Build your church

[Guest Butero]

I thought I might share what we do at our congregation in Israel.

 

We start our meeting at 5:30 PM on Friday nights.  We break bread together which is typical, but we take communion every service at the beginning of the meeting.  Then we basically have a buffet, as people bring food as we gather for about an hour +.  Around 6:30, I do a "kids" program, where we'll play a few songs, and have about a 20 minute lesson concluding with a question, and answer time on the topic where I give away prizes to the kids.  About 7, we start the main service where it's a very "free type of worship service."  We encourage people to read scripture, pray as my wife leads worship.  The microphone gets passed around as people give testimonies, pray or read or whatever.  No service is ever the same.  Around 8 or so, I'll give about a 20-25 minute message, which then goes back into worship.  At this point, we'll be praying as a congregation, praying for healing or the sick, praying for the nation, praying for revival.  Honestly, at this point, there's no "end" of the service.  It kinda keeps going, there's dessert being served, but it's not stopping service so to speak.  Around 10 or so, parents with kids start filtering home.  Last Friday night, we had people till 2 AM in the morning.  I'm not sure if this the "best" way to do a service or not, but we encourage people not to be a "pew" sitter, but rather a participant!

That sounds pretty good to me.  I have never attended any service like that.  It sounds like it is as much about Christian fellowship as a church service?  In most places, if you have the service run 5 minutes over an hour, everyone is getting impatient. 

[Guest Butero]

 

 

This is getting interesting... Do you know what really bothered me one day at the church I attend? I went in wearing a visor, and asked my parents if it might be a problem with the church team to do so. They didn't think so, so I went in wearing my visor. Now I understand that a man's head shouldn't be covered while in the presence of the Lord, but we are talking about 20th century visors where all of the head is exposed except for the forehead lol. So what really bummed me out that day was that in the time of worship, just when I was beginning to be filled with the Holy Spirit, an usher appeared behind me and tapped me on my shoulder and said : "I'm sorry but can you remove this visor for me please?" So of course I said sure no problem, but I began to feel very upset. Not only had he ruined my concentration of being with the Holy Spirit but he had also set thoughts in my mind of the rules set upon that church. A rule made up by MAN not by God. God didn't mind me wearing that visor because He was filing me with His spirit. It was hard to suck that in...     

I am just asking out of curiosity here.  Why did you want to wear a visor to church?  I have never seen anyone do that, neither have I heard of a church with a rule against it because it never came up. 

 

 

Because I kind of got used to wearing it as much as I wear my watch and didn't think it would be an issue.  

I didn't think there were any rules in that church, so it either bothered the usher and decided to make a personal decision, or maybe there is a rule against it. No biggie, it's a very good church anyways. 

 

Thanks Hall for getting back to me on that.  I don't think the usher handled things right, but I am glad there are no bad feelings over it.  To Elhanan, I used to have to teach adult Sunday School and preach the sermon each Sunday.  During Sunday School, I was happy to answer questions.  I do remember one time during a sermon, someone tried to interrupt to ask a question, and I wouldn't allow it because it was out of order.  That being said, I always preferred teaching to preaching.  I like having people ask questions.  I kind of like the idea of having a service where the minister does teach, and does allow for questions.  Some of what we do is just based on habits and traditions.  I have enjoyed this thread.  It is interesting to hear the different ways people conduct church services, and how they would do things if it were up to them? 

[NeedYouLord]

 

I so agree that it is very nice to wear nice clothes; if one can afford them. But if they can't...then they shouldn't have to. God gives us The Power to get Wealth...and by the time some of us get some...Hahaha...well we have been shown what is important...Hahaha...It used to be that what I had was blue jeans and that's what I wore...In the church services and prayer meetings I've been to in the past-I have to wear pants because I don't sit in a pew and no telling what might happen...might fall on my face in worship right in the aisle...

 

I read something written by someone many many years ago who was what I call "A General of the Faith" Simply people that God brings their testimony to me...through books etc...I could relate to her so so much...It was of the utmost importance that The Holy Spirit be given a place in The Service...To Be Allowed...He is so Free"ing"!!! Whew...

 

Well my "church" is mainly outside amongst the people...Hahaha...and I bring The Holy Spirit with me...O God, You Are So Good...

Nearly all women wore dresses to church until fairly recently.  When I first started going to church, every woman in the congregation wore a dress or skirt.  I was in a Pentecostal Church and you would have men and women falling on the floor under the power of the Holy Spirit.  We would have someone there to lay a sheet over the woman's legs till she got up.  That is not a valid reason in my opinion.  It has nothing to do with wealth either.  If there had been a woman at church who couldn't afford a dress, I would have bought her one.  The reason why some of us don't go along with it is we see it as a violation of Deuteronomy 22:5, as well as 1 Corinthians 6:9.  It would be no different than having a man come to the house of God in a dress.  I have been to many outdoor meetings where all the women wore a dress. 

 

This is really not relevant to the topic anyway, unless you are just saying if you started a church, you wouldn't have a dress code?  That is your prerogative.  I wouldn't set up a dress code for the people in the pews, but as I said earlier, I would for the leaders, as they are to be examples.

 

It is true I was not raised in church...So when I was born again-filled with The Holy Ghost-the world taken out of me and me out of the world-and on fire for God...The kind of clothes I wore did not matter to me...I have always always been modest...to a fault...even before I knew God...

 

Now without any doubt I can see how The Word of God can be interpreted differently to different people...There are verses that explain it so well...Romans 14 talks about how if someone is weak in the faith, (Not knowing All The Bible, etc. etc.) we aren't to dispute over doubtful things...Romans 14 talks about if someone "eats" a specific thing and someone else doesn't then don't judge...God has received him. We don't live for ourselves...Don't let your good be spoken of as evil...If our brother is grieved because of the food we eat-then we are no longer walking in Love...For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit...In my opinion, we are to celebrate when someone points everything and everybody to Jesus and Loves Him to a Fault!!! Oh Indwell us For Your Glory, O God...