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Morning
Worship 11:30am
Evening
Gospel Service 7:00pm
We
believe that the central act of worship is the preaching
of God's word. This we seek to maintain in line with
historic Protestantism and, more importantly, in line
with the emphasis of the New Testament and we hold that
the faithful preaching of Christ is the central part of
Christian worship. Paul said, "Christ sent me not
to baptize, but to preach the gospel" (I Cor.
1:17). This is not to undervalue baptism, but it is to
establish the primacy of preaching in Christian worship.
That is why in our services the preaching is central.
THE
BIBLE WE USE IN OUR SERVICES
In
carrying on this preaching ministry the Free
Presbyterian Church has, throughout its history, used
the Authorized (often called the "King James")
Version of the Scriptures. We wish to avoid the
confusion that arises from the use of many different
translations and paraphrases in church services. We
believe the Authorized Version is unrivaled as a
translation of the Scriptures and that it reflects the
authentic, historic Hebrew and Greek texts that God
"immediately inspired, and by His singular care and
providence kept pure in all ages" (Westminster
Confession of Faith, I. 8.).
THE
BIBLE SETS THE STANDARD
We
believe that the best way to achieve a Biblical
experience of worship is to be governed as to the
content of our worship by the Word of God. This is
called the regulative principle of worship. Some
churches, notably the Lutheran and Anglican communions,
have adopted what is known as the normative principle,
which states that if an activity or form is not
forbidden in Scripture, it is acceptable. The regulative
principle, on the other hand, would admit only what
Scripture authorizes. Presbyterians have historically
held that the only way to worship God is the way He has
commanded or set forth in His Word. This is a sound
basis for worship as long as we allow that such things
as can be proved permissible by reference to some
general principles of Scripture, even when they are not
expressly commanded,
OUR
MUSIC
You
will find in all of our churches a great love for
singing to the Lord. Not only because God has called
upon His people to “enter into his gates with
thanksgiving and into his courts with praise” (Psa.
100:4), but because He has put a “new song” in our
mouths to magnify His greatness and His goodness (Psa.
40:3). We believe the Bible clearly directs us to use
music that will reflect the majesty and glory of our God
and of the gospel message.
The
music we use in our worship (whether vocal or
instrumental) clearly reveals that we are “new
creatures in Christ,” that old things have passed away
and all things have become new. The devil has his own
music, which the world—wittingly or
unwittingly—employs to honor him. But we believe that
this kind of music has no place in the life of the
Church, which is not to be “conformed to this
world,” but “transformed” into the image of Christ
(Rom. 12:2). We reject the modern-day notion that says
in order to reach the world with the gospel, we need to
use the world’s music. We therefore refuse to use
Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and any style of
music that, in our estimation, not only denigrates
Christ and His gospel, but also reflects the spirit of
the world, a spirit that is given over to entertainment
instead of to the worship of God and the edification of
the saints.
THE
LORD'S TABLE
That
fellowship with the Lord is especially sweet at the
Lord's Table. In Presbyterian church history, the
communion season has often been the time God has chosen
to visit His people with revival.
In
the Free Presbyterian Church, each session (i.e., board
of elders) has the right to determine the frequency of
observing the Lord's Supper. We adhere strictly to what
is the historic Protestant view of the ordinance. We
repudiate the Romish notion of transubstantiation and
Luther's idea of consubstantiation. There is no change
in the physical elements. There is no bodily presence of
Christ. Neither is the Supper a sacrifice for sin. It is
a blessed memorial in which Christ's "death is
showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a
corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers
of His body and blood, with all His benefits, to their
spiritual nourishment and growth in grace" (Shorter
Catechism, 96). Thus for us a communion service is no
mere "add-on" or afterthought to another
service. It is a solemn privilege to remember Christ,
and as we do so we earnestly crave the manifestation of
His glory to the reviving of our souls.
It
is the Lord's Table to which we come. It is not a
denominational table. All who credibly profess salvation
in Christ, are seeking to maintain a pure testimony, and
are not currently under discipline for sin in their
local church are welcome to participate in services that
for many of us are a foretaste of heaven. Here we view
our Saviour in symbols that point us to the day when we
will see Him face to face.
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