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Need younger members

jimmyjimmy

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So, would you agree then, that if the church preached the Gospel and made the Gospel their number one priority, that the core membership of the church would have to change the way they have done church?

Of course, which is why I would not concern myself with "practice". The gospel is the Christian's power of transformation. Good theology leads to good practice. Gospel-centered focus leads to a church being a "city on a hill". Get the gospel right, and all will follow.

My former church in NYC grew to over 5,000, from a small Bible study, before it ever had an, "outreach" director. The pastor rested his sermon notes on a rickety old music stand, and he preached. When he did, they came. There was no intentional effort to "attract" young people.

We must start with the philosophical. We must get the doctrine right, and the rest will follow. When our thinking is correct, we will have correct actions. Starting with the pragmatic will always fail to deliver.
 
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derpytia

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My church is very small and we have lost our pastor. The average age is between 65 and 70. We need to bring young people into the church. I am building a website http://www.solidrock-baptist-church.com and hope to use it to bring younger people into the church. Any ideas on how to bring people into the church would be appreciated.

As a young person myself (I'm 23 going on 24 in a month) I say that what we want most out of the church is truth, realness (things like not ignoring the major problems of the day and life such as divorce, single parents, addiction, men/women relationships, etc. some churches like to NOT talk about them at all as if they didn't exist), and community. Community is a big one. If you go out of your way to be there for young people, make them feel like they are a part of your community, and make them feel valued as a person and not just another annoyance (I know us young people can say and do things that are super annoying to older folks but please bear with us) then that could do a whole lot of good.

Also, free food attracts us like flies ;)
 
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Blade

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My church is very small and we have lost our pastor. The average age is between 65 and 70. We need to bring young people into the church. I am building a website http://www.solidrock-baptist-church.com and hope to use it to bring younger people into the church. Any ideas on how to bring people into the church would be appreciated.

Bless you richly Andy. I can only share what I know. I would not be asking here other then for prayer and then say exactly the prayer I wanted. For me.. I cant build a church.. the people come as HE brings them in. Anything about Him that I try to do my self.. that is all I will get. Its HIM 1st. Now me? I would be in pray.. and how much as in hours days weeks.. months. Am I willing to pay the price? PRAYER! Seek HIM.. tell HIM what you need..what you looking for. Sorry.. but some day we have to learn HE IS REAL!

Its HIS church. I went to Church for ever 7 years. They did not believe in all the gifts.. praise GOD...yet one day as we were all holding hands.. eyes closed.. I see this beautiful square that had the most beautiful long grass, just flowing back and forth. Then.. out of no where these HUGH gray stones were ever where. I know the grass what that Church and when ever the WORD came out... the enemy came right in to stop it.

If it was me.. I would not ask here or anywhere. Asking another preacher..that has a Church.. and for me.. has to be a WORD Church. Meaning.. they believe the word. In the end.. I would be seeking JESUS..praying.. HE IS REAL! He will answer you.. THIS IS why He came.. HE will answer you...HE will show you.. have FAITH! JESUS is real. Read the word..if HE said it.. then BELIEVE
 
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Some considerations about this subject from a teenager, not living in the US, but in Norway.

In the OP is said "very little church", but the building on the web page seems some larger than the church I (and my parents and grandparents) belong to, and the choir also seems about the same size as our church's "main choir". We have never considered our church "very small", but that may be due to
  • a district (three towns/villages + farm, lonely houses etc) with less than 10000 inhabitats and a village with less than 1000
  • in addition to the precense of DNK (next bullet) and our church, also the Salvation Army, a small (Roman)-Catolic church or chapel and a "cool, modern Pentecostal-like" church are present in the district.
  • most persons in Norway (in our district more than 80 %) are members in DNK ("The Norwegian Church", the former state church separated from the state 2016/2017. but still heavyly dependent on the state). BTW there is no DNK-church/chapel in our village any more, as it it less than 10 miles to the district's largest town with a DNK-church and there is also another DNK-church or chapel in the district.
  • Norwegian churches have never been "social arenas" quite the same way as in the US.
Our church are non-denominational (often considered as "conservative pentecostal" from persons belonging to DNK - especially all those being there once a year - maybe ... - , as we practise baptism of belivers/adults, and talk about "charisms" and "the spirit" butthat isn't quite correct). The church doesn't have any member list, but based upon those regularly (=twice a month or more) gathering together in the church we have"members"/ users from toddlers to above 90.

