What is your view on making your family go to church?

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PeterJens

PeterJens

Banned
#21
Feb 24, 2015
13,204
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#21
Going to church as a family, is a family experience. When they are old enough, if they do not want to go, that is fine.
I personally think unless going to church is a positive event you should not be going, and as a parent to force a child to go in this situation is not respecting the child and their motivations. Church is a social event, with many layers and issues, and some people fit in some churches and not others.

My walk with the Lord is I love him, and if a person wants to walk away, they must be allowed to do so, because there is nothing forced in the relationship, and often the reason for walking away is to find out if they can.

For teenagers going to church on sunday evenings is simpler than sunday mornings, so which is the pressure on.
Also if your friendship group only go in the evening, being there in the morning can be such a drag.

But the church is also a time of reflection, of thinking, of seeing things from another perspective.
 
G

Grandpa

Senior Member
#22
Jun 24, 2011
11,551
3,189
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#22
PeterJens said:
Going to church as a family, is a family experience. When they are old enough, if they do not want to go, that is fine.
I personally think unless going to church is a positive event you should not be going, and as a parent to force a child to go in this situation is not respecting the child and their motivations. Church is a social event, with many layers and issues, and some people fit in some churches and not others.

My walk with the Lord is I love him, and if a person wants to walk away, they must be allowed to do so, because there is nothing forced in the relationship, and often the reason for walking away is to find out if they can.

For teenagers going to church on sunday evenings is simpler than sunday mornings, so which is the pressure on.
Also if your friendship group only go in the evening, being there in the morning can be such a drag.

But the church is also a time of reflection, of thinking, of seeing things from another perspective.
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Do you actually have any kids???

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
 
Blain

Blain

The Word Weaver
#23
Aug 28, 2012
19,215
2,551
113
#23
Grandpa said:
Do you actually have any kids???

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
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I think PeterJens has an excellent point. I mean if you try to force you kids to church every sunday school that might work for some but it will drive away others. I mean God doesn't force himself on us does he? he allows us the freedom to choose him and to stay with him and when we want to leave him he lets us
 
G

Grandpa

Senior Member
#24
Jun 24, 2011
11,551
3,189
113
#24
Any exposure to the Word of God is good exposure. Whether you have to drag them to it or not.

At some point you have to let them go and hope everything you tried to teach them sticks. And then you hope that some of that Word that you forced them to be exposed to takes root.

At least it will help them think when the world tries to make them believe all its lies. Hopefully, prayerfully, faithfully.
 
A

atwhatcost

Guest
#25
#25
Blain said:
It's a common thing i see the parents get everyone ready to go to church but not everyone wants to go because honestly they are not saved and it's simply a pain but the parents make them go hoping the sermon will speak to them or rather for some it's just mandatory as some ppl go to church each sunday but not because they are saved it's almost like a tradition or something.

Now I sometimes ponder this situation as I see it in the house I currently live in. Whenever i see a kid or someone being forced to go to church when they clearly don't want to go in the service and the whole church scene they seem to constantly be thinking when is this going to be over? and the end result is being forced to go doesn't bring them to God it only makes them run away from him. in fact when was a kid i was forced to go to church and was the same way I just couldn't wait for it to be over and honestly it did make me run from God.

But then on the other hand if we don't do this is there a possibility that they could have been saved instead of running away? is it better to let them go to God on their own accord or kind of force him on them?
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I think it helps to remember church isn't a building; it's a gathering of the brothers. If the only experience the kids have with God is that formal service over there with a pastor doing all the talking, might as well watch TV. Since it's part of life, life continues at home and even in the car to and from. What did you get out of what the pastor said? What did you get out of reading the Bible? Any questions? Cool, let's talk about it and see what we come up with. And then, how do we apply this to life? What should it look like?

That's a gathering. That's church. Going to the building is to learn more and to apply it to more. It's even to praise together. Because, ultimately, what will it look like? A huge gathering worshiping God without ever worrying about self again.

If I had children, they would get that much. Since all the people in my house and in my family are adults, forcing the issue is long over. What church I was raised in has nothing to do with my belief in God today.
 
S

sassylady

Guest
#26
#26
My ex forced so much on the children, including church, and what to wear to church, but he didn't practice what he preached. When they were in their early teens and he was out of the house, I did not force it. I was told I was wrong, they were too young to have that choice, but I had prayed about it and knew I had heard from God. I now have three children following the Lord. I believe in my case I did the right thing, and they have thanked me for that as well as other things I did not force on them. They believed it was best for them to learn on their own (with help from the Holy Spirit as well). Many still would not agree with me but you have to be confident yourself in believing you have heard from God.
 
S

Siberian_Khatru

Guest
#27
#27
Grandpa said:
Any exposure to the Word of God is good exposure. Whether you have to drag them to it or not.

At some point you have to let them go and hope everything you tried to teach them sticks.
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Any exposure? That's a bold statement. As for the latter one: yes, I agree. :)
 
Jon4TheCross

Jon4TheCross

Senior Member
#28
Oct 19, 2012
1,864
7
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#28
p_rehbein said:
??? ................

Mayhaps you will understand it better this way...........The Church certainly does go to church............Always have.
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How can I go to something I am? So...are you saying you are not in the presence of the church when you "go home"? And by the way...we should not teach the children of God to call this home...Unless we are reffering to the kingdom within.
 
Jon4TheCross

Jon4TheCross

Senior Member
#29
Oct 19, 2012
1,864
7
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#29
I can assemble with other parts of the body...and gather together...but the wotds "go to the church" are for those with inheritance in the land. I am speaking from the perspective of the eternal high priesthood of God...a christian perspective.
 
Yet

Yet

Banned
#30
Jan 4, 2014
3,756
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#30
Catch 22. I want my family to accept Christ but I don't want to send them to a place that is not really the church that the word invisions. I want them to hear the true word of God without all the lies and falsehood.
So I'm left to simply pray that God will reach them. I got saved without anybody walking me through it. Me and the Holy Spirit got it done without the interference of a churched to death christian.
I do feel sometimes damned if you take them to church and damned if you don't. If I took them I'd have to spend hours with them explaining why certain doctrines of the organized church are not of God.
The other problem is with the 'under the law/curse' of tithing. If the hirelings get wind of their not tithing, they may be asked to leave.
So it is hard. I want them to hear the truth but not be stuck in a pew the rest of their lives with duct tape over their mouths as is the case in most church buildings. What to do, what to do!! God's just gonna have to take care of the mess.
 
B

birdie

Senior Member
#31
Sep 16, 2014
511
92
28
#31
What is your view on making your family go to church?
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I don't see the word 'church' as meaning anything other than true believer persons, and that doesn't have anything to do with organizations in my view. Many formalized 'churches' are a contrivance of man. Unless the Lord builds the house...

Praying for anyone to become saved or to be more full of Christ is never a bad idea, or even for oneself as well.
 
N

newlife7

Guest
#32
#32
My view is that there are so many preachers on TV and in churches around the world who may not even have the right to call themselves Christians. Always keep that in mind.
 
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