Censhaw Church

Linda Dipman asked:


Recently my son, who is a minister with a master in divinity from the South Western Baptist Theological Seminary, in Dallas, Texas was fired from his job. He had put years of service into the biggest First Southern Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas as their Video Production Engineer.

He was highly praised and he was known by the nickname of ‘Wonder Boy’, all because he could run the television ministry with ease. He also directed, produced, managed a large staff, and even installed and wired expensive television equipment. Just months before he was fired, a new senior pastor was hired and part of his job is to trim the fat from the budget.

My son was only paid $35,000.00 a year as the Video Production Engineer. Yet his salary which could never take care of a family of four was considered worth sacrificing for the all mighty dollar.

My son explained to me that a senior pastor was actually a CEO and that mega churches are run like a corporation. I of course am a proud mother of my very accomplished son. But my question is the same question that anyone would ask who has ever worked for a Mega church, ‘Should Churches Run Their Business Like a Corporation?’

We are all aware of how a big business is run. We know from the media how a newly hired CEO over a multi-million dollar corporation always begins by letting go of the highest paid employees. We may have even had a family member or friend who experienced such a horrendous blow. Just the same when we hear these stories almost everyone acknowledges that this is just plain wrong!

People should not be treated like they are just money. They should be respected for the years of service and any change up in a company should be about production quality or lack of services. Of course if an employee was known to be lazy, well, he or she should be fired, but never because of money.

Unfortuately today people are treated like a commodity instead of being respected for their achievement. Men and women who have worked for years in a company are fired just before retirement to save the company money. Experienced men and women of all ages are pushed aside for cheaper labor. They are a force of people who have been disrespected and humiliated and forced to look for a new job even though they had done their old job with excellence.

The truth is we live in a corrupt world. Greed abounds everywhere and people are being sacrificed for money. However, my question is, should multi-million dollar churches behave the same as the world? Should they run their churches like big businesses?

I was always taught that God was over the church and the pastor was a shepherd to the people teaching them God’s word through love. The pastor is to imitate Jesus Christ and be an example of ‘What would Jesus Do’ in all life situations, even in how he manages the affairs of a church.

Because we live in a corrupt and evil world we need good examples. We need the kind of role models that reflect the very characteristics of the Almighty God. This is the way we learn the principles that are taught in the Bible. This is how we show the world that we are different from them. This is how we justify our biggest call as Christians. We are supposed to go throughout the world and teach the message of the gospel of Christ.

John 15: 12-14, “My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them. And you are my friends if you do what I command you.”

This verse is the essence of what is required to show others you are a Christian. To imitate God we must be willing to love to the point of sacrificing our very lives. This is a message of hope that will bring people who don’t know God into the church. A message that they are so important, the church would die for them.

Unfortunately in today’s church too many pastors have become managers of money. They have responsibilities to keep the budgets down low so that money is allocated to the proper places such as giving to the poor and other charities. But is this what God wants a pastor to do?

When the first churches were established, the Holy Spirit inspired people to give up everything they had in order to further the ministry of Jesus Christ. People needed to make sacrifices so the entire world would have the ability to hear the good news about Jesus’ saving power.

Acts 4: 32-35, “The group of believers was one in mind and heart. No one said that any of his belongings was his own, but they shared with one another everything they had. With great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God poured rich blessings on them all. There was no one in the group who was in need. Those who owned fields or houses would sell them, bring the money received from the sale, and turn it over to the apostles; and the money was distributed to each one according to his need.”

This is how the first churches began their ministry. They needed money in order to build churches. They needed money to take care of the people who were giving to the church. Everyone was making sacrifices, but soon the apostles became frustrated and they realized that to allocate money was not what they were called to do.

Acts 6: 1-4, “Some time later, as the number of disciples kept growing, there was a quarrel between the Greek-speaking Jews and the native Jews. The Greek-speaking Jews claimed that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of funds. So the twelve apostles called the whole group of believers together and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the preaching of God’s word in order to handle finances. So then, brothers, choose seven men among you who are known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and we will put them in charge of this matter. We ourselves, then, will give our full time to prayer and the work of preaching.’”

This is a powerful story because it explains the truth about what is the most important call for a pastor in a church. A pastor is to give his full time to prayer and the work of preaching.

There is more to this story than a pastor’s call to ministry. It also talks about how churches need the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. A Spirit that inspires people to give. A Spirit that reflects God’s approval for how they are running their church according to His principles.

If God is left out of the church then churches will not be able to meet their budgets. In the time of the disciples when money was needed people went and sold their property. Today there are millionaires in mega churches. There are people who own several vacation homes. People who have so much money, they can never spend it all before they die. What would happen in today’s churches if when a budget couldn’t be met a millionaire goes out and sells one of his many homes?

Maybe the real problem isn’t about running a mega church like a corporation, but that the people aren’t being led by the Holy Spirit to give the money that the church needs in order to fill its budget. Maybe money problems show that the church has left God out? Maybe churches have turned out to be clubs instead of houses for teaching the word of God.

