YOUR CHURCH

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Cerwin

Guest
#1
#1
Many on Christian Chat go to church I assume. What about YOUR Church enriches your personel life, and brings you closer to the Lord? Have any of you felt discouraged by your church, and if so, what would you say is "missing" from it? I've heard that many churches have reported attendance is down, and churches are falling apart. Do you agree? And finally, if you read scripture daily and walk in as straight a path as you possibly can according to Christ's teaching, would you say Church is necessary at all?
 
tourist

tourist

Senior Member
#2
Mar 13, 2014
41,304
16,297
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Tennessee
#2
The bible says not to forsake of assembling together so I would say that regular church attendance in a bible believing church is beneficial in a spiritual sense and provides opportunity for Christian fellowship that may be scarce outside of a church environment. I don't believe that churches are falling apart anymore than they have in the past. I agree that it is very good to immerse yourself daily in the Word of God, devotion and prayer. As for my church, currently I work on weekends so the only thing missing is myself. I want to change that so that I can resume attending services with my wife. What enriches me by church is sharing the Word of God with the others that are there and supporting and encouraging each other with prayer.
 
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Cerwin

Guest
#3
#3
tourist said:
The bible says not to forsake of assembling together so I would say that regular church attendance in a bible believing church is beneficial in a spiritual sense and provides opportunity for Christian fellowship that may be scarce outside of a church environment. I don't believe that churches are falling apart anymore than they have in the past. I agree that it is very good to immerse yourself daily in the Word of God, devotion and prayer. As for my church, currently I work on weekends so the only thing missing is myself. I want to change that so that I can resume attending services with my wife. What enriches me by church is sharing the Word of God with the others that are there and supporting and encouraging each other with prayer.
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Actually, it was read that this study had been done concerning oday's youth .A recent survey conducted by the Barna Group, a leading research organization whose focus is on the relationship of faith and culture, found that less than 1 percent of the young adult population in the United States has a biblical worldview. Even more startling, the data shows that less than one half of one percent of Christians between the ages of 18 and 23 has a biblical worldview.Which really is surprising news. I too believe that attendance in a church environment is essential for spiritual growth.
 
Willie-T

Willie-T

Banned
#4
Feb 7, 2015
22,418
413
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#4
If I can't manage to work life out with a couple hundred people meeting for 1 1/2 hours a week here on this planet, I am going to be in a world of hurt having to exist right along side billions of Christians for ETERNITY in the future.
 
p_rehbein

p_rehbein

Senior Member
#5
Sep 4, 2013
30,186
6,530
113
#5
Cerwin said:
Many on Christian Chat go to church I assume. What about YOUR Church enriches your personel life, and brings you closer to the Lord? Have any of you felt discouraged by your church, and if so, what would you say is "missing" from it? I've heard that many churches have reported attendance is down, and churches are falling apart. Do you agree? And finally, if you read scripture daily and walk in as straight a path as you possibly can according to Christ's teaching, would you say Church is necessary at all?
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Would you please start this off with a statement about your Church and how you feel about all of this? Thanks ?)

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Huglife

Huglife

Senior Member
#6
Aug 15, 2016
2,543
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#6
my church is a small homely church, with only about 20 people. I love it. It feels like we are all family. On sundays when we get there before the bell rings, everyone goes around and talks, most of all the preacher. We sing right out of the hymm books everytime. We do not have a band. Everyone sings. We are led by the song leader :)
 
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Cerwin

Guest
#7
#7
p_rehbein said:
Would you please start this off with a statement about your Church and how you feel about all of this? Thanks ?)

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Of coarse ! To be honest, I'm having a few struggles of my own concerning my church, but I wanted to hear if other people experienced some also, to see if its normal . I happen to LOVE my church, but I'm having uneasy feelings and doubts about it , and its breaking my heart. I used to feel like an integral part of it ...I felt I BELONGED there, for years. But lately I feel like I don't belong somehow. Heartbroken, because as I said, I truly believe its important that we gather together in worship and prayer. My church is a small multi-denominational church, that has missionary teams that go overseas, we have congretional counseling, our Pastors are well learned in Scripture and have guest speakers who teach C.S. Lewis writings, we have a food bank that I used to feel privileged to volunteer in with the other ladies, we have weekly bible study and prayer groups. We have so much that a good church has ! In fact, I never have been to any other church in this town, and the lead Pastor there baptized me 2 years ago. I'd just like to see if anyone else has felt these same feelings, and those who feel like they are a big part of their church can tell me of their joys and perhaps that would inspire me some too. I pray every night God to direct me in the directions I should go according to His plan. I suddenly had the idea to come to my brothers and sisters here in Christian Chat.
 
