Should there be a dress code at church?

until I lost weight, I kept noticing my clothes getting tighter and tighter.

Wasn't a modesty thing, though. :laugh:

 

While it is true that God looks on the heart (I Sam. 16:7), we often forget that this verse also teaches that "man looks on the outward appearance." We need to ask ourselves, "Who are we trying to reach?" We, as God's children, are left on this earth to reach the lost. We are to be "light" and "salt" to the world. We are to let our "light so shine before men" (Mat 5:15).

It always amazes me that the world knows how the Christian is to dress more so than does the Christian many times. I can't tell you how many times I've visited my bus route and had a mother tell me, "I would come but I don't have a nice dress." I quickly let her know that she would be most welcome no matter what she wears to church. Just last Sunday I went to the door to pick up a 10 year old girl who had woke up late and didn't have time to get cleaned up for church. Her mother came to the door with her and asked, "Is it alright if she comes to church in her pants or does she need to change?" I told her, "What she has on is fine." The point is, even the lost have an intrinsic awareness that God deserves our very best. I wish some Christians would pick up on this. If your best is a t-shirt and jeans, put them on and come to church.

I'm sure that each of us who have added our comments on this thread would echo your sentiments here.

 

While I do understand what your saying and agree with most.

I just wonder are the unchurched saying as to their dress as what they think how a Christian should dress or what The Christians of the world have shown them how they dress in the past? (I hope I get my meaning across)

 

IMO, it's a little of both.

That is why we must have a good testimony.

The lost are watching us.....

I had a similar experience to Pastor Bob's.

I invited a lost lady to church and she told me she did not own a dress. I offered to give her one of mine or if she would rather not do that, she could wear whatever she had and it would be fine. She agreed to take the dress I offered and I picked her up on Sunday. She got saved during the altar call. PTL!

Now, it was not ME not wanting her to go to church without a dress. It was HER.

Why would they want what we have if we look, talk, dress, and act exactly like they do?

There has got to be something different about us and the world has to be able to see it (and I'm not talking about clothes here).

As I said before, after I got saved, my skirts got longer and my shirts got looser. No one said a word to me, but I knew what a Christian was supposed to look like. However, it was God that convicted me about modesty.

I'm not going to be a hypocrite here. I wear pants at home, but when I go to church I do not. I want to give my best to the Lord and a pair of jeans is not my best when I have skirts hanging in the closet (if jeans is all you have, then that is your best...put them on and go to church).

The idea is to get people saved. God will take care of their clothes.

Someone is always watching us.....always....

 

"Why would they want what we have if we look, talk, dress, and act exactly like they do? "

I have a bit of a different experience. I was "raised" in church where all wore what everyone in the 1960's-1970's wore. At the appropriate day/time ect.. Sunday night Wednesday Night Sunday morning ect...
but I never grew I was never Taught to grow (or if it was presented to a child/teen it was over my head) I never Got It!!


Now many years later I was Invited to Church by my boss. I had images if "CHURCH" I wasn't interested in it at all I didn't understood why I needed to be.

I did go Once because I was told Come as you are. Wear what ever you like. (I already dressed modest because of that's just how I was raised)

But when I got there I saw a WHOLE different world I really met Jesus and was told not only How to grow but why the Bible says it's important. And I am now not only "BEing" a disciple I'm Learning to "BUILD" disciples and That is all it's about to me. Thanks

 

Growing up in church in the 1970's...there's no way that powder blue polyester could have been anybody's best.

It proves two things:
1. God accepts us as we are.
2. He has a sense of humor.

 

Yes, He does!

In the late 70's, my husband was an usher and also greeted the people as they came in the door.

To make them stand out (so people could find them in a hurry if they needed help or directions), they had to wear bright purple sport jackets.

We used to call them the "Purple People Greeters".

 

"We used to call them the "Purple People Greeters".

Is that like One Eyed One Horn Flying Purple People Greeters!!

 

Yep! That's where we got the name.

 

I agree --- we have family expectations which sound similar to yours -- a far cry from the "dress up to go to church" days in the old days.

 

You want to keep the women in "Bundage" huh? :laugh:

 

Wow...I hope for your husband's saftey's sake that there weren't any recovering LSD addicts in the church.

That kind ouf outfit might spawn a flashback!

 

Sniff, sniff. Wahhhhhh!

What's wrong with jeans?????????


:laugh:

Ya'll might want to watch out when you come to my church. If it's any time other than Sunday morning, I'm going to be in jeans along with a goodly portion of my fellow church members. If'n it's Sunday morning, I'm going to be covered up under my choir robe and will soooo take the 5th!

But, have hope! As the weather gets warmer I will rediscover the dresses and skirts I have hiding out in the closet. My girlies will also. Son doesn't have any so he'll stick to his jeans and tennis shoes, which I learned to live with a couple of years ago when he hit that in between kid and adult size range and I literally couldn't find any dress shoes that would fit him. I won't say we never dress up, cause it wouldn't be the truth, but our idea of 'dressing up' is probably not the same as others. It's just not part of our lifestyle.

Now I was raised with the same "dress your best for the Lord" idea that some here have expressed, but found as I grew older that most in my community dressed their best to show their neighbor how "successful/stylish/well off/etc" they were. That attitude struck me as hypocritical espescially when I was given grief that my best wasn't as nice as their best. So when I was older and well able to afford or make clothing that would "compete" I tossed that idea in the trash in favor of "God sees me through the week, just as well as He sees me on Sunday morning. If my life through the week is pleasing to Him then what I am wearing on Sunday isn't going to earn me any more points and will most certainly be less than pleasing to Him if I'm dressing for the approval of others. If the clothing I wear is modest and appropriate for the events of my life during the week, then it should be equally modest and appropriate for Sunday. If it's not, I shouldn't have it in my closet anyway."

Being that it is hard to beat your raising, I do keep a few "nicer" things for Sunday, but those things are equally appropriate for a nice dinner with my husband. For the most part nicer means the jeans aren't faded and my blouse is something other than a t-shirt! I'm simply not going to church for a fashion show. If it's clean, if it's modest, then what I'm wearing is so much less important than the fact that I'm there to worship.

 

All I can say is Your my kinda Lady. I could hang out with you any time.
you and I think the same (at least on this subject)!!:thumbs:

 

I wonder what would happen if those in the church gave away their best clothes instead of wearing them or better yet gave away the same amount of money to help someone who needed help?

 

Our church has a standard of dress that is expected of all teachers and workers in the church. If you are a teacher or a choir member or an usher... you are expected to dress modestly and nicely (dress pants, nice shirt - men, dress or skirt - women)

We also have a standard of dress for our family. I appreaciate the dress standard our pastor expects of those in a teaching position. Since we have taught our daughter and sons to dress their best to go to the Lord's I would expect those they look up to as leaders to set the example.

If I didn't agree with it, I would go find a church that has different standards.

We have also taught our kids to never judge others, or put them down, or make them feel "different" because of the way they dress. The sad thing is our kids have been made to feel that way many times.....by other Christians.