Church was designed to send out, so why do we focus on bringing in?

com7fy8

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Church was to prepare us to "go out". So, why does today's church focus so much on bringing in and keeping in?
Maybe He only wants those who are willing to fight for a relationship with Him.
There is the part, of helping one another to grow in Jesus and our relationship with Him. So, we do need to share with each other so we can build one another up and learn how to love the way Jesus wants. And as we become a love-healthy group, now we can send out ones who are proven and ready.

Before the disciples went out, they first spent time with Jesus, for preparation . . . also for getting closer to Him, and I would say so they could feed on His example of how He is and how He loves.

He chose them, "that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out", we have in Mark 3:14.

Also, in Acts we can see how ones proven were sent.

Is this relevant to what you mean by your question, please? And, of course, what do you think?

Possibly relevant to your question is that there can be groups who just keep whoever they get. Maybe, when they discover someone who is more outspoken and idealistic, they don't like this so they pay for the person to go on missions so they don't have to deal with the person.

But a scriptural church will prepare people, having "examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3) to help prepare younger Christians. And we run our cup over to bless other churches with our most special and blessed people.
 
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Johnny4ChristJesus

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There is the part, of helping one another to grow in Jesus and our relationship with Him. So, we do need to share with each other so we can build one another up and learn how to love the way Jesus wants. And as we become a love-healthy group, now we can send out ones who are proven and ready.

Before the disciples went out, they first spent time with Jesus, for preparation . . . also for getting closer to Him, and I would say so they could feed on His example of how He is and how He loves.

He chose them, "that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out", we have in Mark 3:14.

Also, in Acts we can see how ones proven were sent.

Is this relevant to what you mean by your question, please? And, of course, what do you think?

Possibly relevant to your question is that there can be groups who just keep whoever they get. Maybe, when they discover someone who is more outspoken and idealistic, they don't like this so they pay for the person to go on missions so they don't have to deal with the person.

But a scriptural church will prepare people, having "examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3) to help prepare younger Christians. And we run our cup over to bless other churches with our most special and blessed people.

I don't agree that is what is going on in today's church.
 
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Pioneer3mm

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Church was to prepare us to "go out". So, why does today's church focus so much on bringing in and keeping in?
Maybe it has to do with status, power and greed.
---
So we can say that we have more than others..
- More people, money and status.
 
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Albion

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Church was to prepare us to "go out". So, why does today's church focus so much on bringing in and keeping in?
It's the same process. The church reaches out to people in hopes of bringing them into the faith.
It depends mainly on what phraseology you want to use.
 
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com7fy8

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I don't agree that is what is going on in today's church.
Possibly, you mean this >
But a scriptural church will prepare people, having "examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3) to help prepare younger Christians. And we run our cup over to bless other churches with our most special and blessed people.
Jesus Christ's church is doing this. But there are plenty of people in churches who do not. It may not show publicly on TV or in more publicized church politics, but the humble ones can be feeding their example, on a personal basis which does not show publicly, but the ones who know these "examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3) are benefiting from them.

A younger pastor can be in the pulpit . . . not really mature . . . maybe more of an administrator, and burning out. But at the back of the church can be the mature seniors who mentor the younger and busy ones, and pray for them and personally share their example.

Jesus did not do just public ministering, but He ministered in the garden.
 
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geodub

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I believe that the church, like any properly functioning organism, will grow as a it serves. When we lift Him up, He will draw all people. As the churches grows, it can then equip to send people out.

The large a body gets, the more it can influence all areas of society. Many churches, many denominations, many cultures, many societies, many people, many regions, lands, areas... One Jesus. We will grow and we will change the nations and He will come back.

I believe that, like Paul said, regardless of anyone's motivation... Christ is preached. This is why the church grows.
 
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Johnny4ChristJesus

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It's the same process. The church reaches out to people in hopes of bringing them into the faith.
It depends mainly on what phraseology you want to use.

I hear you, but that isn't what I see happening....
 
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Albion

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I hear you, but that isn't what I see happening....
Do you mean that you see a lack of evangelism and missionary efforts?

Is it, instead, that too many churches try to entice people to come to their churches with coffee bars and couples' bowling teams, etc.? If so, I am with you.
 
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Uber Genius

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I don't agree that is what is going on in today's church.
So certainly it goes on in some churches and not in others.