Should the expression "younger persons" in OP also include teenagers, my personal recommandation is to first ask some - possible quite hard - questions:
  • Why is it important for you having those teenagers in your church? Remember that some of the results of having those teenagers will become more work, more noise, more questions and more quarrel. Teenagers also have - for obvicious reasons - not very much ability to support your church economically, so also expect them to become a burden when talking about the church's economy. Seen from a human view, you already have a perfect membership list - homogeous and in the age with the best economy. Why is thus these teenagers important to your church?
  • Why don't you have these teenagers in the church today? I suppose that the majority of the members being 70-80 haven't lived all their life in celibate and that most of them are parents/grandparents. Where are their children/grandchildren? Should all/most of these have left the area: Haven't other parents/grandparents children done equal. making it about impossible to find teenagers to include in the church? Should they live in the area and be true Christians, but have left their parent's church, why? Start asking them, as THEY have the key answer! Should they live in the area, but - with no or rare exeptions - not be true Christians, this church's main problem is NOT having members mainly being 70 or older, but the way those members are doing their work as steward's in God's family and as parents in their own families!
From your weekly schedule I first noticed that you have two sermons/worships Sunday, Sunday school and one worship Wednesday + one breakfast for men and one lunch for women each month. Then I compared to the schedule in our church, as mentioned expected to be some smaller than yours:
  • Sunday: The Lord's table/praising the LORD 9.30 AM and Sunday School 11 AM-noon. In the afternoon - typical at 5 PM, may be changed for a couple of different circumstances - evanglical meeting (outreach meeting). sometimes continued open-air after marching to a suitable place outside the church (with few exeptions not planned, but decided on spot).
  • Monday: 6-6.45 PM Bible lessons for "old children" (12 or below). 7-8.30 PM mission work group (10-14, more comment's later). 8.45 PM : The men's choir (15 to mid 80ies, most 15-early 50ies)
  • Tuesday: 6-6.45 PM the young's choir (8-13/14) . 7 PM gathering together for praying (needs inside and outside the church). About 9 PM (after praying + a cup of coffee/tea) the common choir (13+).
  • Wednesday: 6-7 PM mission work group (5-9, girls). 8-9.45/10 PM women's mission work group (15+)
  • Thursday: 6-7 PM mission work group (5-9, boys). 8-9.45/10 PM men's mission work group (15+)
  • Friday: 6-7 PM Bible lessons for the teens (read: less mature Christians). 7.15-8.30 PM Bible lessons for the adults (read: more mature Christians). 8.45 PM the women's choir (15-to late 70ies)
  • Saturday: 2-4/5 PM "the mercy groups" (more later). 4-5.45/6 PM "the nature ("scout") group", (8-? - teoretical 25, but at present a couple is closer to 30 than 25.. .). 5-6 PM the children's choir (3-7). 6-7.30 PM the teen bible education (more later). 7.15 PM the Bible discussion/testimony gathering 8.30-10/10.30 PM the teen's outreach meeting (with one of the elders + 1-2 of the more mature present for overviewing/assisting (the elders responsibility), but the teens are responsible for everything - including preparing for the Lord's table Sunday morning when the ourreach meeting is ended.
[The purpose for some of the groups: The mission groups are for making handwork (think wide/broad!) suitable to sell on an yearly auction held in the (closed) public primary school in June and for shareing informations from the mission fields (especially our own missinarys). 100 % of the money for items sold (adults)/revenue after paying material bills (younger groups) are shared among our missionaries. The choirs are to assist in the work in our church, open air-meetings and when requested other suitable places. (In the last cases payment are never requested and also never accepted, except when petrol payment done to the car ovner for long-distance travels. Further the choir solemly make the final song decition, but will of course listen to what it wanted before doing that. In addition the choirs are social, not professional and thus no ordered traning at home or any requirements than beliving in Jesus (for those 8+) and able to sing in a manner that not scream people away. Neigher the choir's leaders are professinal, but able to read notes and play some kind of instrument. The "Mercy grops" are teenagers and adults (the teens got the idea) giving practial help to old/disabled/sick persons - preparing wood for the winter, house cleaning, laundry, food preparing difficult to do when sitting/requiring some arm force, painting etc - and also just talk together (most important for the old/sick as he/she can't just run whereever and whenever wanted, both also important for both when learning to understand that teens and "oldies" aren't at all diffenrent kinds of the human race :)." The "teen bible education" are for students in the Norwegian grade 9 and was started due to the DNKs "confirmation" (Norwegian: konfirmasjon, diffrent from "bekreftelse", the ordinary Norwegin translation of "confirmation"): As DNK is - or at least was - a true Lutheran church, the baptizing as a chil and after having received education was confirmed by the teen at that age, by answering yes to three questions and then give the pastor his/her hand upon that. DNK still has a kind of education at that age, today based upon everything and nothing. with more entertainment than education. (and no questions and hands given - the largest lie in the DNK story and removed in the 1970s/early 1980s). Our church's teen bible school is for giving a kind of similar education , but based solemnly upon the Bible. However, as well as the Bible lessons for the young, this are not one-way education: First one-way education from the mature to the unmature, than a talk/discussion together. under the Spirit's guidance - and once in between accompanied with a cup of tea/coffee/limonade and a piece of "Vestlandslefse or "Mor Monsen" (different quite simple Norwegian cakes).]