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Cerwin

Guest
#8
#8
Huglife said:
my church is a small homely church, with only about 20 people. I love it. It feels like we are all family. On sundays when we get there before the bell rings, everyone goes around and talks, most of all the preacher. We sing right out of the hymm books everytime. We do not have a band. Everyone sings. We are led by the song leader :)
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Your church sounds lovely ! Even smaller than mine ! We DO have a small band though, with guitars and percussion and piano. Our Pastor even has a couple CDs out of music he writes himself, and a big screen goes up for the words we sing by. I love when we worship through song.
 
stonesoffire

stonesoffire

Poetic Member
#9
Nov 24, 2013
10,665
1,829
113
#9
Possibly the Lord is leading you elsewhere.
 
Laish

Laish

Senior Member
#10
Jul 31, 2016
1,666
448
83
57
#10
Cerwin said:
Of coarse ! To be honest, I'm having a few struggles of my own concerning my church, but I wanted to hear if other people experienced some also, to see if its normal . I happen to LOVE my church, but I'm having uneasy feelings and doubts about it , and its breaking my heart. I used to feel like an integral part of it ...I felt I BELONGED there, for years. But lately I feel like I don't belong somehow. Heartbroken, because as I said, I truly believe its important that we gather together in worship and prayer. My church is a small multi-denominational church, that has missionary teams that go overseas, we have congretional counseling, our Pastors are well learned in Scripture and have guest speakers who teach C.S. Lewis writings, we have a food bank that I used to feel privileged to volunteer in with the other ladies, we have weekly bible study and prayer groups. We have so much that a good church has ! In fact, I never have been to any other church in this town, and the lead Pastor there baptized me 2 years ago. I'd just like to see if anyone else has felt these same feelings, and those who feel like they are a big part of their church can tell me of their joys and perhaps that would inspire me some too. I pray every night God to direct me in the directions I should go according to His plan. I suddenly had the idea to come to my brothers and sisters here in Christian Chat.
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Hello Cerwin
Your description of what's concerning you is pretty vague. Feeling that you may belong or not ,is not descriptive. Can you elaborate? Is it something that you can put your finger on? Or is it just a feeling?
Blessings
Bill
 
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Cerwin

Guest
#11
#11
Laish said:
Hello Cerwin
Your description of what's concerning you is pretty vague. Feeling that you may belong or not ,is not descriptive. Can you elaborate? Is it something that you can put your finger on? Or is it just a feeling?
Blessings
Bill
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I'll try . I'll give an example if that helps. Easter I was so excited to dress up and go to church. I got there, and people waved at me before service and the church was packed with all these familys and the people there gave me smiles. I looked around at all these happy good people and I was sitting in a section with 3 chairs across. All of a sudden I felt sooo alone. I felt "what am I doing there"? I started to cry and I knew I didn't want to harbor these feelings all through service and ran out and drove home. I sat on my bed in my Sunday best and apologized to Jesus while I cried. As I say, after all these years that people in the church have gotten to know me...and they usually encourage me to come sit with them, you know? I felt so unwanted or needed that day. Thats the LAST incident that made me have feelings like this. But I know I'm sounding like a cry baby...I'm usually not THAT emotional. I'm quite independent really. But I just don't know why it affected me that day in THAT way. I'm not supposed to be there for a garden party ..I'm SUPPOSED to be there to praise Jesus. Its just something made me feel I didn't belong there.
 
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Cerwin

Guest
#12
#12
One thing good my church has is podcasts of sermons that come out 2 days after service. So if you miss a sermon you get to hear it on your phone or tablet in a couple days.
 
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Cerwin

Guest
#13
#13
stonesoffire said:
Possibly the Lord is leading you elsewhere.
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Or what if its demons trying to push me out though? I can't believe the Lord would let demons into a church .
 
