Wayne222 Posted April 15, 2017 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 32 Topic Count: 476 Topics Per Day: 0.17 Content Count: 6,559 Content Per Day: 2.28 Reputation: 7,638 Days Won: 9 Joined: 06/12/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted April 15, 2017 Did anyone ever feel like you were not really in fellowship at there church. Or not connected even through you tried to be friends with members. I felt that in some of the churches. The best one was Calvary Chapel in NJ years ago. I felt they cared for each other. I went to a Baptist Church and not too many people talked to me. I once went to the local kingdom hall of the JW. Just out of curiosity to see how they worship. I knew they were outside the faith .I felt so loved and everyone was super nice. They wanted to do so much. But I rather be alone and with christ then be with a false church. I wonder why some many churches don't show God's love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spock Posted April 15, 2017 Group: Royal Member Followers: 8 Topic Count: 29 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,239 Content Per Day: 0.86 Reputation: 1,686 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/26/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted April 15, 2017 Difficult question to answer, but a good one. JWs probably are more excited to see newbies whereby some established churches maybe don't trust the newbies walking through the doors. I really don't have a LOGICAL answer but I will check back to see some much better responses than mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted April 15, 2017 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,991 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,689 Content Per Day: 11.80 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted April 15, 2017 1 hour ago, Wayne222 said: Did anyone ever feel like you were not really in fellowship at there church. Or not connected even through you tried to be friends with members. I felt that in some of the churches. The best one was Calvary Chapel in NJ years ago. I felt they cared for each other. I went to a Baptist Church and not too many people talked to me. I once went to the local kingdom hall of the JW. Just out of curiosity to see how they worship. I knew they were outside the faith .I felt so loved and everyone was super nice. They wanted to do so much. But I rather be alone and with christ then be with a false church. I wonder why some many churches don't show God's love. I have gone to several different churches. I was never embraced like a member of the "church family". Yes people were nice and would shake hands but there were a lot of cliques. I do not like cliques. The last church I attended was my favorite and even though I volunteered to be on several committees and serve their church they made me feel like an outsider. This turned me off. It seemed like those who had attended the church from the time it was first organized were the real family of the church and the newer ones were outsiders.The fact that a member had to have an "interview" to become a member of that church turned me off as well. I am sure that many have a church that they love and are embraced as a family member of that church and they are very loyal to that church. I have not found that. I have a friend that I pray with who embraces me as a sister in Christ. I am happy with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmbld Posted April 15, 2017 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 48 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,491 Content Per Day: 0.54 Reputation: 1,457 Days Won: 1 Joined: 10/23/2011 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/02/1971 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Absolutely. Fellowship, or connecting, not really something I know how to do. Some have tried, though I suspect the fault is mine, small group bible studies seem to help, as well as working on projects together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spock Posted April 15, 2017 Group: Royal Member Followers: 8 Topic Count: 29 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,239 Content Per Day: 0.86 Reputation: 1,686 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/26/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted April 15, 2017 ive been involved in many church denominations and my wife would agree with this statement, the churches we felt more comfortable was when we had our young girl. Other couples were also hoping to connect with other Christian couples with children of equal age. So, through our daughter, we were able to connect better and quicker with some people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshuasonFlower Posted April 15, 2017 Group: Removed from Forums for Breaking Terms of Service Followers: 3 Topic Count: 11 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 311 Content Per Day: 0.12 Reputation: 214 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/14/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted April 15, 2017 I most certainly did. It was a gradual process of distance growing between myself and the identity the elders hoped to reform for the whole of the place. I call it that because I do not consider it a true church. What would be the permissive stance when it came to very express prohibitions for certain behaviors as described in scripture. That is what eroded trust in the direction we were going. I think many could identify with what I'm describing in quite possibly a poor manner so as not to be indelicate. Thou shalt not lay with a man as with a woman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spock Posted April 15, 2017 Group: Royal Member Followers: 8 Topic Count: 29 