People are barred from entering a church when service begins.

[LadyKay]

Look, if you had an appointment with the president or someone of some standing ..would you be late?  What about an appointment with your GP or suchlike would you stroll in late and expect to be seen?  I think not.  We meet together as a church as the Lord has commanded us to do, we should have enough respect and love for Him and for our brothers and sisters to be on time. Late comers always distract others and those who make a habit of it should be taken to task. There is of course legitimate reasons for one to be late such as ..a flat tyre or suchlike.

 

The thing is is that well....stuff happens. Especially if you have small children you are trying to get ready for church. I mean they loss things like dress shoes and hair thingys, and as you are stuffing them into their tights they get a rip in them and you have to pull them off and find new ones. Even if you take the time to get stuff ready the night before, kids have away of holding things up. It happens.

[Guest]

Just as bad are those churches that have very long sermons but do not let people use the toilet during a service. Pregnant women and elderly men with enlarged prostate glands must use the toilet frequently as do people who have an extra cup of coffee.... Should they be forced to wear a diaper? It is inhumane.

 

~

 

Not A Problem, Stay Close To Home

 

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:46-47

 

Works For Me

 

~

 

Before You Know, You Know

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Philippians 2:3

 

If You Have That Glow

Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God. Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV)

 

Just Don't Go

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1

[alphaparticle]

A lot of churches do it down here, and for good reason. People are so lazy, they will regularly rock up late to the service. It's a bit of a "meh, who cares" attitude. It stinks.

is it better that they don't go at all though? It seems like they are better off with some exposure, even if their attitude needs work, than nothing at all.

[ayin jade]

At church here, if you come in late, you get welcomed. A "come on in and sit down, we are glad you could join us" that is genuine. Folks get up if they need to during service and no one gets upset. Folks have needs. This week even one of the pastors came late. He had an excuse. He was driving a long way through a storm and there was an accident ahead of him causing a bit of a traffic back up. 

[layhoma]

Layoma, you said a handful of churches had that policy regarding late comers?  I have known of churches that make you uncomfortable to come in late by closing the doors, but people could still push them open and go in anyway.  Do they actually make people leave, and how many of these churches are there?

 

I don't have the exact number of churches but is enough to discourage attendance that's for sure. So far I have heard of 3 testimonies from 3 different church goers having this predicament of their home church.

 

These churches would either use one of the following options to enforce their regulations:

 

1. Doors locked. Period.

2. The doors remain open but if anyone who dares to enter when it's in session, they will be greeted by an usher telling you nicely to leave.

[Fez]

If, in my church there was a continual latecomer, they would be spoken to and asked what the problem was and how we could assist in solving it (perhaps with a bit of time management skills). We don't close our doors at all, and the windows are open for all who walk by to see and hear us. Anyone is welcome to walk in.

[~candice~]

 

A lot of churches do it down here, and for good reason. People are so lazy, they will regularly rock up late to the service. It's a bit of a "meh, who cares" attitude. It stinks.

is it better that they don't go at all though? It seems like they are better off with some exposure, even if their attitude needs work, than nothing at all.

 

 

We aren't talking about weak Christians who would stumble and walk away when the doors are shut. We are talking solid believers who out and out are just rude and think the world will wait for them. It is disrespectful.

[layhoma]

 Each church has the right to handle things as they see fit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes indeed. God appoints a delegation to take care of the church as well as His sheep which reminds me of this verse:

 

1 Corinthians

 

1If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.3And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.…

 

Thus the motive of having the doors shut when service begins......is it out of love ??  

Edited September 2, 2013 by layhoma

[Guest AFlameOfFire]

Could just be seen as ruling a house. Similar to as how a father (who rules his own house well) setting the rules down for unruly children who consistently show up late (disrupting the entire household) needing a firm hand in respects to consistently showing up late. After all how is that either loving God first (or their brethren) being disruptive.

 

Says let your things be done with charity, but it also says to let your things be done decently and in order.

 

Maybe they will just learn to be on time? Which is not a bad thing.

 

I mean, if we were consistently late for work most of us would be fired. So we typically give our earthly employers that respect (to our own "or else") right? Same might be true of hearing it from our earthly fathers if we constantly disrespected them in their households. So I would think the household of the living God deserves the same. They who have the rule over have some responsible to both care for the churches, and to have things done both decently and in order, to rule well. So how they rule their own households (having obedient children) under the rules of their own house come into play for them too.

[shorryshaggy]

I live in a ranching community that is really laid back. During calving season they are late or can't come. It would be really odd for people to have a locked door on sunday.