... I understand that these meetings are based in a public building
Actually, the hall is privately owned by us and not used by anyone else.
We sometimes have a BBQ or members-only get-together at someone's house.
but I am just trying to ascertain whether they are still more inclined toward a ‘house meeting format'. So here goes:
1. In the meeting hall would the chairs be arranged so people are generally facing one another, or are they in rows ‘front facing’?
Front-facing as we are looking at either the speaker or a projection of the song words or a presentation. The same would happen at someone's house if when we meet there. The focus is not on other people, some people,
especially new people would not like that so it makes little sense to run our meetings with everyone facing each other.
2. Are there some musical instruments used? Is it just one or two or is there a ‘band’/’group’?
Depends who is available but at full strength we have 2 guitars, piano and drum kit (drums play a minor role), we don't want to drown out the singing.
3. Assuming the presence of some kind of musician(s) do they mostly ‘join in’ with hymns/choruses that are started/chosen by various people or do they mostly ‘lead’ a ‘time of worship’?
Either we all start at the same tome or they lead in a few notes, depending on which chorus / how well known.
4. Is there a prepared message/sermon that is invariably delivered at some point or do the meetings sometimes take various unexpected twists and turns and the planned ‘message’ is dropped due to other directions?
The speaker is usually given a least a week's notice as sometimes subjects need to be researched etc. There is spontaneity in that he will be open to God to give inspiration during the talk and if new people come in he can end with some personal salvation scriptures.
5. Assuming that there is generally prepared talks/sermons are the vast majority of these undertaken by one person or is there generally a fair spread of brothers teaching/exhorting in the meetings?
Oh yes, we want to give all brothers the opportunity to give talks. The pastor or a visiting pastor tends to give the main Sunday talk.
I’m sure that is enough of my probing but please appreciate again that so far as I’m concerned answers to these questions do not in my opinion (in and of themselves) present a picture of the level of spirituality - but, for me, they will help in assessing whether or not the meetings are what I would understand to be essentially ‘house-style’.
OK, well I expect house style varies!
I think the important thing is to run meetings as God says - most "bible-based" church groups don't actually follow the directives he gives in 1 Corinthians 14, and most members don't even know what these are!
Specifics are given to use the various gifts in an orderly way ... this promotes spiritual growth, (the OP's main concern, and God's!).
As well as helping Christians to grow it provides evidence of the living God to visitors (let's not forget that "the great commission" is given to the church)
"tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not" ...
"here come in one that believes not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God,
and report that God is in you of a truth."
Paul ends by saying:
"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write
to you are the commandments of the Lord" (v37)
There is nothing said about location, seating layout, musical instruments so these are obviously less essential so we just do what works best.
We sometimes meet people who have an issue about some non-essential point which they refuse to let go of, so they end up on their own, sacrificing the clear things God says because they cut themselves off from the other gifts and ministries because they are in a group of 2 or 3! I'm not suggestion you will of course, just sharing what I've seen.
Thanks for your patience
No problem!
The best way to appreciate is to visit.
Many people won't because they
think they have seen it all before, but truth is, they havn't.
"when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,
And the meat of his table, ... she said to the king,
It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it:
and, behold, the half was not told me" (1 Kings 10)
Jesus says:
"The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here."
I'm not boasting in ourselves, I am boasting at the glory, the blessing, wisdom, vision, joy etc that follows when people just do "church" God's way!
