have I been mistaught?

Well, I admit I'm no expert on this but am speaking from SS churches I know of. One has about 8,000 people attending and it does orient itself to seekers.

Maybe Seeker Sensitive should be defined. After all, if it means anything anyone wants it to mean, or thinks it should mean, it means nothing and the discussion is useless.

 

It Sounds Like the SSS Church is Like Today's....

It really sounds like the speaker sensitive movement is similar to the "Diversity Training" discipline being used in the workplaces throughout this country.

I can rest, assured that I never compromised the truth of the message, if the heavy weight of God's foot fell hard on the foot or head of the congregant, than "so be it!":tonofbricks:

Great article and topic.

Shalom,

Pastor Paul:type:

 

Redo on Earlier Post

I do not know why my original post did not frame out the original posters words, but, since it left the trame off, I thought I'd try to make my response make more sense that last time.

"Is the "seeker sensitive service" similar to the 1960's Lady Clairol Christians?

In case you are too young to know about these folks, or old enough to remember them, but can not remember the cliche...Lady Clairol Christians were those believers that could only be identified by their hairdresser, who knew for sure the true color of their witness.We used to refer to these folks as Secret Service Saints, because like Lady Clairol Christians, only God knew for sure who they were. They were so stealthy, no one they believed.

Sorry, but, I couldn't help but toss that old cliché out their when I read about the seeker sensitive service. Actually, I know nothing about this group our teaching. I hope someone can shed some light on them..."

Shalom,

Pastor Paul

 

A Good Shepherd will.....

 

If what you say is true, not only did you miss the boat, you didn't even hit the lake. PDC is not about being seeker sensitive, it's about church health and balancing the 5 Biblical principles for what a church should be.

Because one of those 5 principles is evangelism, seeker sensitive practices come into play. But, (if you read the book you would pick up on this) RW says repeatedly, that what he did at Saddleback should not be copied because it probably won't work where you are.

Our church strives to be seeker sensitive, but we don't look anything like Saddleback, because SoCal doesn't look anything like Arkansas. What works there, whether you're talking about music, small groups, evangelism, fellowship, or any other aspect of church life, probably won't work here.

Example: I have a friend who planted a new church in the Chicago area, in a neighborhood that was overwhelmingly Catholic. While most of the people in the community were not Christian, they had a preconceived idea of what church is supposed to be. If he had held a worship service that looked like ours, (progressive music, casual dress, coffee and donuts, etc) or if he would have held a traditional Baptist service (piano, hymns out of a hymn book, preaching that resembles throwing a fit :smilewinkgrin: etc.) the people would have been offended and the church, more than likely, would not be able to reach that community. So, when they meet for worship, they have High Church. Lots of big pipe organ, very liturgical order of service, he even wears a robe and clerical collar. It works there and people are getting saved because he is sensitive to what it takes to reach them.

It all comes down to knowing the people you are trying to reach, and doing everything you can to remove the artificial barriers that keep them from coming to Christ. The key word is artificial. The one barrier that can never be compromised or minimized is the cross. It's always amazing to me that people that don't attend seeker sensitive churches always know of many, many churches that compromise the Gospel. I pastor a church that is seeker sensitive. I have many friends who pastor churches that are seeker sensitive. Honestly, I don't know of one single church that is willing to water down the message of salvation in order to attract a crowd.

 

I'm pretty sure my own local church would not be classified as a "Seeker Sensitive" church, these days anyway (we have been around since 1782), except for the fact that we do attempt to win the lost, and minister to, and aid both the community and the body, as well as go on "mission trips" where the aim is both "witnessing/preaching" and "ministry", with this last part being usually in some "construction" project.

I said that, to say this - We also do not have any cross in the auditorium or on the building, per se, although there may be some 'images' of a cross as a small decoration on some object we sometimes use, such as the cover for the communion 'trays.' (We do have a large one we can and do use for some special occasions, that someone made, we can and do hang in the baptristry, and we can 'light up with lights', a 'spot light', or "back light" sometimes, but this object is not a regular feature in our auditorium.) The Lord is not still on any cross, folks! "IT IS FINISHED!!"

Once, for all time! :thumbs:

Our main building has only had a steeple of any kind, for some 5 or 6 years (and the main auditorum was actually constructed in 1850), and the steeple was given by the family, in memory of a young Christian member that tragically died in an automobile accident.

