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"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all th

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you". If you're going to reach the kids and young adults of the 21st century, your church can't act like it's still the 19th. If all you care about is your existing congregation of late-stage adults and senior citizens, then perhaps organ music and "the unadulterated truth" are just fine. But it means your church has an expiration date.

thrmsforbfast 8y ago
Where does my comment mention anything about worship style? I find debates about worship style mostly uninteresting and irrelevant. My comment focuses on a general disinterest in caring for the congregation and its surrounding community. In other words, churches that "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" but which do NOT "teach them to observe all that I have commanded you". I think scripture makes it abundantly clear which of those is the more important commandment. In fact, on multiple occasions, Jesus and his apostles specifically call out churches that do the former without doing the latter. Christianity can thrive with contemporary worship styles, and arguments to the contrary are silly. That's why I didn't make a single comment about worship style. However, if the kids and young adults of the 21st century are disinterested in obeying commandments to care for their follow congregants, to care for the downtrodden in their communities, to care for their clergy, etc., then the Christian church is atrophied. Regardless of how many people show up to Sunday worship or how many counseling sessions/MP3 downloads/lattes are sold. In other words, the "thing" that churches should be "making happen" is the following of God's teachings. Success in more secular terms is irrelevant to the measure of a church, even if it is interesting to aspiring entrepreneurs.

thrmsforbfast 8y ago

Where does my comment mention anything about worship style? I find debates about worship style mostly uninteresting and irrelevant. My comment focuses on a general disinterest in caring for the congregation and its surrounding community. In other words, churches that "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" but which do NOT "teach them to observe all that I have commanded you". I think scripture makes it abundantly clear which of those is the more important commandment. In fact, on multiple occasions, Jesus and his apostles specifically call out churches that do the former without doing the latter. Christianity can thrive with contemporary worship styles, and arguments to the contrary are silly. That's why I didn't make a single comment about worship style. However, if the kids and young adults of the 21st century are disinterested in obeying commandments to care for their follow congregants, to care for the downtrodden in their communities, to care for their clergy, etc., then the Christian church is atrophied. Regardless of how many people show up to Sunday worship or how many counseling sessions/MP3 downloads/lattes are sold. In other words, the "thing" that churches should be "making happen" is the following of God's teachings. Success in more secular terms is irrelevant to the measure of a church, even if it is interesting to aspiring entrepreneurs.