Are members required to attend the WCG congregation closest to them?
No. In areas where we have more than one congregation, members may attend any congregation they wish, and may select any congregation as their home congregation. We do not want pastors to be territorial. For various reasons members may wish to attend a different congregation--more convenient worship times, friends and family connections, service opportunities and personal preferences.
We do not want to encourage floating, however. We want all members to be involved in meaningful ministry, and that usually means making commitments to a specific congregation.
Is it permissible to mix traditional and contemporary music in a blended worship service?
Certainly. In Pasadena, for example, the morning service is actually a blended service, even though some people call it traditional (in contrast to the contemporary afternoon service). In the morning, sometimes we sing from the hymnal with traditional piano accompaniment, sometimes with a band, sometimes with words projected on the screen. And sometimes we sing contemporary songs with piano accompaniment and sometimes old hymns. Many combinations are possible.
God has blessed humanity with a capacity to create and enjoy a wide variety of music. Scripture also gives us precedent for a variety of instruments to be used in worship. We believe it is helpful for everyone to occasionally learn a new song, perhaps in a different style. Even in conservative churches, some more contemporary songs can be introduced and become known through special music, incorporation into the congregational singing, or as background music before and after services.
The fall Festival will have blended worship services. It will be helpful if members have at least a little familiarity with some of the contemporary songs.
June 24, 1997, WN, page 3
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