Incidentally, when I became a Christian, and a member of Forks Church, some 45 years ago, we had three 'trays' and two 'plates' we used for the Lord's Supper, and that was sufficient to serve everyone on a Sunday A.M. Service.

Today, we are using 11 trays and 5 or 6 plates, and we probably will soon need more, if we continue to grow at the current rate. We needed no more than 5 trays, about 8 years ago, and didn't start this 'growth spurt' until we went on our first mission trip, then, with four men (to an opportunity presented with about three weeks notice), one who is no longer a member of our church (having now moved due to his work, and was also not able to go on any more), one who has tried to go on about every trip since, but managed to be able to go on only one more some two months ago, due to his work (although his bride has been the mainstay in going and preparing the food for as many as 40 people, on several of the trips), and the other two, the pastor and one of the deacons (who has also been first, the SS director and now, the Sr. High Youth leader) have also gone on several, with many of these trips (now up to about 4 - 6 a year with easily 20 or more participants, usually), both to disaster areas in the US, and also aid to foreign countries. We have made 'trips' of less than an hour's drive away, to several to places such as Brazil, El Salvador, Mobile and New Orleans.

The moderator (that's me) hopes to be physically able to go on the next one, although I have not been physically up to going on any previous trips, due to diabetes, two major surgeries, and a third hospitalization. But the Lord has strengthened me, and I really desire to go on our next trip to New Orleans, if it is possible.

There is nothing 'magical' about these trips, but when our church vision expanded a bit, and our church collectively became "sensitive" as a "seeker" of places where we could serve, as the need and opportunity arose and presented itself, the Lord certainly started blessing our church body, with more and more people both joining by letter, and receiving salvation and many being discipled. :1_grouphug:

We celebrated our 226th year, with our homecoming, this past Sunday.

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! :thumbs:

Ed

P.S. One more thing. Our pastor usually uses the KJV to 'preach from', and occasionally using another version, and that is his own choice, for we do not have any sort of particular 'guidelines' or suggestions for versions.

And the day any church I'm active in (probably 'Forks') decides tha we WILL be using the NKJV (my own version of choice, actually), the NIV (my Bride's favorite), the KJV (the favorite of many members, I believe, in our church), the HCSB ('the So. Baptist Bible') or any other version, ONLY, I WON'T be there any longer, and the church will be looking for a new Moderator, very quickly.

 

Absolutely and unequivocally, yes. There is none that seeketh after God.

 

Oh well...guess the Scriptures I quoted don't count.

 

edited by guitarpreacher

 

YEAH!
Someone finally said this.
Before salvation none seek God, after salvation His children seek Him.
Now isn't that simple.

 

No, they count. You just don't understand them, and I do.

 

Let's all bow down to Aaron's understanding and interpretation... based on ONE verse of scripture!

Almighty Aaron... thank you for correcting our misinterpretation. raying:

 

Well, since I don't understand any of them, I won't quote the "Pride goeth before a fall" Scripture...I might mess it up.

 

Burger King has messed everyone up. See they started a slogan of "have it your way" Now churches have to cater to such claims even though the church is not in the fast food business. Churches now have to have coffee shops and media rooms, etc. The positive point of SS church is the fact that many do come to know Jesus. Fantastic, but the theology is that of a buffet, go down the line and oh yeah I would love to have some fellowhip; give me extra forgivness; a double scoup of love; no I don't want any sacrifice; and I think I will pass on the whole tithing thing either" All sillyness aside this is what many SS churches teach, I think we should be seekers, but to cater completely and lose out on others, that would be disgraceful. We are called to equip the saints, and evangelize. Doing one more than the other takes away balance.

 

Okay, name 3

 

What? Just the two of you? I thought for sure my little assertion would bring most of the Aaron-doggers out of the woodwork.

Though I was merely jerking your chain, isn't that what y'all think of yourselves? In many of your debates the sentiment is veiled quite thinly. I mean, why even post a supposed counter my assertion if you didn't think you had a better understanding?

It appears you thought I made my post without knowing the verses you posted. After all our interaction you thought I was on so shakey ground? I'm surprised at you.

Anyway, blackbird is dead on.

 

Not really, becuase if you are His, you don't need to "find" Him.

 

What is a person doing while God is calling them toward salvation?..

I know people who were seeking something in life, but didn't know what..
They had turned to sex, alcohol, drugs, other religions...
And all along, nothing satisfied them...

God starts drawing them, and they start coming closer to salvation.

This is the ones I call seekers... those that are seeking something.. they don't know it is God... but we know it is.