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So what do you do?

UntoldGlory

UntoldGlory

Member
Male
So now that we've been asked not to attend our church due to our beliefs, I'm wondering what those of you who have also run into that situation do. Home church services? Attend a rotation of churches but don't really get involved, keep trying till you're kicked out of all the ones in driving distance? Looking for some practical ideas to keep my family moving forward in our relationships with Christ. Thanks!
 
I lead my family in Bible study.

The Apostle Matthew quoted Christ when he said:
Matthew 18:20 NIV
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
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Two people, such as my wife and me, are a church. If that's the best we have available then it is sufficient.

When and if we find a larger church that places the teachings of Christ and His apostles above the traditions of the world then we will attend that church. Until then I do not want to risk my family being led astray by the false teachings of churches that worship the idolatry of human traditions or human ideals.

Of course that's just my solution to the problem. I'm sure that there are others.
 
Build community by staying focused on the Father. Sounds like you've done a great at that so far! I still look for opportunities in my community. If you want to schedule a few days in advance I'm done for a video conference. May want to skip the traditional service with praise & worship and go with conversation though... my singing voice isn't for everyone.
 
Courting4Life said:
...my singing voice isn't for everyone.
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I used to make money singing in bars. I would start singing and people would pay me to shut up.

I like the video conference idea though.
 
UntoldGlory was on the worship team playing keyboard and singing. I personally will miss musical worship more than anything.
 
Last year I decided that we (my wife and children) would no longer be involved with the place we had been doing church for twenty years plus. There where some issues of deception from the leadership etc etc.
A part of the process for me was figuring out if I could fix it or not? Or was it in actual fact broken or just completely wrong".
Which lead me to the question "what is church" and "what is its function".
These questions are distorted by our assumptions of modern cultural behaviour and what we are accustomed to as "normal".
What should church be? What was it in the beginning.?
Think of it like this
If you stop going for some reason.(asked to leave or just couldn't stay) Most people will say you stopped going to church. Right.
So does this mean that church is just a building?
I found a book ,or it found me maybe "reimagining church" by Frank Viola. Worth a read.
It changed the way I view church completely.
However I don't have the answers to what it should be. Lol
Just I rough guide of what I think at the moment. For me there where some vital elements missing and some not so biblical elements that where way to dominant.
Very interested to see what others have to contribute.
Richard
 
At Christmas or Easter, I like to read through all the gospel accounts with my family.

What works really well is, we pick a book, say Luke.

Then I tell everyone "ok, I will narrate" then I read through and find all the other parts, and say "OK who will be an angel", "who will be Jesus", "Mary" etc. The kids all volunteer to read a character's lines.

When there is speech from a group, eg "the Pharisees", "the crowd" etc, everyone is instructed to join in at the same time.

Then I start reading the narrator verses, and each person speaks up when its their turn.

Its quite popular with the kids, brings the story alive.
 
I started a home based bible study with some other believers on a week-day. That way we weren't 'in competition' to any organization, and people who were like minded about the need for more intimate fellowship could do so without leaving or skipping out on their Sunday meeting.

Some side effects are the realization that most of your brethren have shockingly heretical beliefs, and that you can live with it. For instance, in my small fellowship (which takes place in my home), I do not allow women to speak and am open in my beliefs about polygamy. About half the brothers disagree with me on Poly and at least one of the ladies disagrees with me about speaking. And yet we sing, and pray, and take communion, and the word is taught. We enjoy a tighter fellowship than any man has ever had with the family sitting two pews up.

Some of my fellowship may kind of want to stab me... but like a brother.
 
Slumberfreeze said:
Some side effects are the realization that most of your brethren have shockingly heretical beliefs, and that you can live with it.
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All the world are heretics except me and thee, and I am not too sure about thee...
 
Slumberfreeze, thanks for those ideas on home meetings. That they can be so boldly conceived and, on the other hand, non-competitive with other groups hadn't occurred to me.
 
I'm glad it helped! I think that no matter what organization or denomination a person may be affiliated with, the brethren belong in each others homes. I think it's especially helpful to have fellowship across denominational or doctrinal lines. Iron sharpens iron, but only if both pieces of iron are held at slightly different angles.
 
Slumberfreeze said:
I think it's especially helpful to have fellowship across denominational or doctrinal lines. Iron sharpens iron, but only if both pieces of iron are held at slightly different angles.
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I agree so long as we realize that sometimes sparks fly when iron sharpens iron.
 
I love the held at slightly different angles line, perfect!

And it does require friction, which can certainly involve sparks.
 
UntoldGlory said:
I love the held at slightly different angles line, perfect!

And it does require friction, which can certainly involve sparks.
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Matthew 7:1-5 has some real wisdom for this situation. When we remove the log from our own eyes we are removing the fuel for a fire so that the sparks don't have anything to ignite. If we concentrate on the splinter in our brother's or sister's eye that leaves the log in place and it can catch fire.

What do you do if your brother doesn't remove the log from his eye and a fire results? What do you do when the house you're in is on fire? You leave, post haste. (Matthew 7:6)
 
jacobhaivri said:
Sure, Wesley, but Noah would have had some real problems with that advice!
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He may have been too busy using logs for ark building to have any in his eyes. <chuckle>
 
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