Does your church have strict dress codes?

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dliz

Filipino Room/Forum Moderator
Jun 13, 2012
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#41
Modesty should always be the main concern, and of course, not just in church. My parents like me to wear a dress to church, not necessarily anything very ornate or ostentatious or even expensive, but just to make an effort to recognise this is not just an everyday event. As my mum says, you are visiting our creator not going down the mall!

Likewise, My mom would always encourage us to wear a dress at church so that we'll look presentable. We put so much effort on looking good for a certain occasion so we ought to look our very best when going to church to worship our Lord God Almighty.:p But then again you don't need to look fancy what's really important is that you are there physically and spiritually to worship and praise Our Creator. :)
 
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Shouryu

Guest
#42
We all know what He requires of us. (Or at least, I hope we do.)

The question is, for everything He has done for you, is only fulfilling the bare minimum requirement enough?

How much respect does our Saviour's house deserve? That is the first question...the second question is...if we are capable of showing more respect, why shouldn't we show it?

I seem to remember a similar thread from about a month ago. But it is late, and I am lazy. So I will not dig it up. But I know it's out there. I recall posting about this not long ago.
 

rejoice83

Senior Member
Sep 29, 2011
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#43
It is true that God sees our hearts but wearing appropriate clothes during worship services is a declaration of our testimony. If we can dress up when meeting people or attending special occasions, how much more when we meet the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.As worshipers, we need to glorify God in our bodies inside and outside the church.

I also want women to dress modestly. with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. (1 timothy 2:9-10)
 
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colalella2891

Guest
#44
Nope. I wear jeans to church all the time, but there are also many people who dress up. What you wear really should't matter in my opinion... As long as you're going to church.

Now, that doesn't mean that you should go to church in something you just rolled out of bed in... Also, there are some women who dress too "revealing" I guess I should say, lol. One day my mom wore a shirt to church that really showed a lot of cleavage and she was approached about it.

But yeah i'm not going to get dressed up just to please anybody, especially since God doesn't care if you dress up or not. :)

Just my opinion.
 
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Oct 31, 2011
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#45
Nope. I wear jeans to church all the time, but there are also many people who dress up. What you wear really should't matter in my opinion... As long as you're going to church.

Now, that doesn't mean that you should go to church in something you just rolled out of bed in... Also, there are some women who dress too "revealing" I guess I should say, lol. One day my mom wore a shirt to church that really showed a lot of cleavage and she was approached about it.

But yeah i'm not going to get dressed up just to please anybody, especially since God doesn't care if you dress up or not. :)

Just my opinion.
I think God does care. People often say that God sees the heart so what I do doesn't matter. They are kidding themselves, not being honest. What we do does reflect what is in our hearts. It is almost impossible to care deeply about God and go to worship Him and dressed in our worst.

But what we wear is between us and God, it not anyone else's business.
 

taggerung

Senior Member
Apr 26, 2009
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#46
I have never heard of any dress code for my church. But it seems to be the common thing within our church, to fess modestly. And men MUST wear Hawaiian shirts on Father's Day. Us females in my church don't win our men over with our dress. We win ourselves a man with our cookies.
 
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kenisyes

Guest
#47
Why should we look better for a date that doesn't mean
as much to us, than we would for our Lord and Savior?
I'm already married to Him (bridegroom and bride). Just like the wife who my date might one day become, when I talk to Him before and after my day, I am hardly dressed. He knows me as I am. If we dress for church, we dress for the people in the church.
 
Aug 2, 2009
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#48
Here is how I feel about dressing for church...

If you were getting ready to present yourself before a very rich and powerful king or president in their home would you just throw on what you normally wear?

In Exodus 28, GOD commands the people to make vestments of gold, blue, purple, scarlet and fine linen for Aaron and his sons so they may serve Him as priests.

Those vestments were not designed to bring glory to the priests, but to bring glory to GOD...because that's how He rolls! :)
 
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iTOREtheSKY

Guest
#49
While a part of me totally agrees with what many people have said about looking your best & dressing up,a huge part of me feels like I wouldn't want to alienate new people coming into the church either. I would hate to know that people felt uncomfortable because maybe they'd see so many people looking nice,well dressed & they cannot afford to dress that way or have nicer clothes. Does that make sense? I think that's one of the great things my old church had going for it. At any given time,you'd see people that would be in various states of casual dress (jeans,t-shirt) so it was a good mix. I dunno..I just found it more welcoming that's all. I just think in the end,you should come to church as you are or as you feel you should be dressed. (with modesty of course) Suit & tie or jeans...Jesus just wants us not to forsake gathering with one another,period.
 
Aug 2, 2009
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#50
Yes, that makes sense, iTORE. Church should be the place where everyone is accepted no matter what they look like or dress like. For someone who's poor, their best outfit might consist of a clean t-shirt and worn out jeans. We all can't afford expensive clothes, so we shouldn't judge what other people might be wearing. Then again, maybe some people have a special reason why they could not put on nicer clothes for church. We should never judge by appearances. Jesus was poor, so that fact alone should keep us from judging.

The only clincher is when we KNOW that somebody we know is dressing poorly for no good reason. Then its up to us to decide whether its appropriate to bring up the subject with that person or not. But I think that should be the only time we should allow judgment to enter our minds. :)
 
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iTOREtheSKY

Guest
#51
Yes, that makes sense, iTORE. Church should be the place where everyone is accepted no matter what they look like or dress like. For someone who's poor, their best outfit might consist of a clean t-shirt and worn out jeans. We all can't afford expensive clothes, so we shouldn't judge what other people might be wearing. Then again, maybe some people have a special reason why they could not put on nicer clothes for church. We should never judge by appearances. Jesus was poor, so that fact alone should keep us from judging.

