I do not believe that ANY church function should begin or end with out a prayer..not because we are trying to score points or win converts..but because in all things God should be glorified..
Becky if they can not tell the church from the world..that is something a meditation will not fix
Every person in an "outreach" ministry( To use xzings phrase) Should be prepared to give a reason for the Hope that is with in them..
Beck no big deal to me one way or another..but we can get so wrapped out in giving the gospel we can forget to live it ..we can become so used to the "church " doing it that we never learn how
How powerful if on a horse riding outing one teen prays for another out of the view of the "Offical " church...
Seems to me that much of modern Christendom has chosen to focus on making converts instead of making disciples. We need to go back to the "job description" (Matt 28:19-20). Both evangelism and teaching/discipleship are important. The NT examples shows that those typically happen in different venues. What Barna has shown is that many of those he surveyed who profess the name of Christ are at best "children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming..." [Eph 4:14]