"Teen bible education" is late August - mid-May. Sunday school (in our tradion 1:1 education (group divided in below 7, 7-12, 13+) and "children's sermon", (common and before education)) + Bible education have vacation break in July (=all weekends touching July). All choirs, mission groups and Saturday activies exept 7.30 PM have a vacation break from June 23rd/24th to mid August. Gatherings for the Lord's table, praying, Bible discussion/testimoney and Sunday afternoon evangelical meeting are held absolutely every week provided that the day isn't Christmas Eve/Christmas Day/National Day and two or more Christian persons are present in the building within five minutes past the time given. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them", Matthew 18,20.

Added to this we also quite often gather together Saturday at 8 AM or 8.30 AM for a simple sandwich breakfast (official named "planning" :) ), then practical work upon/in the building (cleaning, building maintainance, furniture repairs/re-painting, wood handling for the stoves, yard sweeping, caring for the flower beds outside etc) until 10.30 AM-noon before a cup of coffee/tea/limonade and a wheat bun. However, this is more "come and leave as your other duties that Saturday allows you" - and please remember to bring a handful of sandwiches to share if arriving before the "planning" is ended . We also have a special Bible education week (Tuesday afternoon-Sunday lunch) in July with 125-150 "adult" persons (12+) and lots of children below 12, not residental in the district present and with a "welcome meetiing" + a "farewell meeing/testimonies meeting" + 21-22 Bible lessons (held by our own "members" + 2-3 persons invited and given board/lodging (incl wife/possible children) but never any salary etc) + the LORD's table/praising the LORD, as well as a changed schedule in the lent (Saturday before Palm Sunday - Easter day, vacation time for most Norwegians).

Do you find any important differences in these churches' weekly schedule? Where are something similart to the mission groups, the Bible education, the gatherings together for praying, the outreach for your local society, the choir (noticed you have one), etc? Is this work just forgotten in your weekly schedule or is this non-existing work in your church? And just for mentioning it: We have no pastors or paid help - we consider that best for the church's body's well-being in the long run as well as the outreach work/missionary work/diaconal work done in countries where those money are more needed/useful than in a high-income, well-educated Norway. .

Are your church member prepared for the practial work a schedule like in our church implies? (I do NOT say "copy our schedule" as doing that will solve exactly nothing. My point is that having a WORKING church for all ages require way more practial works and more practial reponses than just a attending a couple of sermons a week managed by the pastor and a monthly breakfast "same procedure as EVERY month, James".) One can't source out a such work to a pastor - that simply doesn't work, as the church members have received diffent charisms from the LORD, they are NOT all given to one single person called "pastor". If your church doesn't have the wiling hands needed (note WILLING hands and not EDUCATED hands!), your first problem to solve is NOT getting younger menbers! Of course one should expect this younger hands to assist with the (physical) harder work that may a burden today, but do not imagine your member will get unemplyed in a such church . Serving the LORD has no retirement age and they will have more work to do than ever!. Are the members prepared and ready for that work?

