Posted on 12/11/2017 1:50:26 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion
A few months after becoming pastor of Parkway Baptist Church, a 21-year-old Armour D. Stephenson III, or “AD3” as he is affectionately known, sat down with his deacons — almost all men over 40 — and laid out plans for his own version of the great flood.
“The entire dynamic of our church was about to change,” AD3 recalls of the fateful 2006 meeting. His first decree: “Stop wearing suits on Sundays.”
The congregation’s response? An exodus. Membership dwindled from about 300 to a low of 85. “Any time you’re shifting culture, there’s going to be some casualties,” AD3 says.
(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...
I was raised Missouri Synod Lutheran. Just preach the Word, remind me that I’m a SINNER, kick my @ss and keep me ont he Straight and Narrow for the coming week.
THAT feels like ‘home’ to me. ;)
Considering that he was wanting to attract a demographic who is both image-conscious and averse to traditional dress, it may not have been a bad thing.
Sometimes the “old saints” drive away younger demographics simply by not accepting different ways of doing things.
A story I heard many years ago:
A large church, near a university, held Sunday services where the elder men of the church served as ushers. One Sunday morning, a student strolled in, clad in jeans and a t-shirt, with sandals on his feet. No seeing a place to sit (the service was overflowing), the student plopped himself down in the aisle, near the front, sitting cross-legged.
One of the elderly ushers, walking slowly with a cane, came down the aisle to the young man unceremoniously sitting in the aisle.
“He’ll get it now!” was the thought of many of the congregation.
When the usher reached the young man, he carefully sat down next to him, painfully arranging himself much like the young man, welcoming the student in a manner no spoken greeting could ever convey.
Think about it. If a church preaches the gospel - the whole gospel - then the garb of the congregation is immaterial. It is the heart.
Well stated, FRiend.
Churches should be focused on teaching the word of God first.
As for attire and other ways to connect with todays culture, all I can say is the bible tells us to live in this world but not become like the world. I take that to mean, interact with people in ways to reach them but be sure you don’t start sliding away from biblical.
Also Churches should accept anyone one coming as they are, but God doesn’t intend for any person, sinner or preacher or any where in-between to stay as they are. God intends for all of us to grow out of our old self and into whatever He calls us to.
“It was tax collectors, fallen women, fishermen, etc. Obviously he saw value in a welcoming approach.”
+1
Frankly, some people are prepared and come to Christ when they first hear the Gospel of Grace. Others ripen over time.
It took me time over 2 years and through the blessing of a roommate in college who knew Christ, to come to faith in Christ myself. He does don’t preach to me. He witnessed by his life and words.
Very true most of them do have small groups. My wife and I have led small groups in a church we had attended for several years. BUT the main teaching should be in the service. The small groups can be there to meet needs and help shepherd and disciple the flock. But the main responsibility should be for the pastor to do it since many times the small group leaders arent adequately trained to shepherd and disciple. For example one of the small groups in my former church was just basically a “social club” where the group just met together to sometimes talk about the sermon but mainly was there to socialize. The group my wife and I led did socialize but AFTER or outside of the small group meeting time and we tried to bring the group we had deeper into the scriptures...following the sermon or using studies such as Steve Lawsons Attributes of God series from Ligonier or Sinclair Fergusons Upper Room Discourse study from Ligonier.
I would have to wholeheartedly disagree with your statement on the purpose of the church. Yes we are to lead others to Christ and that is one way we are to Glorify God BUT when the church gathers corporately the MAIN purpose should always be to to Worship and Glorify God thru prayer and the preaching of the word as seen in Acts. Evangelism is not the main purpose of Sunday worship. It will be as I alluded to before a byproduct or a blessing that God may bestow when we are being faithful to Him.
Thank you...Looking forward to listening to some sermons
Need the designer coffees in the sanctuary too. Comforts and conveniences are Heaven—got to meet the needs!
His one Sunday about Trump and Jerusalem was one of his best ever.
This one is incredible:
atheycreek.com/teachings/17729/the-capital-of-israel/
TY...Will listen when i can
“Need the designer coffees in the sanctuary too. Comforts and conveniences are Heaven—got to meet the needs!”
We don’t need carpet or heat and air conditioning nor hymn books nor instruments nor a great many other things.
You did say “role of the church” which is what I responded to.
Now you’ve changed to the purpose of a Sunday gathering.
I don’t disagree with the things you wrote for a worship service.
Trouble is — when we die — all those things are gone.
Will heaven be gone for these people, too, because they desired earthly and not heavenly things?
“If the preacher is preaching the Word, I don’t care if he’s wearing a suit or a pair of jeans.”
Some people think that Jesus wore a suit for the sermon on the mount!
The whole suit thing is an odd cultural thing
Really, a friend of my parents does a mass at the local clothing optional resort... God doesn’t care what you wear...my parents friend said that God didn’t give us clothes, so God just want you to hear His Word..
I used to be pretty adamant to wear nice clothes to church. No more. Just get in here praise God with us. Learn a little too.
Plenty of t shirts and flip flops.
Thanks. I’m a convert from agnosticism/ atheism. I came to Christ and Catholicism partly as a result of infanticide. I always thought killing kids was wrong. Found the idea abhorrent. While I disagreed with my intellectual opposition at the time, I always respected their views on life and agreed with them on that point.
Once I decided that there probably was a God, the other pieces fell into place.
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