The combined income of those 25 families, breaks down like this:

5 families > $150,000 ~ $750,000 combined
5 families > $100,000 ~ $500,000 combined
5 families > $85,000 ~ $425,000 combined
5 families > $65,000 ~ $325,000 combined
5 families < $50,000 ~ $250,000 combined

The net of this is $2,250,000. Their combined tithe would be about $225,000. Assuming that their budget is about $125,000, they now have a yearly surplus of $100,000. They would be extremely blessed. In 10 years they could be sitting on $1,000,000.

My question is, would this be good for the church in general, or bad? Would the oft quoted, "Religion begat prosperity and the daughter devoured the mother," become a truism among Christ's church?

I think the biggest danger in having the resources we have in this country is that we wouldn't know what to do with more. We may begin to sit under our palm and feel good about ourselves too much. As such, God's sovereign design in the offerings of the church must be so that she has enough, but not too much.

I know the argument might be that we could do so much more in Home and Foreign mission work. Yet God is sovereign in this. He compelled the children in the desert to give so much to the tabernacle that Moses had to tell them to stop giving. Surely He carries on the mission work of the Church by His Spirit so that whatever is needed is provided.

Anyway, I was just curious to know what others thought about this.

In Christ,

KC

Tithing

DD2009 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:25:22 GMT

How much should a family tithe?

Is $10.00 per week a good example of a tithe?

Excommunication

Chaplainintraining — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:22:14 GMT

I was reading Owen and he states that someone should never be excommunicated from the physical location of the church, only excommunicated from church membership. Is this normal or did others literally bar people from coming to church?

Bad Testimony of a Church in presbytery

JBaldwin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:13:50 GMT

What do you do when you hear repeated bad reports about a church in your presbytery?

On and off over the last several years, I've heard negative reports about a church in our presbytery. We were members there at one time and left shortly after the last pastor (who resigned), and at least 1/3 of the congregation left in the year or two that followed. While the issues were not seriously doctrinal in nature, they were spiritual in nature and serious enough that many good people felt they could no longer submit to the church leadership.

The only reason I mention the above is I want to make it clear that people who've come to me with their concerns do so because they know I used to be a member there and that we went to the leadership to try to address the problems.

While I have heard the occasional complaint about this or that about this church in the last several years, lately, it seems every time I go out in public I run into someone who has had a bad experience with someone in leadership at that church (I've heard 4 bad reports in the last two weeks and only one person was a member of the church). These reports are coming from members, non-members and former members who have recently had dealings with the leadership in the church.

Last night, I had dinner with a group of women (none of whom are members), and one of the women quietly shared with me the problems her organization is having with the leadership and staff of the church. It bothered me so much, I'm still thinking about it this morning.

The problems are really no different than when we attended the church, but they have now seem to be reaching out and leaving a bad testimony with people who are associating with the church.

Is this nothing more than a matter of prayer? Or at some point, does this matter need to brought to the attention of someone in the presbytery?

I am going to talk to my pastor, but do have any of you pastors or elders ever encountered a problem like this in a PCA church?

immersion for transfers into PCA & other?

Wayne — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:37:58 GMT

It's late in the day and my brain's not ticking--could use some help here.

What is the proper response for/to those adults transferring into the PCA or other Presbyterian churches, who want to be immersed?

I seem to remember some discussion or statement on this in the past, but just can't dredge it up right now and need an answer by tomorrow.

Thanks!

Church Involvement Past Sunday

ewenlin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:24:29 GMT

Should church members seek for some kind interaction/fellowship with other members on top of Sunday Worship?

If it is beneficial, should the pastor actively encourage it?

How best can this be done then?

Deaconesses Poll

nleshelman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:31:46 GMT

Considering the discussion about Redeemer's practice, I am wondering if there are PB members who believe in 'women deacons'. I have a couple of questions to help shed everyone in the discussion:

What have you read for/against it?

For those who do believe in women deacons: What are your main biblical and theological arguments for it?