And one thing to point out: Do not - NOT - NOT - N O T - even try entering into the entertainment business and give young people "what they want" (or you belive they want)!! Absolutely NO true church - and certainly not one with member's average age 70+ - have the tiniest possibilties to compare to the world when talking about entertainment, so don't even waste time trying! However, no problem at all, as the LORD did never command His disiples to entertain the world! He commanded them go telling the world about His work and His grace - an area unknown to the enternaning world! Should this work and this grace also be practially unknown among the church members today, I'm sorry to say that your church isn't any church and you don't have any mssion to do. However, when this is known you have way more essential things to give the world - and the teenagers - than your ability in entertainment! So "just" pray, read, prepare to sow and water in all fields and then wait for the LORD to open and close some doors. Never forget that growth isn't our task - "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (1st Corinthians 3,6)" A true and living church will always have periods growing, but PLANNING for growth like in a business in taking the world into the church! The church's - a society of persons made holy by the LORD - work is sawing and watering, just like a Faroese hymn is saying it: "Souls are dying around you, and you know the LIFE./WORK, the time is (rapidly) running - SOW, SOW now at once!" In a such situation one don't plan for growth, neighter sow spacely and planned! One get all awailable seed in any soil available as quickly as possible, and then one will wait for the LORD until He shows this seed has LiFE that is able to rescue, just like before!

For the same reason, and if planning to get a new pastor: Do NOT plan for any young and "cool" pastor "attracting possible younger members" - the only thing he will do is frustrationg your menbers today. Get a MATURE pastor really knowing his Bible and his Saviour the practial way and that fulfils the words in.2nd Timothy (especially 4, 11-16) - be the person young or old. A person at 16 have a lot to learn from a person at 60+, provided that the person at 60+ still is able to remember something about how it is to be 16, not have "matured" so much that he totally have forgotten that cows once was calves (btw also possible at an age of 25!). Should this person at 60+ also have 40+ years of experience in the family of God, while the person at 16 have four years, the person at 60+ gets even more important, as he has loads of practial experiece from a life together with Lord to share with the teenager! (Just for mentioning it. The best Sunday School teacher the group "12+" our church had when I was 12-13-14 was a person 90+ and now home with the LORD! OK, educated "short line" as a teacher in the compulsory school just after World War 2, but a lot more important: Educated 75 years by the LORD!) However, as soon as that person at 60+ gets clearly more conserned about underlining Ephesians 6,1 than Ephesians 6,4. - or opposite for the person at 16 - watch up for the red light! Both of these behaviors are different yards of exactly the same poor cloth, giving the church's elders a piece of important work to do - immidiately.

Having web page(s) isn't - contrary to how someone thinks - any need to survive as a church, but is an excellent tool and and give excellent opportunities, especially when having younger members. Even better if the page is used for two-way communcation for asking questions, asking for prayers etc. with a log-on system, making not everything visible to everyone finding the web pages. (The most important reason for still having the gallery in our church building (and in use only at the outreach meetings) is that this gallery again and again has proved to be suitable for non-Christians wanting to listen to the Word of God, but not wanting to flag their "shameable" interest to everyone of those regularly gathering together in the church! Consider a log-in system for making questions etc invisible to everyone just like that gallery!) Also: Make all your Bible lessons etc available for listening to at the page (remember that especially when the language for those is English this can reach out to the ends of the world!). The picture (video) isn't that important, as men get saved by His WORD and not by His PICTURE, but a video do no harm when suitable and (really, not formally!) accepted by the church's users/members - and a video also give a lot more attention when talking about younger persons on first visit on your page. Further, make a kind of well prepared "first aid box for salvation" easy to find a link to on your page (you don't know when someone called by the Spirit "randomly" find your web page and need it!) and (orderly and with system!)) make available texts suitable for studying different aspects in the view of the Bible at your page - and grade the texts "easyness" as guidance, avoiding a young, spiritually unmatured to steep into the most difficult parts of the Bible and the most detailed Bible lessons! Don't be afraid of having "to much such stuff" as a part of your web pages, but like in all good libraries: Consider the quality and keep excellent order.