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,239 Content Per Day: 0.86 Reputation: 1,686 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/26/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted April 15, 2017 6 minutes ago, JoshuasonFlower said: I most certainly did. It was a gradual process of distance growing between myself and the identity the elders hoped to reform for the whole of the place. I call it that because I do not consider it a true church. What would be the permissive stance when it came to very express prohibitions for certain behaviors as described in scripture. That is what eroded trust in the direction we were going. I think many could identify with what I'm describing in quite possibly a poor manner so as not to be indelicate. Thou shalt not lay with a man as with a woman. Are you saying here Joshua, your last church was going liberal and allowing gay-ness to be acceptable, or are you saying just the opposite? I just want to make sure I have it right. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshuasonFlower Posted April 15, 2017 Group: Removed from Forums for Breaking Terms of Service Followers: 3 Topic Count: 11 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 311 Content Per Day: 0.12 Reputation: 214 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/14/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted April 15, 2017 10 minutes ago, Spock said: Are you saying here Joshua, your last church was going liberal and allowing gay-ness to be acceptable, or are you saying just the opposite? I just want to make sure I have it right. Thanks. To keep it short, the elders decided to send an invitation to certain community spots in the local gay community to visit our "open" church. Without telling the congregation of this first. The reason being we found later was to test our spirit of love for our fellow man and woman. Open though modest displays of affection ensued as the first gay couple arrived. Women. Followed by others being the first were received by the elders and many on the board after service. Meetings with them did not change what was happening being we'd not been consulted before it happened. Reasoning that the scriptures say these people should be saved from their sins, not condoned and encouraged to openly express them were rebuffed. It is for God to judge not us! Was the defense our pastor gave for this decision by the few in charge. For me the last straw was when the bulletin arrived announcing the upcoming wedding of two men in the spring of 2016. Our community announcement board advertised it to the public as well. Does that assist your understanding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne222 Posted April 15, 2017 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 32 Topic Count: 476 Topics Per Day: 0.17 Content Count: 6,559 Content Per Day: 2.28 Reputation: 7,638 Days Won: 9 Joined: 06/12/2016 Status: Offline Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 I think it is a worldliness in the church that can play into how much christian fellowship goes on. I mean is christ first ? Do we esteem others better then ourself like Paul wrote. A lot of times people just want to get church over with and run home. They don't really have time for the brotherhood of believer's. I know some people are tired. I have fell asleep in church lol. But if you read the book of acts it says they meant at each ones homes daily and also in the temple daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spock Posted April 15, 2017 Group: Royal Member Followers: 8 Topic Count: 29 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,239 Content Per Day: 0.86 Reputation: 1,686 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/26/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted April 15, 2017 49 minutes ago, JoshuasonFlower said: To keep it short, the elders decided to send an invitation to certain community spots in the local gay community to visit our "open" church. Without telling the congregation of this first. The reason being we found later was to test our spirit of love for our fellow man and woman. Open though modest displays of affection ensued as the first gay couple arrived. Women. Followed by others being the first were received by the elders and many on the board after service.Meetings with them did not change what was happening being we'd not been consulted before it happened. Reasoning that the scriptures say these people should be saved from their sins, not condoned and encouraged to openly express them were rebuffed. It is for God to judge not us! Was the defense our pastor gave for this decision by the few in charge. For me the last straw was when the bulletin arrived announcing the upcoming wedding of two men in the spring of 2016. Our community announcement board advertised it to the public as well. Does that assist your understanding? Clear as a windex cleaned glass pane. Im not surprised....this is the way the "church" seems to be heading, right? It seems in the name of love and acceptance, righteousness and denying the lust of the flesh is being set aside. Now I know homosexuality is not one of the Ten Commandments nor is it one of the seven things that God hates according to Proverbs 6: 16There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. but.......it is pretty clear to me, that God just doesn't wish for Joe to have sex with Susie*** but that he also wishes for Joe not to have sex with Michael either. Therefore, shepherds should not encourage either behavior that violates Gods written will. If this means anything to you Joshua, you did the right thing to "flee immorality! *** does not apply if Susie is Joe's wife Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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