Is it possible for Churches to fully work together?

[Molloyboy]

Hey there!

I always have thoughts (visions? maybe?) of churches in my city working together to push for a city wide evangelism. Maybe one day i'll do it!

Can different denomonations work together to push the gospel, even though there are slightly different views and customs?

Also, do you think churches get too focused on their own 'patch' and some communities get ignored all together? Would working in unison combat this?

Sorry there are loads of questions there, but I cannot get my head round what is buzzing round in my head! lol

Basically...Is it possible to have a city wide push at once, with many different churches working at the same time for the same aims in the same way? Together!

 

[SpeakLife329]

Can different denomonations work together to push the gospel, even though there are slightly different views and customs?

It would be very difficult, I believe in grouping with a different church that does not have the same views, would make working together difficult in some since, maybe the way at going about that particular work, also in coming together with different beliefs it is almost like you are compromising your own, for the sake of unity and that is false unity.

Also, do you think churches get too focused on their own 'patch' and some communities get ignored all together? Would working in unison combat this?

Hmm, It's a possibility that some communities will get ignored, but a gain though working together would help, it's important to not compromise beliefs and that's really difficult to say b/c I don't want to come off as somoene that does not agree w/ the unities of churches across the city, but it's important that the vision and beliefs are likeminded.

Blessings to you
Kim

 

[ElElohe]

Possible. Yes.

Difficult. Yes.

Probable? Not really if you're thinking of ALL churches, even in one community. I have good friends who are Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist, AoG and so on (I'm a "non-denominational"). But there are many "factions" and even people who will do anything to keep their own identity and pride/ego.

I think the up-and-coming generation is much more eager for this--or much more sees the importance related to Scripture (they will know us by our love for one another)--than recent generations. I work in mission mobilization, and things in this misunderstood segment of missions are definately headed this way. As are other segments of missions, including Bible translation, where Pioneers, Lutheran Bible Society and Wycliffe all exhibited together at the last Urbana, and have bigger plans for this December's Urbana 06 I'm told. Apparently this is something Wycliffe would never have considered a few years ago.

I know these aren't churches, but it's the same idea. Is it hard? Yes. It is more difficult than going it alone. But it is a testimony in itself, and together we can do things better than apart in almost every instance.

 

[davidshane]

I think the people within my church - er, campus ministry, have different views and customs themselves, yet we do a great job of working together to push the gospel, I think. Of course, our witnessing is mostly friend-to-friend, person-to-person, but many campus organizations have gotten together to put on events - Lutherans with Baptists with us lacking a denomination folks and more.

Also, I don't know if it's terribly bad for churches to get focused on a patch, as long as they let the people they're talking to know they aren't the only church in town. People might be more able to grow with a different style of worship, &c., especially at first.

 

[bolo1122]

Possible: Yes
Difficult: No

It seems very amazing to see how the thought of a grand result of unifying hearts and minds of sinners of bringing forth the choice of salvation or death, all to be heirs and joint-heirs, but to what joint. Much has been done in the ruins of this sinful world, but not enough to build that family within the churches. The lost world has enough to deal with splitting families, splitting from friends, gov. asst. in splitting homes, etc. Yet we remain split ourselves.

In Our family ministry, a huge failure is that the couples, despite numerous ongoing debates, always remain in there trouble situation and place the cliche "We are staying for the kids" Without any structure in the marriage, there is nothing worth for the kids at all (If the root is holy.......If the lump is holy......). The same goes for the missions. A grand idea I might add, even something I hoped and prayed for about 17 years now. However the truth is I would hate to be a bartering Christian, joining effot to help spread the gospel, only to bring them into a fold that has the same choas and destruction that they once had as a sinner.

If the Unifying of the christians is a difficult task, then how can we bring unity in others.

"A tree is known by its fruits"

 

[ElElohe]

Possible: Yes
Difficult: No

It seems very amazing to see how the thought of a grand result of unifying hearts and minds of sinners of bringing forth the choice of salvation or death, all to be heirs and joint-heirs, but to what joint. Much has been done in the ruins of this sinful world, but not enough to build that family within the churches. The lost world has enough to deal with splitting families, splitting from friends, gov. asst. in splitting homes, etc. Yet we remain split ourselves.

In Our family ministry, a huge failure is that the couples, despite numerous ongoing debates, always remain in there trouble situation and place the cliche "We are staying for the kids" Without any structure in the marriage, there is nothing worth for the kids at all (If the root is holy.......If the lump is holy......). The same goes for the missions. A grand idea I might add, even something I hoped and prayed for about 17 years now. However the truth is I would hate to be a bartering Christian, joining effot to help spread the gospel, only to bring them into a fold that has the same choas and destruction that they once had as a sinner.

If the Unifying of the christians is a difficult task, then how can we bring unity in others.

"A tree is known by its fruits"

Mmm, an optimist!

If the Unifying of the christians is a difficult task, then how can we bring unity in others.

Point taken, but your own post clearly points out how much sin is in this world. Christians not excluded. Our own pride and selfishness is, in my experience, what keeps the Body apart most of the time.

 

[Molloyboy]

Thanks for the posts!
I am such a dreamer and will spend many nights scribbling down A3 sheets of brainstorms lol!

My CU at uni has all mixed denomonations and they work together well. There is some divide with things but when it comes down to it the gospel is always the same. The harsh generalisation that I have though is when applying this to a non-student generation. It seems that students are more adaptable and have more passion and dreams!
Am i right in saying that when working with the older church they are more reluctant to work alongside other denomonations?
In my city (where i go to uni) all the students go to different churches across the city but meet at the same CU (Christian Union). This can drag the pastors/elders together in some ways but this only ever seems to happen with the evangelical or 'big' churches!

 

[bolo1122]

Point taken, but your own post clearly points out how much sin is in this world. Christians not excluded. Our own pride and selfishness is, in my experience, what keeps the Body apart most of the time.

I guess you just made my couple of paragraphs into one small sentence. lol, good one too.

Am i right in saying that when working with the older church they are more reluctant to work alongside other denomonations?
In my city (where i go to uni) all the students go to different churches across the city but meet at the same CU (Christian Union). This can drag the pastors/elders together in some ways but this only ever seems to happen with the evangelical or 'big' churches!

Molloy, remember not to redefine the word "unity". In reference to churches, its easily thought of as "tolerance". Can a denomination tolerate being around someone whose not totally in aggreement, yet have something in common enough to unify only on a specific issue? Unity cna be easily demonstrated as a marriage. Shall we put 2 people together who may liek each other, yet there differences is what hold back the true love, but let them marry each other and say, "the rest will work itself out?" The only way we can truly work together, is when people finally have a "pow-wow" and hammer things down to create a one-minded set. I remember Jesus praying to God asking," Let them be One" not tolerable.

It becomes a much difficult vision to see multiple denominations, sitting down to create a aggreement across the board on issues that only we have created in our minds of understanding. Think about the power when all minds are truly one and there is no division. Remember in Acts what happened when all minds were together, operating as one?

P.S. Also in witnesses to the Lost, the very first thing the sinners do is look to see if you have it all together, seeing if any faults lie within you to discredit you. Cant say your truly my brother, if i have alt with you, but yet im tolerating it...... Again a bigger vision and hope this is, yet it is the prayer of the Son of God himself that we become ONE. Yes we have a Great Commission, and gifts and callings, but what about responsibility to our Lord and Saviors last wishes??