Non-denominational church
Our college age daughter is questioning the differences between non-denominational churches and WELS churches. She was born and raised WELS and attended both WELS elementary and high school. She attends a liberal college and has a boyfriend who is non-denominational. Although questioning one's faith is good, she is seeing no differences between the two. She has spoken with the WELS Campus Minister who is confirming there are no differences. I feel very inadequate finding a way to tell her that it's good to question your faith, but there are differences and why we teach and conduct our services the way we do. She will be contacting a former pastor/teacher from her high school to further discuss. Any suggestions on where I can start and what I can say to her that will help?
While not all non-denominational churches have the exact same doctrines and practices, there are some common denominators. Common teachings of non-denominational churches include, but are not limited to, decision theology, the rejection of biblical fellowship principles, and the rejection of infant baptism and the real presence of the Lord’s body and blood in the Lord’s Supper.
You can suggest that your daughter obtain the “statement of faith” or other appropriately-named document from the non-denominational church that her boyfriend attends. She and her boyfriend can then compare that statement of faith with what the Bible teaches.
If your daughter is looking for a statement of faith from WELS that her boyfriend could examine, you can direct her to This We Believe, a statement of belief of our church body.
“Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22). Those are good words of encouragement to pass along to your daughter as she examines church teachings and compares them with the Bible. God bless your conversations with her.