And beyond all: #1 Keep your web pages updated - no less than once a week, if possible every day (and no, NOT any list of Twitter postings, but something showing that your church is in active use with members actually gathering together there and really BEING there, not only duly and as their habit sleep off an hour there!). #2: DON'T try to use your web pages making the church appearing like something else than the church really IS!
 
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2Timothy2:15

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Being that I'm a 23 year old male I'll give my 2 cents. Try to attract parents with young adult females. Have a youth gathering weekly. If you have young single girls, the boys will follow

Are you kidding me
 
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yuppers

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Nope. Why is that a bad thing? If people are in the 20-30 age range it's completely normal and healthy to be looking for a partner. If you're a Christian what better place to look for a spouse then in the church.
 
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All4Christ

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Nope. Why is that a bad thing? If people are in the 20-30 age range it's completely normal and healthy to be looking for a partner. If you're a Christian what better place to look for a spouse then in the church.
First impression when I read your post:

Focusing on getting young women to a church specifically to attract young men seems to put the focus on finding a spouse rather than focusing on God. Yes, it is a good place to find your spouse, but that isn't the purpose of church.
 
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yuppers

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First impression when I read your post:

Focusing on getting young women to a church specifically to attract young men seems to put the focus on finding a spouse rather than focusing on God. Yes, it is a good place to find your spouse, but that isn't the purpose of church.

I go to a church where on a weekly basis about 60 young adults gather together. Sure we are all there because of God and learning about him. But, if you asked most people why they come every week it would be to meet other people. Church is about community. So either someone is there to make new/ more friends, or they are looking for a partner. If you have a healthy mix of gender your youth numbers would have a better chance of staying stable or growing. So I don't think it's a terrible idea to want single girls in your church so that you have a higher chance of getting some more guys to come too.
 
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All4Christ

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I go to a church where on a weekly basis about 60 young adults gather together. Sure we are all there because of God and learning about him. But, if you asked most people why they come every week it would be to meet other people. Church is about community. So either someone is there to make new/ more friends, or they are looking for a partner. If you have a healthy mix of gender your youth numbers would have a better chance of staying stable or growing. So I don't think it's a terrible idea to want single girls in your church so that you have a higher chance of getting some more guys to come too.
I agree on some points. Fostering community - absolutely. Reaching out to both young girls and guys - yes.
 
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aiki

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My church is very small and we have lost our pastor. The average age is between 65 and 70. We need to bring young people into the church. I am building a website http://www.solidrock-baptist-church.com and hope to use it to bring younger people into the church. Any ideas on how to bring people into the church would be appreciated.

"God's work done God's way will never lack God's supply." - Hudson Taylor, founder, China Inland Mission.

What is the fundamental work of the Church?

1.) Evangelism.
2.) Discipleship.

Is your church doing these things well? Is it being faithful to evangelize the lost and disciple its members? When it is, there will be a natural spiritual vitality to the church that attracts people. More importantly, when God sees a church loving in its fellowship, careful of His doctrine, and faithful in its pursuit of His will, He will bring people at just the right pace and measure into its community.

Numbers have never been of particular concern to God. "Narrow is the way and few there be who find it," Jesus said. It is far more important that your church is a close-knit, God-honoring family of believers than it is one of those awful, seeker-sensitive mega-churches that have made an industry out of the Bride of Christ. For more on this head, consider the following:

Tithing for Toilet Paper: Doing God's Business the World's Way. | Christian Forums
 
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2Timothy2:15

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Nope. Why is that a bad thing? If people are in the 20-30 age range it's completely normal and healthy to be looking for a partner. If you're a Christian what better place to look for a spouse then in the church.

sigh, if you did not get it the first time you probably won't even if I explain it.
 
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jimmyjimmy

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Being that I'm a 23 year old male I'll give my 2 cents. Try to attract parents with young adult females. Have a youth gathering weekly. If you have young single girls, the boys will follow

Why not pass out $100 bills? That will attract people.
 
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2Timothy2:15

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"God's work done God's way will never lack God's supply." - Hudson Taylor, founder, China Inland Mission.

