Monday, December 15, 2008

Hot Topic for Believers Part 1

Here's a goodie for ya: if you are currently a believer (ie: believe that Jesus Christ has died thus forgiving your sins and have accepted Him as Lord and Savior of your life) how do you view our modern day churches? Should we be pouring our resources into buildings and programs to bring more people in to our churches or should those $$ be going toward feeding, clothing and providing for the needs of the lost? Should we bring them in (to our church buildings) or meet them where they are at? Have our church services turned into performances or are they really all about growing disciples? Should we be meeting in homes instead of costly buildings, as the early apostles did? Are we still effectively training people in our congregations to "go ye into all the world, teaching them and baptizing them..."? Have we become too comfortable? Why is it that our North American churches seem to be lacking in power? The kind that results in massive change. When did we stop believing (not just knowing but taking action) in miracles and the fact we ARE to be doing "greater works than these"? Where's that line? Tell me what you think friends.

3 comments:

Scrapnqueen said...

I love all the food for thought, there. You're right, we are too encumbered by burdensome "CHURCH" and have gotten lost from what church should be.

Angela Fehr said...

I love our church - so I'm not really into stirring that pot! But what I love about our church is what makes it different from so many churches - we are very little about programs and tradition and very much about God's transforming work in individuals.
I get frustrated with the emerging church movement -one of the things that really bugs me about them is that they are so quick to denigrate the modern church - it's foolish to put a black mark on an entire institution because of the error of some. Especially when they are supposedly teaching more love and acceptance.
Back when Wade and I were first married and not happy with the fellowship we were getting at our church, we decided that, instead of changing churches, we would be the kind of church we wanted to attend. If we wanted openness and honesty, we needed to be open and honest. If we wanted better fellowship, we needed to open our doors to guests. Et cetera. We are blessed to be surrounded with friends and fellow church members who do the same.
Anyhow, I'm interested to see where you will be taking these posts!

Dawn said...

More to come. Soon.

"Every day is lost in which we do not learn something useful. Man has no nobler or valuable possession than time." Ludwig van Beethoven