Churches have a responsibility to be an example of love. They are never to allow money to be the reason why a person is let go when they are doing a good job. They are to show a distinct difference between how they are run compared to how the world does things. No church should ever be run like an evil corporation whose only concern is about how to make more money.

Jesus proclaims in the parable of the ‘Good shepherd’ what a shepherd must do in order to show people who God really is. A Shepherd loves his sheep and wants to keep them safe from the influence of the world. He does this by being willing to die for his sheep.

John 10: 11, “I am the good shepherd, who is willing to die for the sheep.”

John 10: 14&15, “I am the good shepherd. As the Father knows me and I know the Father, in the same way I know my sheep and they know me. And I am willing to die for them.”

What would happen if today’s church actually did what God commands? The story of the good shepherd shows the world that to be like God we must be willing to die for the sheep. What would happen if the Mega Churches started caring about the people who work for them like the good shepherd?

I am very proud of my son! He is a good man and a good father. He has given his life to the ministry of God. The people of the church know him and his family. They know that in a month, he and his wife will be welcoming a new baby boy into their family. His insurance will run out two weeks before the baby is suppose to be born. What does this say about churches? Should Mega Churches Run Their Business like A CORPORATION?

Kurt Steinbrueck asked:


Some people believe the church can be more effective by utilizing processes most commonly and effectively used in business today, including marketing. In fact there are companies that specifically help churches develop a logo, a slogan, a website, brochures, and a multi-faceted marketing campaign much the same way other companies develop these elements to launch a new business.

On the other hand, some people abhor these practices and think the church should stay as far away from them as possible. They believe marketing is deceptive, manipulative, superficial, worldly, and yes – evil.

And then there’s the middle ground where I think most of us find ourselves. We want our churches to reach more people in our communities. We want to express the passion and love we have for God and people. If people would just come to a Sunday service, we know God would show up and touch their hearts and show them the amazing life they could have with Him in it. We want to let people know about the opportunities God has for them, but it’s so hard to get people’s attention in this media-saturated culture. We want to reach out, but we don’t want resort to hype, gimmicks, or starkly corporate tactics.

Is marketing the way to do that, or is marketing evil?

Objections to church marketing usually fall into one of four categories.

1) Marketing is manipulative.

Some people believe that marketing is inherently manipulative, that marketing is all about overselling positive and concealing the negative, or that marketing has to play to people’s fears or emotions to be effective.

Now if you’re a company selling something that is bad for people like tabloid magazines or junk food, manipulation is pretty much your only option. But if you provide something that is truly beneficial to people, then there’s no reason to be manipulative or disingenuous. Churches help people connect with God, and through that connection people find unconditional love, peace, daily guidance, purpose for their lives, community, and eternal life. No other organization on earth can match that.

2) Marketing is superficial.

Other people claim that marketing promotes style over substance. You sell the sizzle not the steak, right? You tell people what they want to hear, right?

Unfortunately, I think a lot of churches actually are guilty of promoting superficial elements of who they are in order to appeal to people. I’ve seen numerous churches talk about having the rockin’est worship band, the funnest kids program, the coolest youth rec building, or most inspiring messages. There’s nothing wrong with being rockin’, fun, cool, and inspiring, but if those are the reasons you are telling people they should attend your church, then that’s what people are going to expect. At that point you have to either keep things superficial, which defeats the whole purpose of helping people to connect to God, or you have to “bait and switch” when it comes to the hard parts of following Christ.

But here again churches have an advantage when it comes to marketing because they don’t have to be superficial. A church doesn’t have to claim to have the rockin’est worship band when it can provide a worship experience where people can connect to God through music and words they can relate to and mean with all their hearts. It doesn’t have to have the funnest kids program when it can give children a spiritual and moral foundation in a setting they will enjoy and remember.

In fact, churches that market themselves on style are missing a huge opportunity because the church has so much substance to offer, and deep down people really do want substance.

3) Marketing *****.

Another objection people have to church marketing in particular is that it’s just flat out embarrassingly bad. A lot of church marketing is not just unoriginal but it’s beating a dead horse that was dead a decade ago. I can’t describe how much I cringe every time I see a church sign with a cheesy Christian cliché on it. And if I see another “Got Jesus?” t-shirt, I might not be able to keep myself from chasing after the person with a lighter.

The truth is a lot of church marketing is embarrassingly bad, but it doesn’t have to be. That’s why the Center for Church Communications started the Church Marketing ***** blog. Churches are led by the Creator of the universe, and so churches should lead the world in creativity, originality, and inspiration. Doing marketing well is not an effort to “out-cool” other churches or keep up with secular marketing trends, but rather to express what the church is all about in ways that reveal our creative, inspiring God.

4) Marketing is annoying.

We all **** commercials that interrupt our favorite TV show, right? (I thank God for my DVR!) We **** junk mail. We **** the endless promos at the beginning of a movie. We **** it when someone rings our doorbell during dinner to sell us magazines. The last thing churches should be doing is annoying people, right?

