Going To Church?

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Going To Church?

Okay, Q... that's ^ a valid reply to my question. You don't personally care much for large congregations of people - be those congregations religious or residential or business or mixed. You prefer smaller "village" types of surroundings (for lack of a better word). And there certainly are plenty of people like you, and they search out smaller religious parishes/congregations (a/k/a "churches" with a lower case "c&quot. There are just as many more who prefer larger, and search those out. That's personal preference. Both models work well, done properly.

For example, I live in what is usually termed "an urban suburban city". To many, we are, essentially, a bedroom community to NYC. We are immediately adjacent to the much larger City of East Orange, NJ, and that is just adjacent to the even larger City of Newark, NJ. Yet we are a mere 2.2 sq miles in size, but with a population of approx. 33,000. All of those people crammed into so small a piece of real estate makes us - in many ways - much closer to an inner city than to a suburb. So... what are we here in Orange? Are we Suburbia? Or are we Urban? In my end of town our homes are big old 'grand dame' type estate homes, but on the other end of town you find row housing and narrow single homes so close together that one barely pass through the narrow space between them. On another side of town are what were once large old single homes or two-family homes that are now three- to five-family homes. And on the fourth side of town are all of the brick apartment complexes. Each quadrant of the city is extremely different than the others. Yet we are one city... well, actually we are technically a township, these days... but that's another story and not pertinent to this discussion. One city.

Just like my city, the Body of Christ (Christianity) is made up of differing parts that together make up the one whole. The larger churches are as necessary as the smaller churches; ditto the medium-sized churches. There is something that appeals to everyone.

[quodlibet]

Re: Going To Church?

I understand your point, in that case I am in a farm house in the middle of a Kansas plain

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WitchyOoman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Okay, Q... that's ^ a valid reply to my question. You don't personally care much for large congregations of people - be those congregations religious or residential or business or mixed. You prefer smaller &quot;village&quot; types of surroundings (for lack of a better word). And there certainly are plenty of people like you, and they search out smaller religious parishes/congregations (a/k/a &quot;churches&quot; with a lower case &quot;c&quot. There are just as many more who prefer larger, and search those out. That's personal preference. Both models work well, done properly.

For example, I live in what is usually termed &quot;an urban suburban city&quot;. To many, we are, essentially, a bedroom community to NYC. We are immediately adjacent to the much larger City of East Orange, NJ, and that is just adjacent to the even larger City of Newark, NJ. Yet we are a mere 2.2 sq miles in size, but with a population of approx. 33,000. All of those people crammed into so small a piece of real estate makes us - in many ways - much closer to an inner city than to a suburb. So... what are we here in Orange? Are we Suburbia? Or are we Urban? In my end of town our homes are big old 'grand dame' type estate homes, but on the other end of town you find row housing and narrow single homes so close together that one barely pass through the narrow space between them. On another side of town are what were once large old single homes or two-family homes that are now three- to five-family homes. And on the fourth side of town are all of the brick apartment complexes. Each quadrant of the city is extremely different than the others. Yet we are one city... well, actually we are technically a township, these days... but that's another story and not pertinent to this discussion. One city.

Just like my city, the Body of Christ (Christianity) is made up of differing parts that together make up the one whole. The larger churches are as necessary as the smaller churches; ditto the medium-sized churches. There is something that appeals to everyone. </div></div>

[Diplomat]

Re: Going To Church?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">&quot;And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

&quot;But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.&quot;
- Matthew 6:5-6


I believe that Evanovich has said much the same thing regarding the singing, dancing, flailing ,fainting, dressed-to-the-nines type of worship .


</div></div>

Just pointing out that &quot;enter into thy closet&quot; is metaphorical and does not mean a literal linen/clothes closet in a house.

As for the discussion itself, house churches versus mega-churches is a matter of preference. One does not go to church to worship as true worshippers know that worship is a lifestyle, generally speaking, and not something restricted to a couple hours on Sundays. Corporate worship is a time of mutual edification. In the early history of the church, houses were practical places for believers to fellowship together. However, as the body of believers grew in size, it became necessary to have larger facilities. In my opinion, the size of the building - large or small - is not the issue. What is important is the practical living out of one's faith in accordance with the Scriptures, and buidling size or the number of people fellowship together does not guarantee any of that.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Going To Church?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChurchDude</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
As for the discussion itself, house churches versus mega-churches is a matter of preference. One does not go to church to worship as true worshippers know that worship is a lifestyle, generally speaking, and not something restricted to a couple hours on Sundays. Corporate worship is a time of mutual edification. In the early history of the church, houses were practical places for believers to fellowship together. However, as the body of believers grew in size, it became necessary to have larger facilities. In my opinion, the size of the building - large or small - is not the issue. What is important is the practical living out of one's faith in accordance with the Scriptures, and buidling size or the number of people fellowship together does not guarantee any of that. </div></div>
This ^ is what I was saying. And yes, <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">how you live overall</span></span> is more important than just the few hours per week that you spend in corporate worship.

[twiney]

Re: Going To Church?

Going to church is personal so if you someone does not want corporate worship that's ok because the bible does say where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name there I am. Since I view the bible as a whole including the old and new testament ... the instructions for the tabernacle and for the temple in David's time were some spectacular construction ... nothing wrong with a good looking big enough church (I personally prefer smaller congregations) as long as the members no hungry and starving going to them pretty church. Most of the examples we see the priests back in the old testament and the disciples in the new testament weren't ministering on their own so if the congregation is big that one pastor/minister wont know them all it's time to have a 2nd or 3rd or 4th.