I just thought that I would share some of my thoughts. First of all, this has been a very very excellent thread. This is a topic that I think about a lot. So much so that I have started to visit another church for a different perspective. I attend a PCUSA church right now. http://www.gbpres.org/ And the church that I have been examining I have found to be a little more reformed. http://ipc.faithweb.comKeep in mind that I have attended my current church for 10 years and I haven't been to any other churches. So when I decided to explore, I found that I have enjoyed it because it really has been a good learning experience for me. The first time that I went to Immanuel I was pleasently supprised. It was a lot smaller then my church. My church has over a thousand members. As a deacon I have 28 families in my flock. But I found myself really enjoying the smaller atmosphere. The Pastor was the first person I talked with and He was very open. My pastor is really nice, but he is also very careful in what he says and doesn't engage in long discussions. So much so that I don't really enjoy talking to him. But that's a minor point. The best thing I liked about Immanuel is that it was very limited in it's activities. They have two worship times on Sunday, a Christian Education time on Wednesday and a Prayer Meeting on Saturday. That's it. I have attended them all and I really enjoyed them. They also sing the psalms which I really enjoyed. But it's all done as one body. They don't even have Sunday School. My point here is that, This is an environment that has remained focused on worshiping our Lord and sharing the Gospel instead of focussing on peoples needs and trying to attract more people and keep the attendence up. The other thing that I really enjoyed about the Immanuel church was the singing. The singing was done together and the choir and piano didn't drown out everyone's voice. The choir was very small and I the music was very uplifting. My choir has about 25 people and the organ and the music director teaches at a University and I'm sorry but I feel as though try's to put everyone's attention on her and her choir. It's so loud also so that you really can't hear yourself sing. Plus I'm not too found of the way we do our hymnals. They're all very slow and I find myself yawning during them.

So to wrap this up, I certainly agree that the doors of the church should be open to everyone. But when they come in, they will hear the Gospel preached to them and feel convicted. So if they decided to come back it will be because the Holy Spirit will have worked in them and have called them back to worship and praise our Lord and not to hear a feel good sermon, or to drop they're kids off at Sunday School or to be entertained by the "drama club" or the big screen powerpoint projections and the contemporary Christian music or to go to a Sunday School class that focuses on modern problims with more secular solutions so as not to offend or scare anyone away.

A common argument is that God will use it. But my argument is that where do we mature in Christ? Are we going to be so Liberal so we can seemingly get more converts but not ever do anything to help mature the body in fear of offending them?

The very interesting thing that is happening right now, is that my Christian brother Robert ( who descipled me ) is doing a Predestination Sunday School class. This class is pretty indepth and holds to the reformed theology. You can tell that this isn't the type of Christianity that most of the attendents are used too. But the interesting thing is that the class keeps growing. You can almost see the gears turing in their heads during the lesson. It's so awesome. I have been very encouraged because of this class. So it has been a way for me to really believe that we should be concentrating on the Pure Gospel and in maturing in our pilgrimage and not neccesarily concerned about offending anyone. For we should not be ashamed of sharing the good news.

Y.B.I.C,

Dave. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/coffee2.gif" alt="" />

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. - Galatians 2:16