What church do you attend?

[Princessdi]

LOL!!! Hilarious, RD!

Our church is the usual African American church in the "hood". We are definitely not traditional or conservative in our worship service. You will most often find us singing hymns and [urban] gospel, but appreciate music well done, by anyone. We have musicians and musical guest that are not SDA who frequent our church, play the instruments and bless our services with song. Just wonderful! I can't wait to get there each week!

We might have PM on the particulars, but I for one would be honored to have you or you all come.

Uh, which church is it? Oftentimes, the entire motorcycle group will visit a smallish or conservative SDA church to spread the word about how important we think evangelism is. Since I'm new to the church and since I happened to find a real liberal and active church, I didn't realize that historically, SDA churches tended to be cliquish and stuffy. So, if your church is trying to move away from that then we'd be the perfect example.

Also, I've heard that many churches focus on unique SDA doctrines such as the Sabbath and clean/unclean foods. Since we come into contact with lots of different people (many who are into drugs, motorcycle gangs, and murder) our ministry just preaches lots of Jesus.

The only reservation some SDA churches have had about us is that having a bunch of leather- clad bikers riding into their parking lot on loud Harleys is just too much. We are not welcome at those churches but that's OK. If your church would rather that the cavalry not crash down its doors, I'd be glad to visit your church alone.

So, hope to see you soon!




Rottiedog

 

[ricker]

It's funny, but I've been interacting with many of you for years and I know nothing about the church you attend. If you feel comfortable, can you tell us about the church you attend.

If you are an SDA, can you tell us a bit about the size of the church, the style of worship, the programs, the sermons and anything else that might help us learn more about you? What do you like about it?

If you are not an SDA, can you tell us about the denomination (or non-denomination) of the church where you attend? What is the size? Style of worship? What programs does it offer? What are the sermons like? What do you like about it?

BFA

I belonged to a ELCA Lutheran church for many years (with contemporary worship style) for many years until the vote in 2009 allowing homosexual clergy. I drifted around and found a very good Baptist church (Baptist General Conference) about 15 miles away. The Lutheran church I drifted away from recently passed a admendment to their constitution rejecting the actions of the 2009 changes, so I am now back attending there, but not sure if it is where I belong. Too much information, I know.

 

[Byfaithalone1]

I belonged to a ELCA Lutheran church for many years (with contemporary worship style) for many years until the vote in 2009 allowing homosexual clergy. I drifted around and found a very good Baptist church (Baptist General Conference) about 15 miles away. The Lutheran church I drifted away from recently passed a admendment to their constitution rejecting the actions of the 2009 changes, so I am now back attending there, but not sure if it is where I belong. Too much information, I know.

Not at all.

Although my path has not taken me on the exact same journey, I can certainly relate to the questioning. Though I'm grounded in a place where my family can serve and be served, I've never stopped exploring. There's so much to learn and experience.

BFA

 

[Joe67]

Not at all.

Although my path has not taken me on the exact same journey, I can certainly relate to the questioning. Though I'm grounded in a place where my family can serve and be served, I've never stopped exploring. There's so much to learn and experience.

BFA

BFA,

Amen to your witness concerning a place where your family can serve and be served.

Thirty two years past when we dropped our names from the SdA church roles, we sought a place where our young children could experience faith and grow in grace.

Now, our youngest is 30 years of age and each has their own diverse path and understanding. Each desired baptism and each was baptized through a different denomination according to their desire.

I desired and hoped for a more outward uniformity of faith and practice within our family, but the Lord has given me to be at peace with the diversity and through the diversity to see even more of his eternal purpose.

Joe

 

[ricker]

Not at all.

Although my path has not taken me on the exact same journey, I can certainly relate to the questioning. Though I'm grounded in a place where my family can serve and be served, I've never stopped exploring. There's so much to learn and experience.

BFA

Thank you for your kind response. As you probably can guess, the reason I have searched is not that I can't find God at the churches I have attended. There are devout Christians everywhere. (Definitely including Adventism, BTW). Sometimes I wish there were more Sundays in a week so I could attend several.

 

[Airman424]

It's funny, but I've been interacting with many of you for years and I know nothing about the church you attend. If you feel comfortable, can you tell us about the church you attend.

If you are an SDA, can you tell us a bit about the size of the church, the style of worship, the programs, the sermons and anything else that might help us learn more about you? What do you like about it?

If you are not an SDA, can you tell us about the denomination (or non-denomination) of the church where you attend? What is the size? Style of worship? What programs does it offer? What are the sermons like? What do you like about it?

BFA

I grew up SDA, but I haven't attended an SDA church in a long time. I observe the sabbath in my home. I attend a sunday church every once in awhile with my fiancee' (She is Greek Orthodox ). But I primarily keep the sabbath in my home. I don't know if I could be called an SDA really, but I keep saturday as the sabbath and attend services for my future wife for her family.

 

[Byfaithalone1]

I grew up SDA, but I haven't attended an SDA church in a long time. I observe the sabbath in my home. I attend a sunday church every once in awhile with my fiancee' (She is Greek Orthodox ). But I primarily keep the sabbath in my home. I don't know if I could be called an SDA really, but I keep saturday as the sabbath and attend services for my future wife for her family.

If you're anything like me, it doesn't much matter what I'm called -- but rather Who calls me!!

BFA

 

[Airman424]

If you're anything like me, it doesn't much matter what I'm called -- but rather Who calls me!!