Well, yes, but I haven’t come across a church yet that wants to annoy people. Marketing doesn’t have to be annoying. Do you ever look through the ads in the Sunday paper? Ever save that $5 off coupon that came in the mail? Marketing is annoying when it is for something you’re not interested in or it’s at a bad time, but when we’re interested in something and the timing is right, we actually appreciate it. The key is getting information to the right people at the right time.

This is why it’s so important that your church have a good website and that it be featured prominently in search engines. If the key is getting information to the right people at the right time, what could be better than getting information about your church to someone who is searching for a church when they’re searching?

What is Marketing?

Finally, I think part of the reason why some Christians think marketing is evil is because they associate marketing with advertising. But marketing is much broader than advertising. Here are some definitions of marketing I’ve come across…

“Marketing is basically sharing your love. Your passion. Your belief.”

“Marketing is simply the transfer of enthusiasm from one person to another.”

Who doesn’t want to share their love, passion and belief for God and their church?

Of course church marketing efforts are not a substitute for personal evangelism. In fact, personal evangelism can be greatly enhanced by making it a part of the overall church marketing plan. A church that develops a great website and provides printed brochures, invitation cards, and outreach events can make personal evangelism efforts much easier and more effective.

Lynne Gabriel asked:


Church leaders are convinced that a church should have its own website. But why should you hire a web designer to give your site a good website design? What is the importance of a good church web design and what are the advantages your church could get from it?

First of all, the header of the site will serve as the flag or banner of your church. You could use your church’s logo as part of the header. A good header will carry and represent the name of your church on the web. This will also appear on your banner when you post an advertisement on other sites to promote your site and take people from that site directly to yours through links.

The main reason why you should have a good church web design is basically to attract visitors. A good design will please their eyes and will catch their interests. This will encourage them to enter your site. A good church web design is important because this will be the one responsible for attracting potential visitors. Better church web designs are more likely to attract more people. Let’s face it, people are not and will not be interested in a dull and boring site.

It is not enough that you get people to enter your site. A good church web design will draw people deeper into the site’s features and will keep them searching for more information about your church. This way, you could effectively give out information to people because when people stay longer in your site, they could get more information. A good church web design will benefit your church by achieving your goal that is to spread your teachings and beliefs to the world and reach as many people as possible.

That is why your church web design should include all the necessary information that most people would like to know about. This will help your church to make people understand what you believe in and because of this, you could encourage more people to join your church or just convince them to continue their search about your church that would hopefully make them decide to join eventually.

But why do churches strive to convince more people to join them? The main reason is to share their doctrines and teachings. They want more people to have the same belief as them. It would be a great way to unite people from all over the world in only one belief.

The next reason is to expand their group. They need to have more members from different parts of the world to increase their numbers. Most established and strong churches have members worldwide that also gives the church some kind of power, authority, and respect from other religious organization.

Another important reason is related to the financial status of the church. We all know that a church runs basically on donations and offerings from its members. A church with many members is more likely to collect bigger amounts of contributions weekly that could really help with the expenses of the church. The money collected could help build more church structures and could be used to spread their teachings and doctrines through different forms of media like radio and television.

Your church could achieve all of these benefits and advantages by having a good church web design that will attract more potential members.

Kurt Steinbrueck asked:


Below is a list of link building strategies to get you started as you add link building to your church marketing strategy. It certainly isn’t an exhaustive list, but it can get you moving in the right direction and help give you ideas. The ideas are not listed in any particular order

1. Denominations and Associations: If you belong to a denomination or association of churches, make sure the main denomination/association website has a link to your church’s website. Most denominations have an online directory of sorts, so you will probably be able to simply request that your church’s site be listed. Even better than just being listed in the directory would be to see if you can get a special feature or story posted on the site about your church. There may also be regional divisions of the denomination such as districts, states, or dioceses. Get a link on every one of those sites. These are especially good links to get because they are extremely relevant and denomination/association headquarter websites tend to be seen as authoritative sites by the search engines.

2. Other Churches: See if other churches will link to your church’s site. This is especially probable from other churches within your denomination or association, but any church may be willing to link. If they ask for you to link back to their site, don’t be afraid to do that. It can help their online church marketing as well.

3. Search for church related sites and contact their webmaster requesting a link: These can be sites that offer church supplies, church related services, sites that help setup and promote church events, etc. If you contact them via email, be sure to send a personalized message which shows you are familiar with the recipient’s website/organization and be sure to address specific reasons why it would be beneficial for them to link to your site. Emails aren’t the most personal form of communication. A phone call or even a visit (if they are local) can be very effective. Tip: Links from sites related to your site’s topic are more valuable in search engine marketing than links from unrelated sites. So, focus on getting links from Christian or church related sites. Sites related to the city your church is in can be relevant as well and help with local keywords.

4. Register your website with directories: This is one of the easier link building strategies as you don’t have to convince someone to list you (that’s what directories do) and there are plenty of sites that don’t require reciprocal linking (reciprocal linking is when you have to link back to the other site). Directories are also helpful in telling the search engines what your site is about because you put your listing in a specific category. If you don’t want to spend hours and hours submitting your site to directories, there are companies that offer directory registration services. Christian directories and church locator sites are especially good.

