Watchcare Program

[Salty]

Many churches have the Watchcare Program. This is, to my understanding, for two main reasons:

1. Those Baptists who will be attending a Baptist church for a limited time. eg military, college, part-time job, ect.

2. Those who are not Baptist, but wish to serve in a church position such as SS teacher, usher, ect.

What are your thoughts about the WP?

 

[Trotter]

I've never heard of it. Care to elaborate?

In Christ,
Trotter

 

[Dr. Bob]

We have a program where students here in Casper retain their membership in their home church but are "watched over" - families adopt a student, elders/deacons are assigned to each to help meet needs and be sure they don't drift away from the Lord when away from home and church.

 

[computerjunkie]

It is my understanding that Watchcare Programs are not used much anymore, although you say many churches have it. Generally, people just move their membership back and forth. Or they attend a local church without ever officially joining the church.

(Trotter, Watchcare is/was a program where a person could "join" a local church under "Watchcare" but still remain a member of their home church. For instance, a missionary or a college student who attended a local church but was receiving financial support from their home church. The local church would "watch over" them while they were away from their home church.)

As for #2, I don't know of any Baptist church that would let a non-Baptist (or any non-member, for that matter) serve as a SS teacher or any other position in the church. In my church, you must be a church member (thus, a Baptist) to serve in most areas. (We have a lawncare team and some of the people who serve on it are not church members, but just enjoy it and want to help. They usually are friends of church members. But that's the only area I can think of off the top of my head that one does not have to be a church member in order to serve.)

However, I don't "get out" much, so I could be mistaken as to what other churches do!!

 

[Salty]

Originally posted by computerjunkie:


As for #2, I don't know of any Baptist church that would let a non-Baptist (or any non-member, for that matter) serve as a SS teacher or any other position in the church. In my church, you must be a church member (thus, a Baptist) to serve in most areas.

May I share what happened in our SBC church in Germany. A Presbyterian lady started attending First Baptist, Contwig. Since she had only been sprinkled, she was not eligible for membership. Still, she wanted to help out in some capacity. It was decided it would be all right for her to assist the Junior SS teacher. This continued for several weeks. Unexpectatly, the teacher had to take an emergancy PCS. (PCS = militarty talk for having to go back to the states immediately). The next Sunday, the (non-member) assistant taught the class, and the next week and the next week, and the next week. This went on for about two months.