Would you go?

[deepdiver]

Originally Posted by jednp

I guess look at it this way... if a service like this, gets even 20 people to attend church, that weren't attending before.. isn't that mission accomplished?

sounds right to me!

[Majk]

Originally Posted by deepdiver

sounds right to me!

Not if the message is distorted, changed or modified to fit the crowd or people. Allot of churches change the message because the congregation doesn't want to be convicted of their sins or things they need to work on in their life. So churches become more and more main stream and start adding more gray areas to their messages.

The idea isn't just getting people to church but getting them to live a christian life and to change who they are. Sometimes that means hearing an unpleasant sermon that speaks to your heart. Just filling the seats isn't what its all about.

[jednp]

Originally Posted by Majk

Not if the message is distorted, changed or modified to fit the crowd or people. Allot of churches change the message because the congregation doesn't want to be convicted of their sins or things they need to work on in their life. So churches become more and more main stream and start adding more gray areas to their messages.

The idea isn't just getting people to church but getting them to live a christian life and to change who they are. Sometimes that means hearing an unpleasant sermon that speaks to your heart. Just filling the seats isn't what its all about.

who is to say what exactly is the christian life though? I know people who go to the typical church every sunday, they sit in the front row. They are "good christians", but they are some of the most bitter, mean and nasty people I know. They only care about themselves.

I'd much rather have someone living in a "gray area" with the messages they learn and doing their best to live a good life, than someone who listens to the "christian" message, and is an ass hat outside of the church.

[okxd45]

Originally Posted by jednp

who is to say what exactly is the christian life though? I know people who go to the typical church every sunday, they sit in the front row. They are "good christians", but they are some of the most bitter, mean and nasty people I know. They only care about themselves.

I'd much rather have someone living in a "gray area" with the messages they learn and doing their best to live a good life, than someone who listens to the "christian" message, and is an ass hat outside of the church.

+1!

The whole "pretend like everything in your life is great on Sunday, but the rest of the week be a giant hole bit" is getting old. We are all broken. I want to hang out with people who love God with everything they got, know they're not perfect, and who treat everyone they meet the same. A truly genuine person, what a concept! There are folks like this out there, but few and far between!

[deepdiver]

Originally Posted by Majk

Not if the message is distorted, changed or modified to fit the crowd or people. Allot of churches change the message because the congregation doesn't want to be convicted of their sins or things they need to work on in their life. So churches become more and more main stream and start adding more gray areas to their messages.

The idea isn't just getting people to church but getting them to live a christian life and to change who they are. Sometimes that means hearing an unpleasant sermon that speaks to your heart. Just filling the seats isn't what its all about.

Ok, but that wasn't the premise of the thread or the comment I was responding to. The original premise of the thread was not to have a service that changed the message, just the presentation to attract people who would not otherwise come to hear that message.

I do disagree with you though as to "to change who they are". Just because someone doesn't attend church doesn't mean they need to be "fixed". There are many people, myself included, who don't attend church, but have an active relationship with God, have a strong faith and live their lives based on christian morality and teachings.

[rev-arb]

I just printed off a copy of the responses.....gonna try to make sense in my own mind what to think.

[rev-arb]

bumping for more input

[CountryShooter]

I think most of you all need to go to a GOOD, that being the key word, Pentecostal,Holiness,or Church of God type church. I was raised Baptist an can't go back to that type church now. Once you have truley felt the power of God, you will know it. NO DOUBTS. Some of you need to remember that man is not going to get you into Heaven, so the "I'm as good as so and so" does not matter. You and you alone determine your destiny. If you are truly saved(you know that you know, not someone told you that you are) and following God, Heaven awaits. If not then you get the other place, point blank. NO grey line. Read the Bible for yourself. I think you will see what I am saying.

[rev-arb]

Originally Posted by CountryShooter

I think most of you all need to go to a GOOD, that being the key word, Pentecostal,Holiness,or Church of God type church. I was raised Baptist an can't go back to that type church now. Once you have truley felt the power of God, you will know it. NO DOUBTS. Some of you need to remember that man is not going to get you into Heaven, so the "I'm as good as so and so" does not matter. You and you alone determine your destiny. If you are truly saved(you know that you know, not someone told you that you are) and following God, Heaven awaits. If not then you get the other place, point blank. NO grey line. Read the Bible for yourself. I think you will see what I am saying.

I did not post this to bring up a denominational arguement. I have friends that are Pentecostal, Baptist, Main line Denominations, Catholic, etc. By no means do I condone watering down the Gospel. That needs to remain solid. However, what we have is a large group of men in our world that are being left out because the Good News is not reaching them. we may need to change methods to do it, but never change the message.

[Ishpeck]

I'm curious to know how any church can hope to increase its attendance and hold true to typical Christian values.