The Church in Waco

What to Expect

“Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation…” -1 Cor. 14:26

The Christian life is a corporate life, for by faith and baptism we are incorporated into the Body of Christ for God’s manifestation and move. How we meet as the church should exhibit this corporate quality.

In one of the only chapters in the New Testament that describes a meeting of the first century church, the apostle Paul says that when the whole church comes together, each person should have something to contribute—”each one has” (1 Cor. 14:26).

The weekly meetings of the church should make visible the fact that the church is the Body of Christ in which every member is gifted and indwelt by the Spirit and is able to minister their portion of Christ and knowledge of God’s word.

Because our meetings are designed to manifest this reality, the first time you join us, you may find our church meetings vibrantly different. While it may seem an unconventional way to practice church, it is in fact the original way. Paul instructed his congregations: “You can all prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be encouraged” (1 Cor. 14:31).

It can take a little while to acclimate to the rhythms of this style of worship, but we think that with time and understanding you will learn how to participate according to your comfort and the Spirit’s leading.

Principles of our Worship:

1. Our meetings are living; that is, they are full of the enjoyment and expression of the divine life, which we as the children of God possess.

2. Our meetings are focused on the truth; that is, we take the Bible and its revelation concerning the Triune God and His economy, the person and work of Christ, and the operation of the Spirit as our content.

3. Our meetings are in mutuality; that is, we encourage the participation, through praise, prophesying, and testimony, of every believer during parts of our gatherings, as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 14.

4. Our meetings are inclusive; that is, we accept and welcome all who believe in Christ as the God-man who lived, died, and rose from the dead because of our sins and for our justification before God.

5. Our meetings are based more on function than on form; that is, we conduct our meetings not according to ritual and tradition but for the sake of furthering the edification of the saints and the building up of the Body of Christ.1

Order of Worship:

10 am

  • Gathering
    • “Where there are two are three gathered into My name, there am I in their midst.” Matt. 18:20
  • The Lord’s Table
    • Remembrance of the Lord
    • Breaking of the bread
    • Worship of the Father
  • Greeting & Break
    • “Greet one another with a kiss of love.” 1 Pet. 5:14

11:05 am

  • Ministry of the Word
    • Opening Hymn
    • Scripture Reading
      • “Attend to the public reading.” 1 Tim. 4:13
    • Opening Word
    • Prophesying
      • “You can all prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be encouraged.” 1 Cor. 14:31
    • Closing Word

12 pm

  • Sending
    • Announcements & Dismissal
      • “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.” 2 Tim. 4:22

Where We Meet

We are currently meeting in the Wiethorn Building, on the North side of Baylor’s campus just off I-35 and University Parks Dr.

1301 S University Parks Dr
Waco, TX 76706

References:

  1. A Confirmation of the Gospel: Concerning the Teaching of the Local Churches and Living Stream Ministry (Anaheim: DCP Press, 2009), 48. ↩︎