BFA

Most certainly, my loyalty is to Christ

 

[Byfaithalone1]

Most certainly, my loyalty is to Christ

 

[Rottiedog]

I go to Ceres SDA church near Modesto, California. My church has a mix of people. Black, white, Asian. There is a Spanish service at night. Our senior pastor wasn't raised Adventist and our associate pastor is Indian (used to be Hindu).

Music is varied. Brass ensembles, orchestras, of course the piano, drum sets, synthesizers, and this funky instrument that I've never seen have been used. I've sung stuff from the Old Rugged Cross to Michael W. Smith songs.

There are maybe 300-400 people. The youth group is pretty large.

Some people there wouldn't be caught dead in pants on the Sabbath and others (like me) show up in their biker leathers.

A couple in the motorcycle group won't shop on the Sabbath whereas the vice president and I are happy to sit through service with a Starbucks cup in hand (I love hot chocolate).

Two people in the motorcycle group are vegans, I am vegetarian, and the rest are die-hard carnivores.

There is a girl who attends Pathfinders each week and goes to the SDA school next to the church. She and her mom and sisters are always in dresses because they are Pentecostal.

So, if you visit Ceres SDA you're likely to find a little of everything. As far as how judgmental they are, a common phrase used around there is, "it's between you and God".

 

[Joe67]

If you're anything like me, it doesn't much matter what I'm called -- but rather Who calls me!!

BFA

BFA,

Amen.

At first it was only the calling that appeared as important to my wife and me. He began a work and it made us rejoice.

Then the Lord revealed his election to us, whereby he finishes his work. It is consoling to us as the pains and weaknesses of old age has set in upon us.

After we left off attending the SdA church as registered members, we (wife and children) attended Baptist and Methodist churches in our lightly populated rural area. The message of the righteousness of Christ was strong in our thoughts and we thought that the non-legalistic churches would be glad to talk of Jesus and his righteousness before the Father in our behalf. Not so.

The Baptists had their missionary programs and the Methodist had their conference authorized calendars and to our dismay, neither of them were any more interested to fellowship and study into the righteousness of Jesus Christ than our SdA brethren had been.

So we stopped attending either church about 15 years ago, though the individual members of each group, who we saw regularly around our very small and rural area (county of 15 k population) would continually urge us to return. Our three daughters were each baptized among a different church group. The eldest in the SdA when we were active members. The middle daughter in the Church of Christ. The younger in the Methodist.

What was surprising was that each of the churches that worshiped on Sunday had an agenda beyond Jesus Christ, while avidly taking his name. Whereas our SdA brethren had an agenda in front of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was not all in all to any of the licensed institutions.

He was not all in all to us yet in our personal lives, but by this means the Lord began to give us to feel that even we ourselves lacked something, even though he had called us. After much struggle with survival, feelings of hopelessness began to enter my heart after 20+ years following the calling. The Lord burdened me to review my heart and belief, and as the review occurred through the Scripture, little by little he revealed the maturing quality of his grace in his election; not as a theological theory, but as a living dynamic personal reality of the power of the resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings.

The words had been read for many years, but they had no meaning until our souls needed the revelation to give a more mature repentance and faith, unto salvation that needs not to be repented of. II Cor 7:10

Our children do not worship the Lord in his calling or serve him in his election at this time. All three attended university through scholarships and they have been carried away beyond Damascus/Babylon into those philosophies whereby the liberal humanities ensnare the thoughts in reasongs that there is life beyond Jesus.

The doctrine of the immutability of the stones (10 commandments) leads to a bondage that there was life before Jesus Christ and that Jesus is a means of God's afterthought to enable us to return unto perfect obedience to the stones and thereby to return unto the garden of Eden, after we go to heaven for a little while.

Even as the Lord gathered my wife and I back from beyond Damascus/Babylon and has led the Leviathan to hate us and vomit us up on dry land, we have hope that the Lord will do the same for those souls that he has brought forth through our bodies. They belong to him. We are just caretakers for a little while. The souls in Nineveh who do not know their left hand from their right and the cattle there are important unto the Lord.

There will be no sign given unto this generation except the sign of Jonah.

Joe

 

[Princessdi]

RD!! Long time no see! I told my Pastor about you AND I met one of the men from the GA Bike club. I think he is coming to work at our church this summer. My Pastor says he would love for you and your club to show up at church...bikes and all!!

I go to Ceres SDA church near Modesto, California. My church has a mix of people. Black, white, Asian. There is a Spanish service at night. Our senior pastor wasn't raised Adventist and our associate pastor is Indian (used to be Hindu).

Music is varied. Brass ensembles, orchestras, of course the piano, drum sets, synthesizers, and this funky instrument that I've never seen have been used. I've sung stuff from the Old Rugged Cross to Michael W. Smith songs.

There are maybe 300-400 people. The youth group is pretty large.

Some people there wouldn't be caught dead in pants on the Sabbath and others (like me) show up in their biker leathers.

A couple in the motorcycle group won't shop on the Sabbath whereas the vice president and I are happy to sit through service with a Starbucks cup in hand (I love hot chocolate).

Two people in the motorcycle group are vegans, I am vegetarian, and the rest are die-hard carnivores.

There is a girl who attends Pathfinders each week and goes to the SDA school next to the church. She and her mom and sisters are always in dresses because they are Pentecostal.

So, if you visit Ceres SDA you're likely to find a little of everything. As far as how judgmental they are, a common phrase used around there is, "it's between you and God".