5. Ask your members: Unlike most companies, churches have a built in support base. People who not only like the church but want to actively support the church. Your members may have personal sites, MySpace profiles, or company websites where they can put links to your church. They want to help, so don’t be afraid to ask.

6. Offer services: This may be something like starting a food bank, becoming a Salvation Army drop-off location, or hosting midnight basketball. These are services churches and businesses can support regardless of denomination or religious affiliation, broadening the spectrum of websites that are willing to link to you. As a bonus, these can be great ministries helping the community, giving members ways to serve, and bringing people to Christ. Professional services can also be effective. Most churches already offer wedding facilities. If you have a gym or fellowship hall, you could make the facilities available for people to rent. Spread the word around town to event planners and other organizations and ask them to link to your church.

7. Schedule an Event: Hold a concert at your church or bring in a special guest speaker. Host a conference or charity event. It’s natural for people, companies, radio stations, etc. to link to the website of the place hosting and event. So, you probably won’t even need to ask people to add a link.

8. Create great content: This is both the easiest and most difficult way to get links, depending on how you look at it. It’s easy because you don’t actually do anything specifically trying to get links. The idea is that if your site has enough great content, people will want to link to your site without you having to even ask. On the other hand, it can be difficult to create great content and continue to offer new great content year after year. Most churches don’t ever even think of offering great content on their site. They limit their site to announcements and general info about the church, but you can also have Bible studies, topical resources, online tools, and other content available on the church’s website. The extra benefit of this strategy is that it not only can generate links, but it also keeps visitors coming back giving you lots of return traffic and gets more people to visit the church.

9. Request links on local information/service sites: Most cities have at least some sites dedicated to information about the city. Some examples would be the city’s Chamber of Commerce, sites listing local places of worship, tourist information sites, etc. The purpose of these sites is to list websites and locations like your church. So, you have a good chance of getting a link. In addition to just getting an extra link, links from these types of sites also reinforce to the search engines that your church is from that city. That helps you to rank better for local keywords.

10. Create content, video, or pictures that are unique and exciting and then promote them around social media outlets (YouTube, Facebook, etc): This can be a lot of fun and have a great message. Many pastors have a blog that is syndicated and more and more churches are podcasting sermons. Videos, especially, can be a great youth group activity. Done right, you can create what’s called a viral marketing campaign where people find your content and tell others about it. Those people tell their friends who tell their friends, etc. If successful a viral campaign can generate thousands of links in a very short amount of time.

Time to Get in Gear:

The purpose of your church’s website is to have an online presence for your ministry. Link building is a way to increase that online presence, to reach more people, and expand your ministry. In search marketing, inbound links that have been around awhile can be given more weight than new links. So, it’s best to start sooner rather than later. You don’t have to choose just one strategy. In fact it’s usually best to use several, especially creating great content on your site. It’s time to start getting links to your site and turn your website into an online juggernaut for Christ.

Jerry Richard Boone asked:


Since Jesus established his church, and the New Testament describes his church, do you think it might be a good idea to follow the biblical example: in church organization? in doctrine? in church worship? Here’s what Scriptures say about the church.

1. New Testament authorizes three positions in Christ’s church:

Elders

Elders (also called presbyters, bishops, overseers, pastors, or shepherds, without distinction of office or rank) were men (always men) chosen from the members to oversee and set an example for the congregation. Also they are to encourage the congregation with sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. (1 Peter 5:1-4) (1 Titus 1:9) For the requirements for this position see: 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.

Deacons

Deacons were men chosen to serve the congregation (overlook the daily distribution of food or wait on tables.) (Acts 6:1-7) For requirements for both the deacon and his wife, see: 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Paul also mentions deacons in his address to the church at Philippi. (Philippians 1:1) At least two men, Stephen and Philip, chosen as deacons in the Jerusalem church also preached or evangelized.

Evangelists

Evangelists (preachers, ministers) are preachers of the Gospel. (Ephesians 4:11) (1 Timothy 4:13-16) (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Those three positions were the only ones created for Christ’s church. Notice that no singular person was placed in charge of any congregation. And there was no higher organization than the local congregation. Synods, Councils, Conventions, Popes, Ecclesiastical Legislative Bodies, Associations or Conferences with delegates from different congregations are nowhere to be found in the Bible. They didn’t exist in the church you read about in the New Testament.

2. Christ instituted two church sacraments:

Baptism

Jesus ordered his apostles to make disciples in every nation “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

Jesus says baptism is essential for salvation. (Mark 16:16) And Peter says it is required for the forgiveness of sins. (Acts 2:38)

Who was baptized? Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:13), the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:38), Saul, who was later called Paul (Acts 9:18), Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth (Acts 16:14-15), the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:33), Crispus, the synagogue ruler (Acts 18:8) (1 Corinthians 1:14), twelve disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19:1-5), and men and women at city in Samaria. (Acts 8:5-12)

What did all of these people have in common? They were all believing adults. Were children also baptized? Some claim there were, and they cite these passages to support their position. Acts 16:15 states that “[Lydia] and members of her household were baptized.” Acts 16:33 reads: “[The jailer] and all of his family were baptized.” And Acts 18:8 says that Crispus and “his entire household” were baptized.

