Old People's Church

Dosen't that describe alot of churches in America today? We have alot of churchs that have only older members, and will probably close their doors as the members and the pastor die.

What our churches NEED to be is a place where all can come to Worship the Lord. That means that some will need to streach their comfort zones.

Bill

 

in a word....NOPE.

(((((AMEN))))):jesus:

 

God runs them old people churches and God is older than all of us. By the way you get older every day. You are going to be old one day and you will be so alone for saying that. You need to be ashamed for that. I love them elders in my church. You thank they lived that long for not fallowing God. Stop puting them down because they are old and ask God to help YOU to help them. Who ever made this forum needs to be ashamed two for even thanking about something like this. There are better things to talk about then this. You people are ignorant in what you believe the church of God is. I hope God him self inlighten you on this.

 

No! Why should we alter the message to appeal to old white people? They should join the hip hop generation like everyone else.

Word.

 

Middle-Eastern Church

Alas, more of the attitude that promote the tradition and the ancient over the scripture and the outreach. This is why we are closing twice as many churches in America than we open every year. This is why there will be so many long standing churches go by the wayside, we prefer our preferences over the scriptures.

As a pastor of an older congregation, I am sympathetic to their needs, but I also take time to explain why we are doing what we are doing. I have explained the process and the reasons, and none of it has to do with because that's how it has always been done. If we do not get serious about reaching our culture as they are, just like Jesus did, then we are nothing but just babblers (sp?) to them. IF we cannot connect with our current culture and realize they look at things 180 degrees different from the older generation, then America has lost its hope.

By the way, we do not worship an American God or take part in a Western religion, we are by FACT an Eastern Religion. The Bible was not written to Americans, by Americans, it was written by men of Middle-Eastern mind sets to those of Middle-Eastern mind sets. So why should our churches look like Western Religions, we need to get back to our roots, that of the Middle-Eastern mind set. Few of the new churches do that and NONE of the long standing old timers do that. We need to radically change the way we do church if we are to have a hope of reaching our culture.

P.S. - I am not proposing how we should change, this is not the right forum for that. I am simply saying that old and new churches need to deeply evaluate the roots of our beliefs and do things that are relevant.

 

No. But just a thought: Are we right to try to make our churches "appealing"? I'm not talking about how much attention we pay to the comfort of those who attend, or how assiduous we are in making newcomers feel welcome. I mean rather, is it right for churches deliberately to set out to make services especially "appealling" to a particular group, whether it is "old white" people (to use your example), young rich people, middle-aged poor people, or any other grouping.

I am not sure why anyone would want to start a church that only aimed at a particular group of the population of the area in which it is to be located.

 

Ah, give them to me. I will take care of them. There is most of the Wisdom, all the experience and have been renewed every day. Yes, I will take them and care for them, visit their homes, go to the hospitals and see them, the Nursing homes. As a matter of fact, I am suppose to go to a skilled nursing this evening to hold a little service for some of them. Again, Dear Lord, give them to me. You can have your ball games to get yours, your parties, your whatever, I will see to the needs of the old. Give me you sick, your tired, your hungry.

 

I am with Charles Creech78 on this one, mostly.

So those older folks you're pastoring came to church because their former pastors and former churches played rock and roll gospel songs and had sideburns as long as Elvis and preached with the same Elvis pout or maybe upturned James Dean collar. came to church on a Harley-Davidson like Marlon Brando, and the churches of their days pretty much tipped their hats to the young and adjusted to the culture of their days ?

Or did they get down on their knees and begged God to send His people, whether they be black, white, red, yellow, brown, olive, society rebel or not, and relied on the Holy Spirit's wisdom and power alone.

 

Sounds like the church I grew up in...

I wouldn't go there now since my duties have me elsewhere. Perhaps more pointed to this post, I wouldn't have a problem with it. I believe that highly contextualized ministries targetted to constitient groups are effective for ministry. If this is led by appropriate people, called by God, empowered with the Holy Spirit, for the purpose of reaching people for God it will be used for the Kingdom.

 

Are suits and ties appealing in your church?

 

I'm having to think about this for a while, Saggy. I'm soon going to be an old white person........

 

Yes, but I am not sure about the white people part. Folks off all races like oder style churches.

As a matter of fact, I just left a Baptist church that is all about the modern stuff, plays during the service, 35 minutes of rock music for the music director to whoop and hollar and show off, 6 million dollar expansion that is up to 20 million bucks, 15 mil in debt now, hopes to be seen to be like Jentizen Franklins Free Chapel, preacher wearing armani suits, silk shirts, driving expensive cars, threatens to expel members who want an itemized budget, not just general numbers designed specifically to hide the preachers salary, women dressed like hookers, every sermon for the last 8 months has been about how we are all going to hell because we don't "give till it hurts" for this absurd building project, etc., etc. Found a nice, small town type Baptist church. The majority of the members are older, but there is a smattering of younger families coming in. Youth group is getting somewhat bigger. People are fleeing these wannabe WOF Baptist churches. This new church has a very good preacher, actually preaches and calls sin, well sin. Piano and organ and a small choir. No band, no orchestra. Music director isn't up there to be seen. I love it. I am looking forward to the first get together which includes all those lil ole ladies cooking. YUM! Good old fashion Baptist cooking!

And for the record, I am 39, my wife is 32 and we like rock and roll and even some rap.

 

I hope you mean ALL Christians.

 

Burn them at the stake!!!

I hate rap (except for White and Nerdy, but Al Yankovic). But then I'm a 54-yr old white and nerdy geezer.

 

Serving the Lord here in geezerland, florida... :laugh:

If the community you serve in is old and white, then understand that the style of service and ministry will be different. It's not just music. Older people expected the pastor to be at every ingrown toe nail surgery (i'm overstating, but not by much) But our younger people don't expect and in a few cases resent that kind of intrusion.

So you tailor what you do according to the people you are ministering to.

It has nothing to do with what you preach, how you preach, how long you preach or even the style of music.

 

That is scary that you would admit such a thing.

 

Scam Churches

I would not consider a scam artist a leader of a true church, just a scam artist with a following that uses the Bible to entice his suckers.

 

going to be??/:tonofbricks: :tonofbricks:

OW!!! Stop that!!

 

You don't wanna go there. I just called the preacher today. Sunday's message is on gluttony.







(smart aleck meds wore off yesterday)