I like Garry Friesen’s book, Decision Making and the Will of God. He suggests that God’s moral will for us is found in Scripture. Anything not discussed in Scripture is a matter of freedom. For example, a believer can choose any job except those forbidden by Scripture (e.g., hit man, thief, prostitute, pimp, drug dealer). It is not sinful to choose to be a plumber rather than a pastor or a mailman rather than a missionary.

I’m teaching a course on Ecclesiology this semester. In one lecture, I discussed over twenty areas of freedom concerning the Church. These are areas in which God has not given us instructions. For this blog, I’ve chosen the top twelve areas of freedom.

The Church Service. How long should the church service be? Should it be in the morning or evening? Does it need to be on Sunday? Is it okay to split the congregation into groups that meet on different days (e.g., Friday night, Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning)? While Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 14, and 1 Timothy 2 give some basic service elements, how much time will be spent on teaching, fellowship, prayer, singing, and the Lord’s Supper?

Teaching/Preaching. Should we preach or teach God’s Word? What is the difference? What are the elements that should be included in teaching and preaching? How long should a message be? Should only one man speak? Should messages be a verse-by-verse exposition of God’s Word? Are topical messages permitted?

Ministry for Children and Youth. Should there be classes for children and youth? Should there be youth group meetings and activities? Should children be in the worship service with the adults, and starting at what age? Should churches hire ministers for children and youth?

Weddings. Should churches open their facilities for weddings? Should the elders of the church preside at weddings? Would it be wrong for churches to choose not to use their elders or facilities for weddings?

Church Size. What is the optimum size for a church? Should churches plant new churches once they reach a certain size (100, 200, 400, etc.)? Is there a point at which a church is too big (e.g., 500, 1,000, 2,000)?

Giving. Since the NT does not command tithing, how does a believer decide how much to give to his local church? How do churches decide what to do with the money they receive? How much should be spent on salaries, facilities, missions, teaching materials, etc.?

Elders. The word elder refers to one who is older. Elders are not to be young men. But when does a man become old enough to be an elder? Thirty-five? Forty? Forty-five? Fifty?

Deacons. We have some idea of what deacons did in the first century. They handled benevolence needs for widows, orphans, and the poor in the churches (Acts 6; 1 Timothy 5). But today, the government and insurance have taken over much of that work. The early churches met in homes (Romans 16). But today, most churches meet in special church buildings. What should deacons do today?

Appointing elders. Timothy and Titus appointed elders in Ephesus and Crete. But there are no apostles and no apostolic delegates today. How are elders appointed when a new church is being planted? Who selects them? Does the whole church need to vote? Or are the first elders selected by the man who plants the church? Once there are elders, are new elders selected by the elder board or by the entire congregation?

Denominations. Should churches affiliate with denominations? If a church is independent, should it be involved in cooperative ministry with other churches? If cooperative ministry is undertaken, how does a church decide on the churches with which to share ministry? Should a local church be separated from certain other local churches that are considered doctrinally defective?

Bible translation. Should churches use Bible translations? If so, which translation should be used? Should churches have Bibles in the pews? Should Scripture be put on PowerPoint slides so people don’t need to bring Bibles to church?

Church Meeting Place. What is the optimum meeting place? Is it a home? A small building? A large cathedral? Should the meeting place be owned or rented?

God has given us much freedom regarding the Christian life and even the local church. If you are thinking of starting a church and are not bound by some tradition, you have many choices. You must decide what you should do to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Most of these questions have already been decided if you are part of a denomination. But if you are an independent church, you have lots of freedom. Just make sure to use that freedom wisely.