[SuperJon]

All of the churches I've been in and drew from for my post would be considered suburban, but they are suburban for much smaller areas (Greensboro, Winston-Salem) than Houston. I wouldn't classify any of them as rural.

Then again, it's really hard to compare a church in the southeast and what it does to a church in the southwest and what it does, etc.

[ATrain]

All of the churches I've been in and drew from for my post would be considered suburban, but they are suburban for much smaller areas (Greensboro, Winston-Salem) than Houston. I wouldn't classify any of them as rural.

Then again, it's really hard to compare a church in the southeast and what it does to a church in the southwest and what it does, etc.

Mine have definitely been rural or suburban, and I agree with SJ about the different markets.

[phoenix]

Yes, I'm raising the dead thread.

Found a blog post today that states my own criteria in working with other churches pretty clearly -- a lot clearer than I've done myself most of the time, even though I think the second circle would be combined with the first circle in my own case. I'm not nearly as attached to the SBC as a profesor at Southeastern would be

http://betweenthetimes.com/2010/01/22/w ... cooperate/

[Maximus]

As for me I will freely cooperate with any "denomination" that share the same primary doctrines. The primary doctrines are non negotiable when doing "word" ministry. Although, it is never acceptable to "debate" these during evangelism. That person needs to see Jesus and HIS redemptive power, not your/our pride. I've had situations that where this has happened and I just let the other person spew their theology however incorrect.


Let me ask this. Are service or word ministry separate or combined?

I submit that they are combined.

[LUconn]

I just read this thread for the first time. What the heck kind of churches have you guys been going to? I don't think I've every felt anything but welcome in the many different churches I've been in. And I tried out A LOT of them when I was in school. If anything, I got the bad vibe from the community churches congregation solely because they tend to be filled with hipster students.

[g-webb1994]

I'm Baptist (don't act like it ) and I don't understand the whole non-denom movement. It's like people want to treat church like a social or glee club and not take any sort of strong doctrinal stand.

As for working together, I see no problem, especially if it means helping the poor, elderly, infirmed, etc. As far as worshipping together, I vote a solid no.

Unforuntately, alot of IFB churches are solely against working, fellowshipping, or helping any other denomination or church, most even want to not even throw Baptists in with Protestants. Too many in this world are suffering and starving, not to mention lost, dying and busting hell wide open for the church as a whole to not 'band' together and spread the gospel.

I'm no theologian, but I just see one extreme or the other, one being treating church as a social event, then the other being almost cult-like in their beliefs and structure. Nothing of import gets accomplished on either end of this spectrum in my opinion.

[JK37]

I'm Baptist (don't act like it ) and I don't understand the whole non-denom movement. It's like people want to treat church like a social or glee club and not take any sort of strong doctrinal stand.

As for working together, I see no problem, especially if it means helping the poor, elderly, infirmed, etc. As far as worshipping together, I vote a solid no.

Unforuntately, alot of IFB churches are solely against working, fellowshipping, or helping any other denomination or church, most even want to not even throw Baptists in with Protestants. Too many in this world are suffering and starving, not to mention lost, dying and busting hell wide open for the church as a whole to not 'band' together and spread the gospel.

I'm no theologian, but I just see one extreme or the other, one being treating church as a social event, then the other being almost cult-like in their beliefs and structure. Nothing of import gets accomplished on either end of this spectrum in my opinion.

I've been following this thread since it's inception, but had to comment after this post. I could not have said it any better myself! (And yet, I'll add my $.02 to it .)

Consider the phorase, "In the world, not of it." Each extreme of the spectrum violates one half of this modicum, as it relates to their own cultural relevance. To explain:

*IFB extremists (I concur with "cult-like" due to their beyond-admiration for many of their well-known leaders) tear doctrine apart at every jot and tittle, splitting every hair, and accepting no one who deviates from every straw of their interpreted doctrine. Therefore, they are not relevant at all, i.e., not "in the world."

*Non-denoms conversely too often stand on no doctrine firmly. Being always welcome in church should be; being always comfortable should not be. Conviction breeds growth, and it is not often comforting to experience conviction. Such gatherings (I voluntarily choose not to call them "churches.") go overboard with their welcoming intentions, and become too relevant, i.e., "of the world."

[phoenix]

Most of the non-denominational churches I've seen and been in were started by people who were tired of the baggage that modern denominations have attached. I've been in non-denom churches that were very serious about their beliefs and took doctrine seriously, and I've been in a lot of First Baptist Country Clubs. That's why you have to actually show up at the church and find out what it's about before you write it off.

I've walked out of a few churches that didn't take their beliefs seriously. I've walked out of churches that were so hyper-fundie that they couldn't work with anybody. The pastor who baptized me, who is still a great friend of my family, who is a pretty high-profile pastor in his own "camp," would never share a platform with me or speak in any church I'm pastoring -- I preach out of the wrong translation of the Bible, and I went to a seminary that's part of the wrong denomination. Oh well. I think the line has to be drawn, but I think he's drawn it in the wrong place.