Survive or thrive...

[Shellie]

I'm dismayed that we are still understanding the church as a building.

If it is a healthy "church" it can meet in a church building, a school cafeteria, a home, under a brush arbor or beside a river in Africa and what does it matter.

[dawgs10]

I'm dismayed that we are still understanding the church as a building.

If it is a healthy "church" it can meet in a church building, a school cafeteria, a home, under a brush arbor or beside a river in Africa and what does it matter.

i agree completely. the issue is when most people speak of house churchs they are talking about a "church" that is not connected to oversite. that is where the issue comes in. i dont care where a church meets. i care about what a church is!!!! im dimayed that there are so many people that refuse to support local church systems and would rather meet in a brush arbor with a few others that dont want to be apart a organized ministry!!

[RamboPreacher]

I'm dismayed that we are still understanding the church as a building.

If it is a healthy "church" it can meet in a church building, a school cafeteria, a home, under a brush arbor or beside a river in Africa and what does it matter.

most people I know do not think of "the church" as the building. it is the meeting place for the visible church.

...I'm dismayed that there are so many people that refuse to support local church systems and would rather meet in a brush arbor with a few others that don't want to be apart a organized ministry!!

or have any kind of authority or covering over them.

[dawgs10]

I'm dismayed that we are still understanding the church as a building.

If it is a healthy "church" it can meet in a church building, a school cafeteria, a home, under a brush arbor or beside a river in Africa and what does it matter.

most people I know do not think of "the church" as the building. it is the meeting place for the visible church.

...I'm dismayed that there are so many people that refuse to support local church systems and would rather meet in a brush arbor with a few others that don't want to be apart a organized ministry!!

or have any kind of authority or covering over them.

bingo!!!!!!

[dawgs10]

I do believe Christians FOR CENTURIES have been practicing their faith in a manner not intended by Christ.
Jesus taught worshipping God in Spirit and in truth IN CONTRAST TO the worship of God in man-made temples. Yet today our practices seem to be based around that temple design. We even refer to our meeting halls as the "temple of God." Our churches are designed like the ancient basilicas and even temples.

Interesting. We meet in an elementary school cafeteria. By choice.

Our benches are pews,

We sit at cafeteria tables.

our windows are stained glass,

Jalousies.

our Bible stand is a pulpit,

A black music stand.

our prayer benches are altars.

No prayer benches.

We dress up to come and have our order of service,

Shorts/jeans and t-shirts are pretty common "church clothes" where we are.

center our worship around the day we come to that meeting hall,

Got us there. We are way too Sunday @ 10 focused.

we teach a special conduct and respect for that place above other places ("Don't do that in church.") when those thoughts should be in our minds at all times.

Uhhh... not so much, other than the common social courtesy of respect.

We have poured finances into facilities decorating them with unnecessary and costly extras

See above.

while brothers and sisters in other countries (fellow Christians) are living in cardboard boxes.

That'll preach, right there.

The youth of today are correctly questioning that inconsistency.

Amen.

take it from a youth pastor with years of experience. the youth of today will come up with any excuse not to be held accountable!! i love them, but i tell them very often, if you want to be accepted accept others. if want to be used on sunday morning live right sat. night. the church will use you when the church sees you breathing in, breathing out Jesus evey single day. untill then stop whining and live right!! that needs to be preached more!!!