4: A FEW WEEKS AGO YOU MADE A DECISION, YOUR DECISION THAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD LIKE AND SOME PEOPLE WOULD NOT LIKE, BUT YOU MADE A DECISION BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD VISION. DO WE HAVE THE - DO YOU ELDERS HAVE THE FAITH IN THE BODY OF CHRIST TO KNOW THAT IT IS GOD'S MERCY THAT EVERYONE OF US IS HERE TODAY?
(YES, THE ELDERSHIP DOES BELIEVE THAT IT IS THROUGH GOD'S MERCY THAT EVERYONE OF US IS HERE TODAY.)
(THE INTENT AND PURPOSE BEHIND HAVING TWO SERVICES CONTAINING DIFFERENT WORSHIP STYLES IS TO GIVE OUR MEMBERS A CHOICE. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT HAVING TWO SERVICES IS DIVISIVE.)
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE THREE ELDERS PLUS [...........] AND [.............] ON THE WORSHIP COMMITTEE. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THE ENTIRE ELDERSHIP COULD OVERSEE THE WORSHIP FORMAT SO THAT WE MIGHT BE MORE CONSISTENT EACH WEEK?
(BECAUSE OF TIME RESTRICTIONS, MUCH OF THE WORK DONE BY THE ELDERSHIP IS THROUGH COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS. THE ELDERSHIP RECENTLY ADDED ONE ADDITIONAL MEMBER AND ONE ALTERNATE TO WORSHIP COMMITTEE. THERE ARE CURRENTLY FOUR ELDERS AND TWO ALTERNATES PLUS [.........] AND [.......]ON THE COMMITTEE. THE ENTIRE ELDERSHIP DOES DISCUSS AND APPROVE THE WORSHIP FORMAT FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND GIVE DIRECTION TO THE WORSHIP COMMITTEE ON AN OUTGOING BASIS. )
IS THERE SOMEWAY TO HAVE A BALANCED SERVICE WITH SINGING, PREACHING, PRAYER, AND COMMUNION?
(THE WORSHIP COMMITTEE DOES ATTEMPT TO BALANCE THE VARIOUS WORSHIP COMPONENTS IN KEEPING WITH THE "THEME" OF THE SERVICE ALSO THE WORSHIP STYLE OF THE SERVICE WOULD DETERMINE THE TIME ALLOCATION OF THE VARIOUS WORSHIP COMPONENTS.)
WHEN A STATEMENT IS READ FROM THE ELDERS TO THE CONGREGATION, SHOULDN'T THAT LETTER BE READ AND APPROVED BY ALL THE ELDERS BEFORE IT IS READ?
(IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO GIVE ALL OF THE ELDERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE AND APPROVE THE ACTUAL STATEMENT BEFORE IT IS READ OR GIVEN OUT TO THE CONGREGATION.)
ARE THERE PLANS TO INCORPORATE THE MADISON CHURCH OF CHRIST NOW OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE?
(THERE ARE NO PLANS TO INCORPORATE THE MADISON CHURCH OF CHRIST.)
([......................] DID NOT CHANGE THE WORSHIP. THE ELDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AND ALL CHANGES WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN PAST AND PRESENT WORSHIP SERVICES. [..........]IS SIMPLY IMPLEMENTING OUR DECISIONS. THE ELDERSHIP FEELS THAT ALL MEMBERS CAN WORSHIP AT MADISON "AS THEY SHOULD".)
5: IF THE WORSHIP FORMAT OF THE SECOND SERVICE IS SCRIPTURALLY CORRECT, IS THERE SOMEWAY TO STANDARDIZE BOTH SERVICES SO THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE A DIVISION IN THE CHURCH?
6: WHY HAVE SOME OF YOU ELDERS DIVIDED THE LORD'S CHURCH BY ALLOWING [...............................] TO CHANGE THE WORSHIP TO THE POINT THAT IT HAS CAUSED A LOT OF MEMBERS TO STATE THAT THEY CAN NO LONGER WORSHIP AS THEY SHOULD?