Church Cancel The title field is required!

1. Wahlin Scott B

   
   12/26/2012 10:12 AM

   We have a mega-church in Palm Beach County with thousands of contributors. They just purchased a Dillards that was part of the Boynton Beach Mall for 4.6 million. They expect to spend millions more to make it into a church. My family were members of a small Baptist Church when the kids were little. I volunteered to maintain the outside. I nursed plants back to health that I picked out of dumpsters. I got a fertilizer distributor to give me bags of "sweepings" - the stuff that falls randomly on the floor and you cannot be sure what you have. Anyway, we had beautiful flowers and green healthy grass, and they told me to cut it out. They said it looked like they were spending too much on trappings, and a church that does that is not spending enough on missions.

   
   
   
   
2. Jack Stephens

   

   0 posts
   
   12/26/2012 4:12 PM

   Scott,
   
   Similarly, Potter's House assumed the site of the former Normandy Mall is Jacksonville about a decade ago, and now houses many small businesses created by its members. Question, are mega churches viewed differently according to their congregational makeup, both theological and racial, amongst fellow Christians? It seems that Rick Warren and his touchy-feely Christianity and TD Jakes and his buck-dancing manifestations are much less derided than the Doyle Brunson fundamentalist tomes. As a non believer it all gets a little confusing.
   
   Brad Stephens
   Assistant Superintenent
   King and Bear- World Golf Village

   
   
   
   
3. Wahlin Scott B

   
   12/26/2012 6:12 PM

   Jack Stephens said: Scott,
   
   Similarly, Potter's House assumed the site of the former Normandy Mall is Jacksonville about a decade ago, and now houses many small businesses created by its members. Question, are mega churches viewed differently according to their congregational makeup, both theological and racial, amongst fellow Christians? It seems that Rick Warren and his touchy-feely Christianity and TD Jakes and his buck-dancing manifestations are much less derided than the Doyle Brunson fundamentalist tomes. As a non believer it all gets a little confusing.
   
   Brad Stephens
   Assistant Superintenent
   King and Bear- World Golf Village

   
   
   Brad,
   I get the impression that you are better versed at debating this subject than I am. I don't have to debate it in that all I have is my testimony and that is beyond debate. As far as mega-churches are concerned (realizing that Catholicism has got to be the biggest Christian Church) they tend to be "Bible Teaching" churches. The Pope is not in the Bible and the Ten Commandments are pretty well discounted in the new testament. The mega-churches attempt to appeal to the masses and provide a show on Sundays. Most say, "Small groups are how we do church." They meet in small groups during the week to study the Bible, pray and minister to each other.
   Scott

   
   
   
   
4. Jack Stephens

   

   0 posts
   
   12/27/2012 2:12 PM

   Fair enough.
   
   Brad Stephens
   Assistant Superintendent
   King and Bear- World Golf Village

   
   
   
   
5. Matthew Neff

   

   0 posts
   
   12/27/2012 2:12 PM

   Jack Stephens said: Scott,
   
   Similarly, Potter's House assumed the site of the former Normandy Mall is Jacksonville about a decade ago, and now houses many small businesses created by its members. Question, are mega churches viewed differently according to their congregational makeup, both theological and racial, amongst fellow Christians? It seems that Rick Warren and his touchy-feely Christianity and TD Jakes and his buck-dancing manifestations are much less derided than the Doyle Brunson fundamentalist tomes. As a non believer it all gets a little confusing.
   
   Brad Stephens
   Assistant Superintenent
   King and Bear- World Golf Village

   
   
   That's a great question. As a Christian (albeit not always the best one), I find myself frequently considering this topic as well. I personally find both the touchy-feely and the holy rolling, dancing in the aisles varieities a little off-putting (which in my expereince frequently co-exsist within the same congregations). But ultimately it doesn't really matter what I think. It's all about what works for the individual and how they feel led to practice and demonstrate their faith. It comes down to personal preference. To me, Christianity is deeply personal and reverent which isn't to say that I'm not willing to talk about it to others or do not find happiness in it. The more demonstrative worship is just not how I choose to practice my faith. I will admit to a huge amount of skepticism towards some of the tele-evangelist type mega-churches that seem to be more geared to generating revenue than what many (both believers and non-believers) would consider to be appropriate. But bottom line - I think since it comes down to preference and personal convictions there really is no way for someone to criticize how another chooses to worship in the scenario you presented in your question.

   
   
   
   
6. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   12/27/2012 5:12 PM

   Matt,
   
   That's the way I typically view it as well. The best line I ever had a pastor give me was when me and my wife were meeting the pastor for pre-marriage counseling, I mentioned I don't attend church partly because of the line of work I'm in doesn't always allow it, and I said I didn't need a church to help me believe what I believe. She (the pastor) agreed, but did tell me what the church can offer is a sense of community as well. Despite having to work Sunday's when living there in NJ, we went to church more often there then anywhere else.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
7. Wahlin Scott B

   
   12/28/2012 6:12 PM

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtVgr4OrfcE