We could perhaps cite Barna and Pew to as well as more specific research such as Natural Church Growth, etc. if we want to make the broad case that church is no longer functioning in the way Abion suggested.
 
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So I take the point to be that many church communities become insulator and focused on defending doctrine. They have few to none, who go out and preach the gospel to the poor, heal the sick, cast out demons, care for the infirm, etc. Even those who should be teaching by now don't seem to know basic doctrine. Having been in evangelical churches in the US for the last 44 years, across 6 churches I would agree that my experience is that few of those were even interested in going out 10,20, even 30 years into their walk with Christ. They knew little scripture, knew little doctrine, didn't participate in small groups, didn't pray for other people, didn't do outreach in their communities, didn't even know the four spiritual laws presentation. And that was evangelicals, who brag about their superiority in those areas as compared to other Christian denominations.

Further, though I worked 70-hours a week in my job, I found time to serve in ministry my entire Christian life. But when recruiting people to join me I found 1 in 10 were willing. They had too much time commitment in their 40-hr work weeks to help.

But on a positive note in China we have an underground church that is thriving. It is home-based and is estimated to be 40,000,000+ in size, making it the largest Christian church population in history.
 
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ViaCrucis

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Church was to prepare us to "go out". So, why does today's church focus so much on bringing in and keeping in?

Not everyone is an evangelist, not everyone is a missionary, not everyone is a pastor, or a teacher. Just as not everyone is a lawyer, or a doctor, or a baker.

Not everyone is "sent out". That has never been the case in the long history of Christianity.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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bling

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So I take the point to be that many church communities become insulator and focused on defending doctrine. They have few to none, who go out and preach the gospel to the poor, heal the sick, cast out demons, care for the infirm, etc. Even those who should be teaching by now don't seem to know basic doctrine. Having been in evangelical churches in the US for the last 44 years, across 6 churches I would agree that my experience is that few of those were even interested in going out 10,20, even 30 years into their walk with Christ. They knew little scripture, knew little doctrine, didn't participate in small groups, didn't pray for other people, didn't do outreach in their communities, didn't even know the four spiritual laws presentation. And that was evangelicals, who brag about their superiority in those areas as compared to other Christian denominations.

Further, though I worked 70-hours a week in my job, I found time to serve in ministry my entire Christian life. But when recruiting people to join me I found 1 in 10 were willing. They had too much time commitment in their 40-hr work weeks to help.

But on a positive note in China we have an underground church that is thriving. It is home-based and is estimated to be 40,000,000+ in size, making it the largest Christian church population in history.
The underground church in China has been estimated to be 100,000,000 by now.
For one thing they only count adult believers who have been baptized as believers.
 
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bling

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Not everyone is an evangelist, not everyone is a missionary, not everyone is a pastor, or a teacher. Just as not everyone is a lawyer, or a doctor, or a baker.

Not everyone is "sent out". That has never been the case in the long history of Christianity.

-CryptoLutheran
When you leave the building you go forth to do what?
 
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Saint Steven

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Church was to prepare us to "go out". So, why does today's church focus so much on bringing in and keeping in?
Thanks, this is an interesting topic.
What you are saying is true in one sense, but not so much in another sense. IMHO

We tend to be very insular. We stay in our small group. If we want to grow the church we consider marketing strategies. (the worldly approach) We treat the church like a business. In a legal sense it is.

On the other hand we do support missions and many churches are sending churches. But that means that those who are called to go, connect with us to get support. Which is fine. We try to balance this out by sending some from our congregation.

But as a church we tend to not be out in the world or reaching out to those around us. Most of us have jobs and hobbies and children in schools and go out shopping and are out in the world. But many are not looking for ministry opportunities.

The best preaching I ever heard on this subject was when a Pastor said, "We aren't sharing the abundant life, because we aren't living it." (ouch) Sad but true.

When our coworkers ask us what we did over the weekend we need to tell them. "We went to a State park on Saturday and church on Sunday." (was that so hard?)
 
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ViaCrucis

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When you leave the building you go forth to do what?

Live my life in the world as a disciple of Jesus Christ, loving my neighbor as myself, and serving others in the vocations of life in which I find myself. Begging for God's forgiveness for my shortcomings which are myriad, and trusting in the mercy He has for the world through His only-begotten and beloved Son Jesus Christ.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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