CC is a church?
Hey Lynn,
I think we agree on everything except CC being a church.
I understand that CC has a different value and a different meaning to different people...
that's because different people are... DIFFERENT!
So certainly CC can have a different meaning for you than for me;
that's perfectly reasonable, and we should expect that.
But if we're going to go so far as to call CC a church... I think we'd be stretching the definition of church beyond the breaking point. If we're going to us any Biblical definition of church at all, then CC just isn't going to fit that definition.
What IS CC?
Can CC be a place of fellowship?
Sure.
Can it be a place where you minister to others?
Sure.
Can it be a place where you receive ministry?
Sure.
Can it be a place where you pray and encourage other believers?
Sure.
But you can do all those things at the local bowling alley if there's another Christian there... and that doesn't make the bowling alley a church.
Going someplace and finding fellowship with another believer doesn't turn the place into a church.
It just means you found fellowship with another believer.
If you find fellowship with another believer on CC, it no more turns CC into a church than it turns a local bar into a church because you find a Christian there.
The word "church" means "called out assembly"; it's a group of believers that is called together, by God, to assembly and do certain things a local church is supposed to do.
CC just doesn't do those things that a church is supposed to do.
- CC has no elders and deacons, therefore no spiritual authority of any kind over the members.
- CC has no pastors, again, having no authority and no leadership of any kind.
- CC has no creedal statements or mission statements that I can find.
They have some rules, but I don't even think they even have a statement of faith any longer. (If they did have a mission statement, it would be nothing like the mission statement of a church... because it's not a church, and doesn't have the same goals.)
- CC isn't a body believers assembling in unity to do the Lord's work... cc is rather a hodge podge of people from all different denominations that have NO INTENTION of working together or doing ANYTHING constructive at all.
- There are often so many "non Christians" here that I often wonder if you could call this a Christian place at all... it's often brimming full of atheists, occultists, muslims, anti-christian political activists, and religious heretics of every persuasion.
If you pick any orthodox definition of "christian", I don't think you'll find the majority of people here even fit a definition of being Christians.
- CC, because it is not a church, and has no leadership or religious authority, cannot and does not perform the sacraments (Baptism and Lord's Supper) which are commanded to the churches to perform.
- CC, because it is not a church and has no leadership or religious authority, cannot ordain ministers, send out missionaries, perform weddings, perform funerals, give sanctioned pastoral counseling, or place people into any positions of spiritual authority or leadership.
- Because CC isn't a church, neither the owner nor the staff members, are accountable to any church body or authority, either internally or externally.
- Because CC isn't a church it cannot interact with other churches, and do "church projects"... because it isn't a church.
- Because CC isn't a church it has no worship services, no teaching services, and no teaching or training programs of any kind.
I could go on and on and on... but CC just isn't a church.
It has no authority, no leadership, no spiritual governance, no pastors, no elders, no deacons, no articles of faith, no mission statement, no sacraments or ordinances, no teaching or worship services... and because of this... because it has absolutely no spiritual leadership or authority.... most of the people here probably aren't even Christians at all.
CC may be a place you go for fellowship.
That's great.
But it's not a church.