Do “members of her household,” “all of his family,” and “his entire household” imply that children and infants were also baptized? Notice that the jailer “and his whole family” had come to believe in God. (Acts 16:34) Similarly, Crispus “and his entire household believed in the Lord.” (Acts 18:8)

In both instances, all believed, and all were baptized. Clearly we are not speaking of infants or very small children in this context. Those who were baptized were mature enough to believe in Christ.

How were these believing “adults” baptized? Romans 6:3-4 speaks of baptism as a symbolic burial with Christ. And in Acts 8:38 Philip took the Ethiopian eunuch “down into the water” to baptize him. Baptism was and is emersion. Throughout the first century baptism and emersion were synonymous.

Lord’s Supper; The Eucharist; The Holy Communion

In Matthew we read: “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’

“Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” (Matthew 26:26-28)

In the Gospel according to John, the significance of this act becomes clear. Jesus: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)

He repeated and emphasized his words: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:53-54)

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, explained where this custom originated. He says: “The tradition which I handed on to you came from the Lord himself: that on the night of his arrest the Lord Jesus took bread and after giving thanks to God broke it and said: ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in memory of me.’

In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said: ‘This cup is the new covenant sealed by my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this in memory of me.’ For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes.’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 REB)

Paul informs us that the early church carried on this tradition and tells us when they did it. “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” (Acts 20:7)

The apostle again speaks of the Lord’s Supper when he warned the Corinthians: “A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:28-29)

Such respected historians as Eusebius of Caesarea and Johann August Wilhelm Neander tell us that Christians in the early centuries of the church took the Lord’s Supper every Sunday.

3. New Testament instructs us how to worship:

Prayer

Paul tells us to give thanks in all circumstances; (1 Thessalonians 5:18) for God’s help; (1 Timothy 5:5) for each other; (James 5:16) for whatever we want to request; (Philippians 4:6) for rulers, officials, and everyone. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

James says we don’t get what we want because we don’t pray for it. Or if we do pray for it, our request is denied because of our wrong motives. (James 4:2-3) Pray whenever you are sick or in trouble, advises James. (James 5:14)

Prayer was a part of the New Testament church’s worship. (Acts 2:42) (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Giving

Paul tells us of the collection taken for God’s people in the Galatian and Corinthian churches. “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” (1 Corinthians 16:2)

Reading Scriptures

By the early part of the first century, Jews had established the tradition of reading the Law and Prophets in their synagogue services. Paul told Timothy to devote himself to the “public reading of scriptures, preaching and teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:13) Thus the Jewish custom was carried over into church worship.

In Colossians we find Paul instructing the Colossians and the Laodiceans to exchange letters he had written and read both. (Colossians 4:16) And in Thessalonians, he tells the church to read his letter to all the brothers. (1 Thessalonians 5:27) Thereby, what was to become portions of the New Testament was already being read in the church along with the Law and Prophets of the Old Testament.

Singing

Here are all the New Testament references to hymns, songs, and spiritual songs.

After Jesus and the apostles’ Passover meal, “they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:30 NKJV)

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” (Acts 16:25)

Paul: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19)

Paul: “I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” (1 Corinthians 14:15)

Paul: “What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.” (1 Corinthians 14:26)

Paul encourages us to: “admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)

James: “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” (James 5:13)

Notice musical instruments, choirs, and solos were not mentioned in church worship. They were later additions not authorized by the scriptures. Historically, the first appearance of instrumental music in church worship was not until the sixth century A.D., and it was not widely accepted until the eighth century.

A number of religious leaders including: John Calvin, John Wesley, and Charles Spurgeon strongly opposed the use of instrumental music in worship because of its absence in the New Testament.

Sermons

“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” (Acts 20:7) Also see Paul’s instruction to Timothy. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

4. Those miraculous gifts of the early church

Those gifts to the early church Paul lists: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing miracles, prophecy, discerning spirits, different tongues and interpretation of tongues were all necessary for the revelation and the confirmation of the unwritten gospel message. When the gospel was completely revealed and confirmed, the purpose for miracles, tongues, healings, and prophecies ceased.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul provides us with this explanation: “As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” (1 Corinthians 13:8-10)

In the original Greek, “perfect” in this verse means “completeness” or “fulfillment.” So, those miraculous gifts ended in the early church when the revelation of God’s word was complete or fulfilled. That is why you don’t see authentic miraculous events in churches today.

5. Other religious practices:

Fasting

Luke speaks of the Antioch church worshiping the Lord and fasting. “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” (Acts 13:2) In the next chapter we read, “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in each church [in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch] and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord.” (Acts 14:23)

We find no command in the New Testament to fast. However, in Acts chapters 13 and 14 we discover instances in which the early church did fast.

