do you have this problem in your church?

[fluffy_rainbow]

AWANA is non-denominational, but they have specific requirements before a church can enroll. Alot of Baptist churches are opposed to the program because it typically replaces RA's and GA's which are SBC endorsed children's programs; however, in every church I've been in that had an AWANA program, more children attended and more adults participated in assisting with it. It was overall a more successful program.

As far as my experience with Baptists who don't like other denominations, I only experienced this in the first Baptist church I attended, which was a large SBC. The pastor preached that all methodists are alcoholics, Presbyterians are not spirit-filled, and that Catholics are the harlot of Babylon and will not enter heaven. I'm not sure what the Biblical teaching for this is, although I agree that there will be no denominations in heaven, only saved people. Doctrinal differences are just that - differences. They do not condemn one specific group to hell and damnation.

 

[jones_of_pbf]

My church doesn't feel that non Baptist is wrong.
Simply that not following Jesus is wrong.
We actually feel that being a denomination is not the right thing to do, but non-denominational churches are taken.

 

[Gold Dragon]

I think most people perfer to read the writtings of their denomination.

I don't ever remember reading a single piece of 'Baptist' writing and I wouldn't begin to know where to look for it.

I've probably read many writings by Baptists, but they never advertised it as 'Baptist writing'.

 

[Wyomingdude]

I don't think that just cause AWANAS isn't Southern Baptist a church shouldn't do ti. We have had over a hundred kids accept Christ because of it so you can't tell me that it is to ecumenical.

 

[Gwenyfur]

AWANA is non-denominational, but they have specific requirements before a church can enroll. Alot of Baptist churches are opposed to the program because it typically replaces RA's and GA's which are SBC endorsed children's programs; however, in every church I've been in that had an AWANA program, more children attended and more adults participated in assisting with it. It was overall a more successful program.

As far as my experience with Baptists who don't like other denominations, I only experienced this in the first Baptist church I attended, which was a large SBC. The pastor preached that all methodists are alcoholics, Presbyterians are not spirit-filled, and that Catholics are the harlot of Babylon and will not enter heaven. I'm not sure what the Biblical teaching for this is, although I agree that there will be no denominations in heaven, only saved people. Doctrinal differences are just that - differences. They do not condemn one specific group to hell and damnation.

I'm beginning to think my church is the exception to may "baptist" rules.
We have AWANAs and my youngest daughter loves it. She's (I'm ashamed to say ) a better memory than her mother when it comes to addresses of verses and the ability to quote them. RA's and GA's really fizzled in our neck of the woods. We've had 30 kids in the last 3 years come to know the Lord. We are a small church in a small community, so it doesn't sound like much, but our first AWANAs meeting had 12 adults and 3 children....we're now up to 40 children and down to 10 adults LOL but it's still growing. It's twice as large as our youth group....need to fire those teens up somehow

 

[christianrock1]

OK now I know that we should be true to our heritage but in my church the people and deacons have this mentality that anything but Baptist is from the devil. I totally disagree with this but I wanted to know if alot of other churches have this problem or it is just mine. thanks.

I grew up Baptist,and yeah,they think that also,wich really ticks me off when i visit there now...

--rich

 

[ZiSunka]

It's not so much what they said as to what they did. In our church we have AWANAS and that is the only minestry in our church yet we have to fight to keep it running. We had to fight to put the lines in the carpet, we have to fight to keep it running, we have to fight to get enough workers to help out with it, all because it isn't a Southern Baptist program.

If you have to fight to keep your only ministry going, your church has much bigger problems than spiritual bigotry. You've either got spiritual laziness or spiritual mismanagement at worst.