an organized group of believers that gather together or congregations
18
votes
1answer
672 views
When and how did men and women start sitting together in church?
As I understand it, the early church began in homes but then at some point (it's another question) started meeting together in larger meetings.
My question is: did men and women sit together from the ...
17
votes
7answers
1k views
Do I have to attend church every Sunday?
I used to be an avid church-goer, but as of late I haven't had the chance. This is primarily because of my scouting activities, which take place Sunday mornings (the same time the church service takes ...
14
votes
2answers
161 views
Can Elders of a church be young?
I am referring to 'Elders' in the sense of 1 Timothy 5:17 (NIV) :
17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and ...
14
votes
3answers
182 views
Absent apostolic succession, what is the argument for the authority of the church?
I realize that Catholics believe in apostolic succession, and that they were explicitly given authority by Jesus himself. In other denominations, what, if anything, other than the choice made by its ...
11
votes
6answers
634 views
Why should I choose one particular congregation or denomination?
Assuming that one believes in an almighty Lord, why should one choose a particular Christian congregation or denomination?
For example, why should one choose to serve God by helping the poor through ...
10
votes
5answers
194 views
Should I condemn a church that might be teaching wrong doctrine?
I used to attend one church which felt quite weird for me. Here are a few things that I don't agree with:
Everybody can speak in tongues. The steps are, first you need somebody to pray with you so ...
10
votes
4answers
1k views
What are some of the benefits of going to church?
This question struck me last Sunday at church. People usually talk about the abstract benefits of prayer and proving things etc, but I'm asking this question because over the many years I've been ...
10
votes
2answers
189 views
Can I go to church on the internet?
Is it enough for me to watch a sermon online every Sunday? I have some Christian friends that I spend time with and we pray together sometimes. I study the Bible on my own and listen to my favorite ...
10
votes
4answers
294 views
When did the one-way monologue sermon first become a normal feature of church assemblies?
Of course Jesus preached a lot of monologue sermons, but I have noticed that Jesus did not usually preach sermons like nearly every church does today. He never seems to have, or at least rarely ...
9
votes
3answers
284 views
Why don't we dance?
At my old church (PCA) occasionally there would be a few women who would dance at the front of the sanctuary. Later, after leaving the church, I began to feel a little bit biased against that dancing ...
7
votes
3answers
107 views
Why do adherents to the priesthood of all believers still have organized congregations?
I might be making some naive assumptions here, but I have a hard time seeing what the purpose of congregations are in the context of priesthood of all believers.
As I understand it, priesthood of all ...
7
votes
4answers
527 views
Is it fair to say that Baptists have a liturgy?
One distinctive of Baptists and many other congregational churches is that they have no proscribed method of worship. Unlike, say, an Episcopalian or a Roman Catholic, there is no prayer book and no ...
7
votes
2answers
230 views
What Biblical support is there for a non-Churched Christianity?
I'm interested in people who say "I'm a Christian, but I don't go to church."
I understand the sentiment - it really fits in well with the "spiritual, but not religious" Zeitgeist, and it seems to ...
7
votes
1answer
153 views
What is the earliest Christian use of a worship leader?
Music directors existed in Old Testament times (see these 56 references). But was there such a thing as what we now call a worship leader in Christian (New Testament and early church) times? Or is it ...
6
votes
3answers
362 views
What is the difference between a church and a social club?
There is a popular line that exists in sermons (heck, I've even preached it myself!) that says something to the effect of "a church is not a social club." A church is not the local Kiwanis, it is not ...
6
votes
1answer
557 views
What is the “homogenous unit principle” of church growth?
Fred Clark wrote in his blog entry Suburban is not the same as theologically conservative (17 July 2012):
The suburbanization of American Christianity has altered our theology in other fundamental ...
6
votes
1answer
65 views
Who determines church dedications?
In some of the more traditional denominations - certainly Catholicism and Anglicanism, to name two - churches or church buildings are named after "saints". This is in contrast to the more evangelical ...
3
votes
2answers
303 views
If our body is the church, why should we go to a place called church?
In the old testament days, God asked Moses to construct a place for Him to reside.
Exodus 25:8 (NKJV)
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them
But in New testament, We ...
3
votes
2answers
273 views
Can you be a Christian and not go to church? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Do I have to attend church every Sunday?
Simply put, can you be a true christian and not go to church? Or is it a mandate to go to church on Sundays?
3
votes
4answers
133 views
Church Giving to the Poor
The Bible and Jesus clearly speak of giving money to the church and in turn fellow Christians should give up all they have and look out for one another.
So my question is why does this not happen now ...
2
votes
3answers
105 views
What traditions fully embrace the concept of a “local parish church”?
As far as I understand it, the concept of having parishes and parish churches means that regions are divided up geographically, that each region will have a church that is specifically dedicated to ...
2
votes
1answer
106 views
Does Calvary Chapel assume everything is wrong in this world?
(I ask this question because my only exposure to Jesus has been through Calvary Chapels for many years.)
If you attend Calvary Chapel (or ever listened to the radio station K-WVE broadcasted ...
2
votes
4answers
153 views
What guidelines should be followed using spiritual gifts?
What guidelines should be followed if using spiritual gifts in a church setting today?
1
vote
6answers
195 views
Are Christians required to believe the teachings of their own denomination?
My friend is struggling right now to discern what is right and wrong in the Church and his Christian life.
He has been brought up in a Catholic church where he had learned about Jesus and what he did ...
1
vote
3answers
179 views
Are non-Anglican Protestant churches ever named after extra-biblical saints?
Catholic and Orthodox Churches are often named after saints because we believe in the communion of Saints and like to put our congregations under some sort of patronage.
I've seen Episcopal churches ...
1
vote
1answer
112 views
Do any Christian denominations have any policies to prevent nepotism?
Nepotism: The practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, esp. by giving them jobs.
In the secular world giving a friend a salaried position over another person ...
1
vote
1answer
106 views
What is the New Testament “process” for doing a church plant?
Given that new churches are to be started (eg the ministry of the Apostle Paul in partial fulfillment of the Great Commission), what is the New Testament model or process for how this should be done?
...
0
votes
1answer
284 views
What are the biblical metaphors for the local church? [closed]
The Bible often uses metaphors or images to illustrate a point. What are the different metaphor the New Testament uses for the local church?
I found the following metaphor :
A Flock (Acts 20.28, 1 ...