The only clincher is when we KNOW that somebody we know is dressing poorly for no good reason. Then its up to us to decide whether its appropriate to bring up the subject with that person or not. But I think that should be the only time we should allow judgment to enter our minds. :)
Very true bro,indeed.
 
Dec 26, 2012
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#52
Although my church does not have any type of dress code (there are folks dressed casual (jeans/t-shirts) and dressy (suit/tie or dress) and everything in between), I personally think it's best to look our best when going to the Lord's house to worship Him. That is not to say that we don't worship Him in everyday things, but when we're together, worshipping corporately, let's give God our best. Same thing about music -- why would we sing sub-standard music when worshipping God? Let's not do anything sub-standard and give God our best!
UMM But aren't we suppose to give God our best every minute of every day? And doesn't God see us every day,even on those days working outside where we get dirty,sweaty and stinky? So it bodes the question If I tell myself that I am getting dressed up on Sunday to give God my best on Sunday does that mean during the rest of the week it is NOT my best?

Doesn't God tell us that He does not go by the outward appearance? Doesn't God want our worship in Spirit and truth? Which brings another question. Am I worshipping in Spirit and truth if I come dressed in outfits that are not what I wear everyday before the Lord to begin with,(If one is fine with that no problem) because they are more in the line of making myself look good before men and women? (I am more of a country girl at heart)
 
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colalella2891

Guest
#53
I think God does care. People often say that God sees the heart so what I do doesn't matter. They are kidding themselves, not being honest. What we do does reflect what is in our hearts. It is almost impossible to care deeply about God and go to worship Him and dressed in our worst.

But what we wear is between us and God, it not anyone else's business.
I don't really agree with that... I mean I know people who have their most intimate moments with God when they're by themselves at home in their pajamas. I know people who worship while they jog and they're all sweaty, or even in the shower when they have nothing on at all. God loves YOU, not your clothes.

But I don't have anything against dressing up for church. If you want to go ahead.
 
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FAITHFULGILLIAN

Guest
#54
UMM But aren't we suppose to give God our best every minute of every day? And doesn't God see us every day,even on those days working outside where we get dirty,sweaty and stinky? So it bodes the question If I tell myself that I am getting dressed up on Sunday to give God my best on Sunday does that mean during the rest of the week it is NOT my best?

Doesn't God tell us that He does not go by the outward appearance? Doesn't God want our worship in Spirit and truth? Which brings another question. Am I worshipping in Spirit and truth if I come dressed in outfits that are not what I wear everyday before the Lord to begin with,(If one is fine with that no problem) because they are more in the line of making myself look good before men and women? (I am more of a country girl at heart)

It's just a mark of respect because religious services are a formal expression of homage to God in a setting which is designed to give glory to him.
 
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colalella2891

Guest
#55
@RedTent: What about the people who can't afford nice clothes??? Should they be excluded from church just because of that? I don't think so.

God most definitely wouldn't exclude them.
 
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Dec 26, 2012
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#56
It's just a mark of respect because religious services are a formal expression of homage to God in a setting which is designed to give glory to him.

But isn't God suppose to get the glory ALL THE TIME and NOT just a once a week? Please I am not saying formal worship is wrong,but a question on that Where did Jesus say worship was to be formal,and where in the Bible does it ever show that Abraham ever once had a formal worship service?
 
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kaytyndy

Guest
#57
good character is the best dressing ever!!!!!!!!!!! it will also cloth the physical
 
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FAITHFULGILLIAN

Guest
#58
But isn't God suppose to get the glory ALL THE TIME and NOT just a once a week? Please I am not saying formal worship is wrong,but a question on that Where did Jesus say worship was to be formal,and where in the Bible does it ever show that Abraham ever once had a formal worship service?

The reality is that we do have priests and churches and formal acts of worship on a regular basis. Of course those who reject such concepts are free to do so. But if you do accept them, it seems right to me that you should dress in a manner that reflects the significance and solemnity of those acts of worship. Is it such a big deal really? I am obliged to wear a uniform to school and that is not to show off or be exclusivist or elitist, just to acknowledge that I am part of a community with a shared identity and common values.
 
Dec 26, 2012
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#59
The reality is that we do have priests and churches and formal acts of worship on a regular basis. Of course those who reject such concepts are free to do so. But if you do accept them, it seems right to me that you should dress in a manner that reflects the significance and solemnity of those acts of worship. Is it such a big deal really? I am obliged to wear a uniform to school and that is not to show off or be exclusivist or elitist, just to acknowledge that I am part of a community with a shared identity and common values.
I didn't say it was wrong. But can find me somewhere in the Bible that we are told that we are to do that? The only thing we are told to wear is in modesty,and the men not wearing women's garments and vice versa. It's not there what we are to wear outside of those things. And whatever we wear we are to give thanks to God and do so unto the Lord. I don't see where od or Jesus came up to people because of what they were wearing. Moses was wearing his work clothes when God met him. It was the same with Jesus when He called the disciples. They weren't called in their finest clothing. Is it wrong to do so,of course not. This is a matter of each believer's convictions and not something that we should place on someone else.
 
Dec 26, 2012
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#60
And can we agree there is time for being solemn before the Lord and there is times when one can also do as David did? (Although of course we do have some laws to keep us from doing parts of it,but I don't think most people are going to give a king a whole lot grief) I think he got a little wild and crazy there.

2 Samuel 6

12 Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.
17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificingthe burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”
21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me rulerover the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord.22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.