“CHURCH, GROWTH - HOW?”
By Dr. Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.
The
subject of Church
growth is usually
approached from the
positive point of
view: "How shall we
grow?"
View the
subject from the
other direction,
"How did the Church
of Christ not grow?"
What are some of the
factors that could
lead to mediocrity,
if not total
oblivion?
The following list
is a few
suggestions:
1) Practice
open membership.
This will devalue
our traditional
Church of Christ/Christian
Church position.
2) Disregard
the scriptural
meaning of, and
invitation to the
Lord's Supper. This
will cheapen the
Communion.
3) Play
down the importance
of Baptism by
immersion. This will
stifle our
testimony.
4)
Emphasize
ecumenicism. This
will erase our
distinctives.
5) Be
apologetic regarding
the use of the name
"Christian" or
"Church of Christ."
This
will weaken our
prestige.
6) Deny direct
kinship with New
Testament
Christians. This
will cut the root of
doctrinal strength.
7) Minimize
the importance of
training/discipleship.
This will close the
Churches on
Sunday and Wednesday
evenings.
8) Take the
sidetrack of
fanatical
conservatism or
radical liberalism.
This will produce
a series of splinter
groups.
9) Solicit
financial support
from non-Christians.
This will make
beggars of the Churches.
There are other
roads which might
open the way to
denominational
nothingness,but
this combination
would probably make
others unnecessary.
What you just read
is all the more
interesting when you
discover that it was
written by a
Southern Baptist man
named Robert G. Lee.
I
simply changed the
word "Baptist" to
"Christian" or
"Church of Christ"
each timeit came
up.
Friends, we need to
wake up to the fact
that we do not need
to downplay anything
about our heritage.
We can be proud of
it.
I
read a United
Methodist newsletter
this past summer
that came down from
the denominational
headquarters. Folks,
they are running
scared over there.
They are urging
their people not to
leave the Methodist
Church. They
admitted for the
first time that
people are leaving
their denomination
by the thousands.
(This is true of
other denominations
also).
They are urging
people not to leave,
but rather, to work
within the Methodist Church to change it
from within. What
they have discovered
is that the Bible
works!
We do not need to
shy away from it! We
must continue to
restore the New
Testament Church to
its' pristine
purity. Let's do it!
"CHURCH OF CHRIST!"
****************
The following
article came to me
recently and I
contended that I
should pass it on.
It has been slightly
edited. Please read
on - it may save
your life.
Suppose that you are
driving alone and
after a hard day you
are really tired.
Suddenly you begin
experiencing pain in
your chest that
starts to radiate
out into your arm
and up into your
jaw. You are only a
few miles from the
nearest hospital,
but unfortunately
you do not believe
that you can make it
to the hospital.
Your cell phone does
not have a good
enough signal to
call anyone.
You had received
some CPR training
(Cardio Pulmonary
Resuscitation) in
the past. However,
your instructor
never told you what
to do to perform
such on yourself if
“something” happened
to you.
Now -
to save oneself if
the heart stops
beating properly and
one begins to faint,
time is important.
In fact, there is
only approximately
ten seconds left
until losing
consciousness.
Immediately, take a
deep breath and
begin coughing
repeatedly and very
vigorously. A deep
breath should be
taken before each
cough, and the cough
must be deep and
prolonged, as when
producing sputum
from deep inside the
chest. Deep breaths
and a cough must be
repeated about every
two seconds without
let up until the
heart is felt to be
beating normal.
Deep breaths get
oxygen into the
lungs and coughing
movements squeeze
the heart and keep
the blood
circulating. The
squeezing pressure
on the heart also
helps it regain
normal rhythm. In
this way, heart
attack victims can
possibly get to a
hospital .
Plainly, don’t get
short changed. Be
ready to meet our
Maker. The Bible
teaches that to
avoid hell and gain
heaven - one must:
1) Believe In Jesus
As Savior (Acts
16:31) 2) Repent Of
Sins (Acts 17:30) 3)
Confess Christ
Audibly (Acts 8:37)
4) Be Baptized In
Water (Acts 2:38)
5) Live A Christian
Life (Acts 14:22)
6) Stay Active in the Church (Acts 2:47)
KYOWVA Evangelistic
Association * 1541
S. 7th Street *
Ironton, OH 45638
Web Page:
www.kyowva.com *
Free Bible Course
Upon Request