For those who do not believe in women deacons: What are the best texts/arguments that you have against it?

RIP. Jus Divinum Regiminis Ecclesiastici

NaphtaliPress — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:37:29 GMT

After 14 years sad to see it go out of print but my co editor just took the last copies. If you find any at RHB or elsewhere grab it as it is now unavailable from Naphtali Press. So I guess that means it is formally out of print.
http://www.naphtali.com/products-pag...london-c-1646/

OPC to Bible Fellowship Question

ServantofGod — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:02:07 GMT

I am a member of the OPC(Orthodox Presbyterian Church), but have decided to join a Bible Fellowship church. There is a problem as I try to proceed towards membership, and that is that the BFC requires immersion baptism for membership. I was sprinkled as a teen and Presbyterian. The impasse I have reached is that I fully believe sprinkling is a Biblical form of baptism, whereas they would require me to be immersed. Rebaptised in my mind, baptised for the first time in theirs. I'm not quite sure what to do. I wish to place myself under the authority and discipline of this church, but I don't believe it is appropriate to be rebaptised.

I am meeting with the pastor next week, and state my cause for sprinkling. It will be quite interesting, and the pastor is an awesome and godly man, so it should be quite refreshing. What are my options?

1. Is it right to place myself under the church outside of membership?

2. Would it be appropriate for me to be rebaptised so as to honor the authority of the church?

NOTE: No need for a sprinkling vs. immersion debate, I've been reading through an earlier thread on the subject.

Remain in SBC?

AThornquist — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:30:42 GMT

I am honestly trying to get a grasp on this issue. Why would any Calvinistic church remain in the SBC? If as a whole the SBC is not firm on the true gospel, why stay within the camp?

Best way to involve visitors in the church???

Walkthecalling — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:25:39 GMT

Hello all,
I am looking for resources and opinions about our church. I have taken over the visitor program and we have been blessed with new guests/visitors and interested people. The steps we put in to make sure they are greeted and followed up with, have ensured they are getting that information.
Now we are trying to put the framework together for the next step. How do we assimilate them into the body? We want them to know the statement of faith and understand that part, involve them in church activities and small groups and include them in areas of service.
Anyone have some advice or know solid resources? We have thought about a new person class that includes most of this, but we face the challenge of possibly only having 1 or 2 people in it on occasion. Our biggest week of visitors was 4. With such small numbers we need to include these people and get them involved in the church body. Any help would be appreciated.

Church letters (letters of transfer, discipline, etc)

Pergamum — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:40:32 GMT

Quote:

�Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?�

� II Corinthians 3:1.

I am trying to get a fuller understanding on church letter writing. There seemed to be a practice of letters of commendation from one body of believers to another in the NT.

Above, we have what appears to be sarcasm from Paul about these letters. I am seeking fuller understanding of the cultural background of this and why Paul appears sarcastic.

Also, I know that many baptist churches desire letters of transfer when a member goes from one local church to another.

Also, I have received one or two emails in the past about cases of discipline within the church. I am not sure it was my business. Too, I have heard of one church sending news out to surrounding churches that one of their members was under discipline. Another church sent out a letter that said that a person in their church had left their church and to beware of that person.

What are normal practices that occur in reference to this practice of letter writing? What are common problems, and situations which arise?

PCA BCO 38-1, Can I get an interpretation?

Romans922 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:45:02 GMT

Cases Without Process

38-1. When any person shall come forward and make his offense known to the court, a full statement of the facts shall be recorded and judgment rendered without process. In handling a confession of guilt, it is essential that the person intends to confess and permit the court to render judgment without process. Statements made by him in the presence of the court must not be taken as a basis of a judgment without process except by his consent. In the event a confession is intended, a full statement of the facts should be approved by the accused, and by the court, before the court proceeds to a judgment. The accused has the right of complaint against the judgment.
Can someone help me with an interpretation, especially of the underlined/bolded?Also, what if he/she confesses something and yet is unrepentant of it during his/her confession of another sin (they have not turned from it)?