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mochi

mochi

Senior Member
#14
May 26, 2015
923
38
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#14
Cerwin, i know what you mean.. i feel the same way back then :)
when first time i join my church they all welcoming me very nicely..
then after sometime they still welcoming me but not as nicely like first time i join there.. i kinda feel ignored by them.. lol
its kinda hurt me..
but..
we are baby back then (we need special care.. lol) now we're not.. we cant ask them to care of us forever.. its our turn to care for others newbie to grow and multiply :)
and also proverb 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
and try to focus on God and not your group ;)
oh and it doesnt mean they ignore you, they still care of you ;)
 
Roughsoul1991

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
#15
Sep 17, 2016
8,784
4,452
113
#15
Cerwin said:
Or what if its demons trying to push me out though? I can't believe the Lord would let demons into a church .
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Well, really the church is only a building where Christians gather and God no longer dwells in a building. He now dwells in us the body of Christ. And we know for a fact demons/satan can tempt, distract or lie to us all the time. And just because Christians are gathered together doesn't stop Satin from wiggling his way into the mind. We must be wise enough to decern between this and rely on Jesus and Satin will flee. [h=1]James 4:7New International Version (NIV)[/h][FONT=&quot]7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

[/FONT]
[h=1]1 John 4New International Version (NIV)[/h][FONT=&quot]4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.[/FONT]

So you may want to decern the spirits and see if your thoughts are from God leading you to a different church that feels more like home, or are your thoughts being persuaded by lies of satan.
 
Rockrz

Rockrz

Banned
#16
Dec 3, 2016
1,674
25
0
#16
I don't believe that churches are falling apart anymore than they have in the past
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Yeah, they just get together to idolize the pastor who leads them in to false teaching.

Lots and lots of false teaching and teachers goin round... church is a great place to find one along with a group of people who bully others in to believing whatever the pastor says.



I am going to be in a world of hurt having to exist right along side billions of Christians for ETERNITY in the future
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Not really... they will all have glorified bodies and there won't be any devils around to tempt people to act ugly like they do now.



I can't believe the Lord would let demons into a church
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He gave mankind authority over the devil so He's not going to stop devils from going to church if the folks at that church are devil friendly which many are.
 
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Cerwin

Guest
#17
#17
mochi said:
Cerwin, i know what you mean.. i feel the same way back then :)
when first time i join my church they all welcoming me very nicely..
then after sometime they still welcoming me but not as nicely like first time i join there.. i kinda feel ignored by them.. lol
its kinda hurt me..
but..
we are baby back then (we need special care.. lol) now we're not.. we cant ask them to care of us forever.. its our turn to care for others newbie to grow and multiply :)
and also proverb 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
and try to focus on God and not your group ;)
oh and it doesnt mean they ignore you, they still care of you ;)
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Ah then you are well with your church now then ? I am glad for you. And Thank you for your wisdom. What is your church like and what are your biggest joys in being there ?
 
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Cerwin

Guest
#18
#18
Cerwin said:
Many on Christian Chat go to church I assume. What about YOUR Church enriches your personel life, and brings you closer to the Lord? Have any of you felt discouraged by your church, and if so, what would you say is "missing" from it? I've heard that many churches have reported attendance is down, and churches are falling apart. Do you agree? And finally, if you read scripture daily and walk in as straight a path as you possibly can according to Christ's teaching, would you say Church is necessary at all?
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So enough about Me and Mine ....I'm waiting to hear YOU brag on your church and how it inspires you in all the different ways.
 
WineRose

WineRose

Senior Member
#19
Jan 3, 2017
3,631
265
83
Row A, Column 9
#19
Lol I don't go to church, and I don't want to...I have heard of many nasty experiences and things about them, and I have heard of all the false/corrupt trash that is going on in churches, so I'm keeping a wide berth away from them.
 
mochi

mochi

Senior Member
#20
May 26, 2015
923
38
28
#20
Cerwin said:
Ah then you are well with your church now then ? I am glad for you. And Thank you for your wisdom. What is your church like and what are your biggest joys in being there ?
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I'm not going to that church anymore since i have to go back to my hometown due to some circumstances :)
I still talking to some of the members but they mostly already moving to another city as well after graduate from college.. some stay on that city and work there but they're not into youth anymore :) they move into professional one or family one :)

My church has several services: for kids, student (teen), youth (college), young professional (work) and family
but majority youth :)
we have cell group each saturday and we also have some mentor where we can talk to and ask for a prayer..
For me.. they are like my second family :)

we also have live streaming for those who cant attend church :)

I found that having fellowship with our bro/sist in Christ especially church group to be like this.. where we can support each other encourage and praying :)

[video=youtube;CLSXLW3cYvE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLSXLW3cYvE[/video]
 
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