Internet church

[39mto39g]

For the lazy among us. Its time to go to church and have a beer.

http://www.fotw.org/worship/seeourservice/

Ron

[Keith_Hixson]

Promotion, advertise, you use the media and get the word out. The church has learned they must use the media and internet for promotion or they will die. The older denominations that are still doing it the old fashion way aren't succeeding very well. Even though we have these big mega churches in the United States there are less people in church on the Sabbath (Sat or Sun.) than ever before and with the increase of our population that means church isn't nearly as important in our lives as it use to be.

Keith

[39mto39g]

Kieth
I think it's no longer enough to say that we need God, The church has to sell god and entertain along the way. But, what ever it takes, I guess.

Ron

[Advisor]

God is not a commodity

[39mto39g]

Advisor
They give bibles away at your church.
Sure God is a commodity. Thats how Christan stores stay in business. And bible study groups and Church camps for kids, etc.
You try to belong to a church and before they except you, tell them that you will never give money to the church. Just look at the web site above and look at all the things they want money for. God is a very very big commodity.
Want to buy a cross.
Ron

[DMZ-LT]

Sharon gave me a St. Joan medal when I went to Viet Nam to keep me safe. She did her job , I haven't taken her off in 35 years. I BELIEVE .

[Keith_Hixson]

You are both right!

The church in America, even the Evangelical Fundamentalists have made God a commodity and he shouldn't be a commodity.

The little country church in which I was raised is the way the church should work, but I dare say the mega-churches are killing God with commercialism.

The church should be a loving caring place where people know each other and care about each other. It should be a place to worship God in SPIRIT and in TRUTH.

But the mega churches have made church and entertainment.
They may even be selling Good Theology, and Good Moral Values but its become professionalism and that is wrong.

God is not a commodity and the secular world knows that and they also know as Ron has stated that God has become a commodity.

I could go on and on about studies as to why the church is declining in America, yet the mega churches are growing. The little neighborhood churches in which you can develop community and love and support one another as the church was designed are dying off extremely fast.

Ron and Advisor are both right!!!!

God is not a commodity! Yet some have made God a commodity!

The church is in a sad state of affairs in the USA.

Keith

[39mto39g]

Kieth
You say your last like God being a commodity is a bad thing. I guess selling god just to make money is a bad thing, but There are also many many good things that come from the selling of God. Bible schools. Church camps for kids. The web site above even has a ski trip to Winter park. God doesn't have to be, sit and be quiet in a church full of sit and be quiet people. Look at all the things that church in the web site does for people, Those things cost money and they get the money by selling God. Now a Church can certainly be just a traditional church where people come once a week and listen to a sermon, and put money in the plate, theres absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if you want to help your community and also tell about God, then it takes money. The more you help, the more money it cost, The bigger you become, the more you help, the more it cost, etc.
And your right, God is and is not a commodity, depending on where and when you are. I think people should be able to live with either situation, small town church where you sit and listen or a prime time commercial church that has pilgrimage to Mecca and live bands, as long as the message is told. People that have gone to a small town Church all there life don't understand or like the commercialization (commodity if you will) of god, But alot of young people just wouldn't go to a church and sit and listen, so for young people its go to a "fun" church or don't go.
Ron

[Stick]

Our local church adopted seven families from the gulf coast after Katrena. It was the membership (the people ARE the church) that offered the housing, food, and clothing to those families. The membership provided for those families needs and in the case of only one of those families the custodian family was repaid slightly. Not once did any parishioners put their hands out and not once did the community offer to help. The church supplied transportation to those families back to their homes when there was any home left to go to and where there was a repairable home, Prince of Peace found the labor to get it done. Today only one of those families still lives in the area but the head of that family is the supporter of his family and not the church.
I give what I can, when I can and not once has any member of the congregation come to me for one thin dime more. Christmas Eve, one of my grandchildren and I went to the 4:00 p.m. services to watch the presentation of the birth of Christ. Brian and I first saw a reluctant donkey bring Mary and Joseph to the manger. Next the angels sang and the sheepards arrived with their sheep and the wise men and Kings arrived with their camel. All praised the new born King.
After service, Brian went outside and petted the camel.
Wasn't any books to sell nor any asking for alms for the poor. Nothing but praises, smiles and understanding.
Oh, by the way, POP rides under the Lutheran moniker and I'm not a Lutheran, I'm just a Christian and POP hasn't objected nor do I expect they will. The church serves those that serve Christ.

[39mto39g]

Stick
Thats the way it should be.
And the way it should be if your church wants to have a lot of activities is that the people in the church pay for it. If your church has little activities then there is naturally little cost, the costs comes from the plate. In your example The cost which people don't see is the place and setting, i.e. wood straw etc. and then there is lighting, the fixtures the wire and the electricity, then there is animal transportation, fuel expense, feed and water, and lastly there is clean up. There are a lot of expenses and I would guess , one way or another they got paid for. Not many people see the Church's Books as far as money goes. So its nice to say that the people did it for free its also expected that the church would apply for help from the government and or community without the church people knowing it. Applying for help doesn't mean help for the Church from the government but help for the people that take Katrina people in. And even the community may have sent a check without the church people knowing it. Church's don't run for free, and the services they provide, Big or small cost money.

Ron