Joining a church

[ayin jade]

Looks like its my turn for a topic ....

This came up in the baptism thread. So Im curious. Do you think a Christian must join a church? I am using church defined as a building or local group of believers who meet regularly in a building and have some formal declaration of being a congregation. Please use scripture in your answer when possible.

[Guest HIS girl]

Yes for fellowship purposes and to uplift other Christians BUT...

having been burned by a Church before..I would say to a new Believer - above all else get to know the Word first and find a mentor or small group when you are on milk, find out what God is like and the things Jesus taught so as when you DO look for a Church, you can recognise if the Church is FOR Him or for itself.

[Larry 2]

Looks like its my turn for a topic ....

This came up in the baptism thread. So Im curious. Do you think a Christian must join a church? I am using church defined as a building or local group of believers who meet regularly in a building and have some formal declaration of being a congregation. Please use scripture in your answer when possible.

If you are a Christian you already belong to the one and only Church; the body of Christ. Paul expresses fear that many of these espoused to Jesus (That

[Guest HIS girl]

Well that's part of the problem isn't it when people put themselves as head of the Church and not God.

It would be easy if Believers were all under ONE teaching but unfortunately it has branched off into many differing ways of teaching His Word which changes things to the extreme.

[mead]

I voted yes, in accordance to Hebrews 10:24-25: And let us consider one another to provoke unto to love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching. I believe that by assembling together we honor the Lord, being obedient to His word. But I can also understand a person who has been hurt deeply by a church. We forget sometimes that love is the fulfillment of the law: Romans 13:10.

[Larry 2]

I voted yes, in accordance to Hebrews 10:24-25: And let us consider one another to provoke unto to love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching. I believe that by assembling together we honor the Lord, being obedient to His word. But I can also understand a person who has been hurt deeply by a church. We forget sometimes that love is the fulfillment of the law: Romans 13:10.

Dear Mead, I do believe in assembling together but I do not have to belong to a local assembly to fellowship or study. I presently attend an assembly where there is no membership other than being in Christ and that's the way I think it should be.

[Floatingaxe]

I believe we need to join, to identify, to support and work in a local body of believers. God wants it. He says He sets the lonley (solitary) in families. It is our safety and security to be members of a church. Investing one's life in a local church family helps with the "planting by streams of water" that God desires to do with us.

I initiated a thread on the subject, and my reasons with scripture are there:

http://www.worthychristianforums.com/local...rch-t92294.html

[OneLight]

I voted no. Even though I attend one, support it financially and through outreach ministries, I did not agree with their doctrine, so I never signed their membership agreement. Does that make all I am in Christ invalid? God has not left me, so I would have to say no. As for scripture ... I can't even find scripture that states that you have to sign your name anywhere. Yet, the closest I have found is this ...

Matthew 5:33-37

Jesus Forbids Oaths

[Floatingaxe]

Just for clarity's sake I don't think all churches expect a signature. Ours doesn't, yet I have been accepted into membership.

Edit: Although, come to think about it, I did have to sign a request for membership and when we went through the classesand requirements, we did sign an agreement to the beliefs and mission statement of the church--so I could be wrong!

[Larry 2]

I believe we need to join, to identify, to support and work in a local body of believers. God wants it. He says He sets the lonley (solitary) in families. It is our safety and security to be members of a church. Investing one's life in a local church family helps with the "planting by streams of water" that God desires to do with us.

I initiated a thread on the subject, and my reasons with scripture are there:

http://www.worthychristianforums.com/local...rch-t92294.html

Dear Floatingaxe, pretty good thread you had, but I didn't see where you were to join a membership in all the scripture you gave. Instead Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:4: "For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?" Like I wrote, the only reason Baptist, Catholic, Evangletical, and others aren't mentioned there is because they wern't present at that time. Oh I am a Baptist; are ye not carnal? And I'm not picking on Baptists. Should we assemble together? Yes. Should we support a ministry? Yes. Should we put our name under their name? No.