Foot Washing

“[Jesus] got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (John 13:4-5)

“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ‘You call me “Teacher” and “Lord,” and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:12-15)

“Washing the feet of the saints” is also one of good deed qualifications Paul lists for widows seeking support from the church. (1 Timothy 5:9-10)

Even so, washing feet is nowhere declared a part of the church’s worship service.

Reciting Creeds

A creed is a compact statement of faith recited by the congregation during the worship service. Creeds, however, are nowhere to be found in the New Testament. No common human creed, no catechism, no confession of faith are authorized in the scriptures. They were all added later.

It’s true, the Lord’s Prayer is frequently quoted word for word. Did Jesus intend for that prayer to become a creed? Evidently, he did not. Jesus introduced his prayer saying, “Pray, then, in this way.” (Matthew 6:9 NRSV) It is general guidance - “Do it in this fashion” rather than, “I want you to repeat every word of this verbatim.”

Alter Calls

Pleas To “Just Accept Jesus Into Your Heart”

Repeating “The Sinner’s Prayer”

These three practices are found in some modern churches but are nowhere to be found in the Scriptures.

Since Jesus established his church, and the New Testament describes his church, do you think it might be a good idea to follow the biblical example: in church organization? in doctrine? in church worship? Why would Luke, Paul, Peter, James, and John provide us with such extensive details of the original church, if they did not intend for us to follow this pattern?

Which church do you attend? the one Christ established and Paul preached? or a man-made substitute? What’s the difference? One follows the Scriptures; the other doesn’t.

Bruce Anderson asked:


If you pick up a Bible, you don’t have to look any further than Genesis 6:14-22 to learn about Gods approach to Master Planning. It was only through God’s tremendous vision and skillful planning that Noah was able to successfully complete the task of building an Ark large enough to save mankind. While this was certainly a God sized task, the principles are the same today. Through Noah, the Lord was able to assess the problem, take stock of materials on hand, and carefully put together a blue print for the construction of a three story boat, capable of housing all of the species of the world.

Many churches today find themselves faced with exactly the same types of challenges in planning for the growth of their congregations. While the pressures may be the same, over crowding of facilities, new ministry opportunities, and or the need for a fresher look, the challenges can be quite different as we untangle the maze of legal restrictions, internal differences, code impacts, and of course, let’s not forget financial challenges.

So let’s take a look at the four elements of a developing a long-term church master plan.

I. Prayer

When preparing to enter into a building program, always start with prayer. Jesus told us, “I am the vine and you are the branches, and you can do nothing unless you abided in me.” When assembling the project’s committee structure, appoint a Prayer Committee to encourage each other, the staff and the congregation to bathe the project in prayer from start to finish, and continue to lift each other in prayer as He unfolds the vision for your church before your very eyes. Make sure you are well grafted in the vine!

II. Clear Sense of Purpose

Before you embark upon building on existing property, moving to a different location, or even renovating an existing space, it is important to assess carefully the church as it stands. These key questions need to be asked:

• What is the core purpose of our church?

• What specific ministries tie directly into our core purpose?

• Which ministries are growing the fastest?

• What is the major reason that we feel a need to expand?

• Are there other alternatives available?

• What are our immediate needs?

• How will they impact our long term needs?

A clear understanding by church leadership as to the future direction of the church, and the support behind the long-range vision becomes critical in master planning. If you change your direction every couple of years, you may find yourself wasting millions of dollars on a facility that becomes more of an albatross or hindrance to your ministry than an architectural beauty.

III Facilities Evaluation

One of the first steps in any facilities master plan is to survey what already exists. Because churches typically expand their facilities over a period of several years and sometimes decades, it is important to take stock of several areas that can impact your future decisions.

• Environmental Impact- Several facilities built in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s were designed with asbestos and unsafe materials throughout the buildings. It is important to know if you have environmental hazards that can adversely impact your overall project budget, or if it makes sense to start a demolition or renovation project. A more recent issue that has cropped up over the past few years is the handling of mold growth in buildings, as well as land issues like spotted owls, gopher turtles, or even ancient burial grounds.

• Code Impact - Over the last few decades the building codes have changed dramatically with their new calculations of structural loads, uplift requirements, glass impact resistance, American Disabilities Act, electrical requirements, life safety requirements and even the number of restrooms available to the members. Without proper assessment, the simple tearing down of one wall could require you to go back through the entire facility and bring them up to code, which could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars to do so.

• Parking Impact- One of the most restrictive elements on church facilities today is the number of required parking spaces to meet the overall codes of the local governing authority. While many local authorities have a 2-3 people per every car requirement, in actuality many churches are experiencing a 1.5-2 people per car requirement, which can cause overcrowding and traffic problems for both ingress and egress issues.

• Zoning Impact- Due to the tightening up of zoning allowances in municipalities all over the country, you can no longer assume that your new property will be approved for zoning. Churches are not wanted in residential zones because they generate too much traffic. They’re not wanted in commercial zones because they don’t generate taxes. And they are not wanted in industrial areas because of the potential hazards to the health and safety of people. In other circumstances if your expansion exceeds 30% of the overall square footage of you existing buildings you may be required to have your entire property go through new zoning procedures all over again.

