by Jim Trebbien
It was my thought, for a number of years, that the Church, as practiced, is not very Biblical. It has been my intention to study the Word of God, especially the New Testament, to discover how the church should be organized, structured, and what its function should be. My intent was to include only ideas from the Bible, and not incorporate tradition into this study. The study has been undertaken through my reading, through reading with my family, and through "home churching", I knew my thoughts on a purely biblical church would end up varying considerably from what we had known in the past, I just had no idea how much.
A "church" is a small body of people who gather together to do the things of God. There is little evidence that the church was ever intentioned to meet in any form, but in small groups. This was done in order to study the Word of God, and do the things listed in this guide. At times the entire church in the area will meet together in a public place for public praise, worship, and for feasts.
It is not the intention of this study to quote verses from the Word of God. Only you can study the Word and to see if this guide is confirmed by the Word of God. It is not written to debate on the merits of what God has shown. You read, you pray, you study, and then you take action. All of the writing in this booklet can be confirmed in the Bible. I believe that, although this has not been the model of the church for years, it will soon be again, as the end of the age comes.