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Some megachurches closing on Christmas

Discussion in '2005 Archive' started by JamieinNH, Dec 6, 2005.

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  1. Gold Dragon

    Gold Dragon Well-Known Member

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    Some megachurches are closing on Christmas.
    Some megachurches are opening on Christmas.
    Some non-megachurches are closing on Christmas.
    Some non-megachurches are opening on Christmas.

    The significance of any of these statements is beyond me.
     
    #21 Gold Dragon, Dec 7, 2005
  2. JamieinNH

    JamieinNH New Member

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    I think as Christians we can all understand and relate as to why they deceided not to have service on Sunday, but to non-Believers it's a different story.

    Imagine this, we as Christians have been preaching the word and How our savoir was Born at this time, and how he is the Only way to get salvation.. and then we don't have a service on the Sunday of his birth celebration?

    To them it is going to look like we don't care, it's not important, the birth is Chirst is just another birth...

    We know that is NOT true, but perception is 90% of the battle.

    My point is, as Christians we might know their reasons for being closed for service on that day, but we have to win the hearts and minds of the non-believers, and we have to remember that perception matters.

    These people, non-believers that read this news article might believe that it's ok to miss church, it's ok to not celebrate the birth of Chirst if it falls on a Sunday.

    As far as man hours, and how will everything be covered? You don't need an Army to preach the word of God. God will provide, you have to believe that, or you're not preaching the right sermon.

    I am working my way through school and hope to have a church one day, and I will be preaching there even if I am the only one there. It's the right thing to do.

    Jamie
     
    #22 JamieinNH, Dec 7, 2005
  3. guitarpreacher

    guitarpreacher New Member

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    I know what the unbelievers around our church think. They think that we are a church that cares enough about our people to turn them loose to be with their families. Which came first, the family or the church?

    And their not being denied an opportunity to worship. In fact, our service Saturday night will probably be the most awesome time of the year, and we expect more visitors than at any other service this year.
     
    #23 guitarpreacher, Dec 7, 2005
  4. Squire Robertsson

    Squire Robertsson Administrator
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    Yes they are. They're doing so on Saturday instead. Jesus said the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. So while I prefer even a small service on Sunday instead of none, I don't see the problem with having services on Saturday instead of Sunday in the OP example.</font>[/QUOTE]John, you left out the quote to which I was responding.
    btw - that is an incredibly dumb statement. Surely these critical evangelicals know that the Church is the people, not the facilities.</font>[/QUOTE]I responded to the remark about
    That the churches are having services on Christmas Eve is irrelevant to my comment. On the other hand, I may have misunderstood guitarpreacher's comment.
     
    #24 Squire Robertsson, Dec 7, 2005
  5. MatthewHenry

    MatthewHenry New Member

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    I'm very happy to report that Victory Bible Baptist Church will be open Christmas Day. The lighthouse to the lost will never go out here. [​IMG]

    MH
     
    #25 MatthewHenry, Dec 8, 2005
  6. carpro

    carpro Well-Known Member
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    At 11:00 A.M. Christmas morning, God has a message for my pastor to deliver to me. I'll be there.
     
    #26 carpro, Dec 8, 2005
  7. Debby in Philly

    Debby in Philly Active Member

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    The last time December 25th was a Sunday, I do not remember anyone even suggesting this. It simply never entered anyone's mind! Yes, we Sunday School teachers bemoaned the fact that the kids would be coming in all keyed up about what Santa brought, but we never thought of not being there! Sunday is Sunday.

    I am sorry to say that our otherwise wonderful new pastor suggested this because he and his wife are from a big family, and many of them will be coming over on Christmas. Well, we deacons made it plain we were not closing down on a Sunday just because it was Christmas Day, and the compromise is that the Assistant Pastor will preach while the pastor stays home.

    If we close down on the Lord's Day because it is December 25th, what's next? Super Bowl Sunday? Mother's Day?
     
    #27 Debby in Philly, Dec 8, 2005
  8. JamieinNH

    JamieinNH New Member

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    I am glad that the unbelievers think you're doing a great job, and I am sure they are proud of the way the church is handling the situation, but if God chooses the day after to call his people home, how many of them, that you could have possiblity reached in a sermon will enjoy what you have done/haven't done for them?

    Don't get me wrong. I don't know you or your church, so that last statement was just one to make you think.