• Water Retention and Drainage- In many states the issue of storm water, waste water, and how you place your standing water, have become a great concern for many municipalities. In many places several years ago you could pretty much do what you wanted to with storm water, and not really worry about how much run off impacted your neighbor. However, today our municipalities are taking this very seriously, and are requiring very detailed civil engineering drawings to determine the impact of drainage, sewage, utility hook ups, and environmental issues that could adversely effect the immediate area.

IV Identify Specific Needs

Demographic

Early stages of a religious facility master plan may also include the gathering and analysis of comprehensive data. Information such as demographics and psychographics, where you begin to understand the racial mix of your demographic area, age mix, social economic status, area growth rates, worship preferences, and program preferences of the areas in which your church serves.

Because of the dramatic growth of both churches and the areas that they serve it is important to attempt to forecast the growth of your church based upon historical growth within age populations, along with future growth of the area. In many areas it becomes a mirror of the area that you serve. So if your area has seen explosive growth, and you have been keeping up with that growth in your church, it is reasonable to believe that your church may continue to grow at the same pace in the future. You may also want to consider a mapping service that will actually take your church membership and map where they live in relation to your current facility or the area that you are contemplating expanding to, thus, giving you a better feel of where your congregation is coming from.

Space Utilization

Your church may be one of the fortunate churches that are able to provide worship seating, education facilities, and even banquet space for all of the members of your church. However it is becoming more and more important due to pure economics, for churches to expand to two and three services during the weekend and maybe one on Friday night. For other ministries they are having to rethink their Sunday School Space, as it becomes too costly for the church to keep up with their Sunday School population. While there are certainly numerous churches that are busting at the seams, and couldn’t put another body in the building with a shoe horn, others are too eager to spend millions of dollars to provide expansion space that they really don’t need. A simple rearranging of service times, building schedules, and knocking out of a couple of walls, could make all the difference in the world, without the added expense to the church.

Space Proximity

You arrive on Sunday morning with your three year old and your seven year old to a brand new church only to find that you have to park 300 yards away from your toddlers class, walk another 50 yards around the building through the rain to drop off your 7 year old. Once that is done you then have to cross the property through the mud in your brand new shoes to enter into the Sanctuary, as you finally make it to your choir seat, catch your breath, and try to to sing “Amazing Grace” on key. How you position your buildings, ministries, parking, entrance ways, walkways, indoor space, outdoor space, and future senior living facility, can have a gigantic impact on the function of your overall master-plan. This is why it is important to carefully think out how you will use each building and how you can make it easier on the people attending your church, as well as, the financial implications of those decisions.

Aesthetic and Architectural Beauty

Have you ever tried to put together a 1000 piece puzzle without ever knowing what the finished puzzle should look like? This is what a lot of unplanned church campuses look like, a series of unrelated building add on’s that were thrown together at different times, by different people, with different architectural themes, only to get to a point that all of the pieces of the puzzle put together, are not very pleasing to the congregation. Maybe you should have a block stucco theme with South Florida Colors, in Miami, but it would look pretty silly next to a 150 year old cathedral in Boston, with an all custom made stained glass replica of the Last Supper ordaining the entire front of the cathedral. Master Planning takes into consideration the aesthetic, cosmetic, functionality, and cost factors of a building plan, and balances them on paper, before you commit to embarrassing yourself, and your community with an ugly building.

Phasing and Implementation

There are very few churches in America that wouldn’t love to be able to complete all of God’s vision and the next five phases of their building program all at once. However, due to economic factors most ministries must balance their God given vision, with their God given provision. Even Moses didn’t realize that he was embarking upon a 40 year mission, when Yahweh gave Moses the vision of taking the promise land.

Likewise, God gives different visions to ministries throughout the world, what He doesn’t always give is the necessary timing and financial understanding to complete the vision in our own human strength. We must be patient, we must plan, we must trust the Lord and His perfect timing. By planning to phase the first phase of your project within the financial limitations that you have been given, you are then in a position build all of the phases at once if the Lord indeed blesses your ministry by opening the gates of heaven blessing you with all of the money necessary to complete them all.

Groshan Fabiola asked:


The church is the place where people come to worship God and be closer to Him, as well as to repent of their sins. It takes more than a simple building made of bricks and mortar to form a church. The local congregation of believers and the place they choose as the house of their Lord is often what the word church refers to. Each church has its individual values and theology, and all of God’s beauty, order, creativity and detail should be used to the highest level of design to reflect these specific features. Therefore, everyone who is involved in a church design and construction process should try to use this creativity, beauty and order to turn the church into a welcoming place for all believers.

