Thoughts on Evangelism
I always tell people I go through phases, were some times I feel very encouraged and optimistic that things will change in our Church, and other times I feel just depressed.
I went to see the new Naperville Harvest Church, scheduled to open in October. What an inspiration - everyone centered on Christ, a tangible feeling of happiness as you walk in, everyone friendly and welcoming ...
Many young Indian couples are leaving the Indian Orthodox Church for Harvest, and I talk often to one of my colleagues at work who switched. The Church is clearly "alive" with a strong focus on the children (e.g., one whole floor of the large building is dedicated to Children).
But, the more I read about Orthodoxy and the link back to the Apostolic Church, the more it disturbs me that Protestants felt the need to change the beliefs to be completely based on the Bible ... with caveats, it appears. The original Church service centered on the Holy Eucharist .. the Qurbana. But, the Protestant Church seems to minimize the importance.
The attraction of churches that are alive like Harvest has nothing to do with doctrine, but rather a community of like-minded people who know the focus is Christ. What is depressing is we could have this if our community just stayed together .. but, seems to be easier to just not try and go "mainstream" :(
I went to see the new Naperville Harvest Church, scheduled to open in October. What an inspiration - everyone centered on Christ, a tangible feeling of happiness as you walk in, everyone friendly and welcoming ...
Many young Indian couples are leaving the Indian Orthodox Church for Harvest, and I talk often to one of my colleagues at work who switched. The Church is clearly "alive" with a strong focus on the children (e.g., one whole floor of the large building is dedicated to Children).
But, the more I read about Orthodoxy and the link back to the Apostolic Church, the more it disturbs me that Protestants felt the need to change the beliefs to be completely based on the Bible ... with caveats, it appears. The original Church service centered on the Holy Eucharist .. the Qurbana. But, the Protestant Church seems to minimize the importance.
The attraction of churches that are alive like Harvest has nothing to do with doctrine, but rather a community of like-minded people who know the focus is Christ. What is depressing is we could have this if our community just stayed together .. but, seems to be easier to just not try and go "mainstream" :(
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