While that sounds very wise it is really men's mindset and their ideas. Surely God provides for his gospel. He provides people, the bible says apostles, prophets, evangelist, teachers, and pastors are to BUILD up the SAINTSfor the work of the ministry. It does not say they are the ministry. What does that mean? It means we the body do the ministry and their gifts equip people by teaching them to do it. It is a team effort. What we see today is a one many show. We go to a building sit for a few hours and expect to be fed. We should be feeding ourselves all week and the pastor is suppose to teach us to do that. This is why Paul said, you should all be teachers by now but you still need milk. He was rebuking them because of their dysfunction.
 
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2Timothy2:15

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I go to a church where on a weekly basis about 60 young adults gather together. Sure we are all there because of God and learning about him. But, if you asked most people why they come every week it would be to meet other people. Church is about community. So either someone is there to make new/ more friends, or they are looking for a partner. If you have a healthy mix of gender your youth numbers would have a better chance of staying stable or growing. So I don't think it's a terrible idea to want single girls in your church so that you have a higher chance of getting some more guys to come too.

Sounds like a social club. No where in the bible do you find people looking to meet people to hang out and calling that the church.
 
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aiki

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While that sounds very wise it is really men's mindset and their ideas.

??? Maybe you need to re-read the quotation and then think about it for a minute.

Surely God provides for his gospel.

Gah! This is exactly what the quotation from Hudson Taylor was saying!

He provides people, the bible says apostles, prophets, evangelist, teachers, and pastors are to BUILD up the SAINTSfor the work of the ministry. It does not say they are the ministry.

What does any of this have to do with what I posted?

What we see today is a one many show. We go to a building sit for a few hours and expect to be fed.

Again, what does this have to do with anything that I posted?

We should be feeding ourselves all week and the pastor is suppose to teach us to do that.

No, this is what discipleship is supposed to equip believers to do. And discipleship is not the responsibility of the pastor but of every mature believer toward those more immature in the faith.
 
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2Timothy2:15

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??? Maybe you need to re-read the quotation and then think about it for a minute.



Gah! This is exactly what the quotation from Hudson Taylor was saying!



What does any of this have to do with what I posted?



Again, what does this have to do with anything that I posted?



No, this is what discipleship is supposed to equip believers to do. And discipleship is not the responsibility of the pastor but of every mature believer toward those more immature in the faith.

I know the quotation and I know how men twist it. It is not the original quote my comment pertains to. Maybe you need to read what I posted and think about it for a minute. Gah

No, this is what discipleship is supposed to equip believers to do. And discipleship is not the responsibility of the pastor but of every mature believer toward those more immature in the faith.

Um that is what I said.
 
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aiki

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I know the quotation and I know how men twist it. It is not the original quote my comment pertains to. Maybe you need to read what I posted and think about it for a minute. Gah

I would do so if I thought it would make your comments any clearer. But I don't.

Um that is what I said.

No, it isn't:

"We should be feeding ourselves all week and the pastor is suppose to teach us to do that."
 
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ViaCrucis

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I was with you up until the very last paragraph. I do not believe Anglicanism, Catholicism, and Orthodoxy are what most millennials are looking for.

A generation of churches trying to be "cool for Jesus" has put off a generation of people; it is precisely the ancientness and traditional nature of the above mentioned churches that make them appealing to people who are seeking something with substance. It was precisely this sort of thing that I found appealing, and why in my younger church-seeking days I looked into all three of the above, the same is true of Lutheranism and, while it wasn't on my radar initially it eventually seduced me hook, line, and sinker by simply presenting the Gospel as the Gospel.

There continues to be this sense that young people want flashy colors, and a "cool" factor. The problem is that there is a generation of cynics who have an incredibly well adapted sense of smell for noticing metaphorical cow dung, and aren't particularly interested in dealing or putting up with it. TX_Matt pretty accurately nailed things on the head in this regard. What makes traditional churches appealing is that they aren't doing anything to try and sell themselves to a particular demographic, they are simply doing what they have always done, and talking about Jesus the way they have always talked about Jesus. Don't seem interested in people, be interested in people. Also don't turn Christianity into McChristianity. Preach the Word, administer the Sacraments, be the Church.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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