    It's NEVER enough to have the unbelievers think we're doing ok, it's our mission, our job, our sole purpose to spread the Word of God, EVEN if Christian falls on Sunday.

    That isn't even a relevant&lt;sp&gt; statement. The Family you're talking about is the human family, the loved ones around us each and every day.

    God don't want us to put EVEN that family in front of him. God comes first. Period. ALL other things come after God.

    The article said the churches would be closed on Sunday, if that's not denying someone the opportunity to worship on Sunday, on the Day of the Birth of our Savior. But even with that, it's not the point.

    My point again, is perception is 90% of the battle. I am sure you will agree with that, so it will be perceived that the Birth of Jesus doesn't matter, that going to church on Sunday doesn't matter, that everything we preach and teach during the rest of the year doesn't matter. What mattered the most is if it's convenient, then we will go...

    Not the perception I would want to have.

    Again, I am glad your service will be attended by a great many. I hope you reach many in your service, and wish you a Merry Christmas.

    Jamie
     
    #28 JamieinNH, Dec 8, 2005
  9. JamieinNH

    JamieinNH New Member

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    Matthew, carpro, and Debby and all other that are having service in Sunday... Thanks!

    I will pray for Full Churches everywhere on Sunday.

    Jamie
     
    #29 JamieinNH, Dec 8, 2005
  10. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    I'm willing to bet that that last time the 25th was on a Sunday, the same thing happenned. It just didn't make the news then.

    The last time the 25th was on a Sunday, most of the churches areound here (mega and otherwise) did the same thing they're doing this year: have one service on Sunday instead of several.
    Every day is the Lord's day. There's no scriptural command to worship on Sunday, or any other day, for that matter. We're commanded to fellowship, but how we do this is left entirely up to us.
    That's ridiculous. One could easily say that if you only have a church service at 11am, it denies someone the opportunity to worship at 4:23pm.

    Unfortunately, it appears that there are more than a few people who are worshipping the day instead of worshipping the Dei.
     
    #30 Johnv, Dec 8, 2005
  11. JamieinNH

    JamieinNH New Member

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    So by practice and not holding services "last time" makes it right? And the article didn't say they were cutting back on Sunday, it said they were closing on Sunday, there is a difference.

    What day, then John do you go to church? While it's true that every day belongs to the Lord, again we are hit with a perception of non-believers. If we go to church EVERY Sunday, and then don't because of inconvience, then the perception isn't good.


    No, again, you are talking out of context with this article. It didn't say they were scaling back, it didn't say they were changing the times to make it more convenient, it said they were closing, and not having services. Again, there is a difference between having a service and not.

    I for one, am not worshiping the day, but I do believe in the power of perception. If it looks like it isn't important then people will perchieve&lt;sp&gt; that it isn't important.

    Believers should know the difference, but since we are in the bussiness of sharing God's word, and speaking to good news to believers and non-believers alike, then we have to be faithful in our standards to both.

    Jamie
    Ever heard the phrase... Walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck... Must be a duck?

    Looks like it's not important, sounds liks it's not important, it must not be important...

    Jamie
     
    #31 JamieinNH, Dec 8, 2005
  12. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    It makes it neither right nor wrong, since not having services on the 25th is not a matter of right or wrong. However, the fact of being done prior is not mentioned because the story is more interesting without that fact.

    Sunday. I do so out of custom, not out of any scriptural command to.

    Okay, then go to church at midnight on the 25th. All the churches in the article have a midnight service on the 25th.

    But they ARE having services. They're having them on the 24th instread. Perfectly permissible and not inappropriate.

    If the shoe were on the other foot, the likely argument would be that having a service just for perception is a "worldly" concept.

    Going to church on Sunday just because it's Sunday isn't important. If we think it is, we've got our priorities mixed up.
     
    #32 Johnv, Dec 8, 2005
  13. LadyEagle

    LadyEagle <b>Moderator</b> <img src =/israel.gif>

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    3-page warning: This thread will be closed no sooner than 04:00 a.m. ET by one of the Moderators.

    Lady Eagle,
    Moderator [​IMG]
     
    #33 LadyEagle, Dec 8, 2005
  14. LadyEagle

    LadyEagle <b>Moderator</b> <img src =/israel.gif>

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    Closed per note.
     
    #34 LadyEagle, Dec 9, 2005
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