The place of worship has undergone some dramatic changes over the years. However, the most notable changes regarding church design and construction have only been witnessed in the past years. The traditional church buildings are slowly being replaced by new forms of expression, as old style buildings no longer match the kind of ministry that people are looking for nowadays. Today’s church design and construction aim at reshaping the worship and life of congregations. And it is not the church building alone that church designers should consider. Church plans should definitely include site planning, as many churchgoers believe that the site is the first invitation that the church makes. Furthermore, with space being a constant problem for churches, site planning is equally important in church plans as far as future expansion is concerned. It is believed that good church design and construction is the best way to build a community. The most recent forms of expression in church design and construction include a large gathering space, where people get together for Bible study, worship, choir practice, exercise classes, committee meetings, and so forth.

Church architecture can be regarded as a symbolic expression of the faith of the community in question. Therefore, church design and construction should put emphasis on the specific architecture that is most appropriate to that community. Apart from making an invitation, the church architecture should be relevant of God’s creativity, order and beauty in general, and of the congregation’s faith in particular. Good church design and construction can render the feeling of God being in the congregation’s midst, instead of being at a distance. Furthermore, the use of light in a church building is of fundamental importance, given its spiritual significance. Light should be an important consideration in the church design and construction process. Using light in a church building has long been a major concern that has already evolved into an architectural tradition. However, given the significance of light and its symbolism, this tradition has to be rethought each time new church design and construction are considered.

The ideas presented above are just some aspects related to church design and construction. The process of constructing or expanding a church is a lot more complex, and the insight of a good church architect will prove to be a very valuable tool. Whatever your church plans may encompass, be it the remodeling of interior rooms or exterior façade, converting warehouses into full church facilities, multi-structure campuses, or building a new church from the ground up, there are church architects who can provide unique insights, while honoring your individual theology and values, as well as your specific needs and budget.

For more resources about Church design and construction or even about church plans please review this web page http://marshillstudio.com

Stephen Bush asked:


Church loans often suffer from several problems, and as a result specialized business finance strategies are required. Typical church financing will involve multiple difficulties.

Church loans are probably the most difficult form of commercial financing to successfully close. Churches are an integral part of local communities, so it is necessary to improve church financing solutions. In almost all cases financing will require a very specialized commercial real estate loan that is typically not widely available.

Churches are not typical commercial enterprises but they do have substantial business financing requirements. This article will offer an overview of four key church loan financing difficulties and a listing of six practical church financing strategies.

Four Major Church Financing and Business Finance Difficulties -

Before addressing possible solutions for the most common church loan needs, it is important to discuss the typical barriers to obtaining appropriate financing. Historically church financing has been difficult to arrange for several reasons:

(1) Church Loan Obstacle Number One: Church properties are unique. Lenders are therefore concerned that if commercial loan payments are not made in a timely manner and the lender is required to assume ownership of the property, it will be very difficult to find a new owner because of the unique property features.

(2) Church Financing Difficulty Number Two: Commercial lenders usually require individual guarantors for church financing, and this is inappropriate for a church loan. The financial structure of churches simply does not lend itself to a traditional lender/guarantor approach. Many commercial lenders are not comfortable with the potential lack of individual guarantors because of the difficulty of reselling the church property if negative financial circumstances occur in the future.

It is unfortunately very common for church financing to have been secured only after church members have authorized an individual guarantee for church financing. The need for individual guarantors acts as a serious barrier first because church members might be unwilling to do so and second because there might not be individuals who have enough financial resources to provide an individual guarantee for larger church financing needs.

(3) Church Financing Difficulty Number Three: When church financing is obtained, there are frequently unacceptable business finance terms such as very small loans, low loan-to-value (LTV) of 50% to 60%, short-term loans and high interest rates. These onerous terms are tantamount to the church loan being declined, and if the terms are accepted, the church is likely to experience continuing financial difficulties due to unrealistic commercial mortgage requirements.

(4) Church Financing Difficulty Number Four: Construction, renovation and land acquisition are even more difficult for churches to finance than purchases or refinancing. As a result, needed repairs are often postponed indefinitely and new churches frequently take many years to become a reality.

Six Practical Church Loan and Commercial Mortgage Solutions -

There are common-sense financing solutions for the church loan issues described above. Here is an overview of church financing that is now available from some non-traditional lenders:

(1) Church Loan Financing Approach Number One: Non-Recourse Loans (instead of guarantors). As noted above, the willingness to forego traditional guarantors does require a non-traditional lender. With this church financing approach, church lending will not depend on individual guarantors.

(2) Church Loan Solution Number Two: Long-term business loans. Church financing will be much more successful when it is long-term instead of short-term (payments will be reduced dramatically).

(3) Church Loan Solution Number Three: Low interest rates (usually a maximum of prime plus 1%). In reality many churches have been taken advantage of and charged excessive interest rates because lenders perceived that they did not have any other realistic options.

With payments limited to prime plus 1% or less, church financing payments will be noticeably reduced. In combination with longer-term loans, the overall payment reduction will make a significant contribution to church cash flow improvements.

(4) Church Loan Solution Number Four: Church loan financing minimum of $500,000. This allows churches to complete most financing in one step rather than piecemeal over a period of years.

(5) Church Loan Solution Number Five: Higher LTV (75%-90% is possible). This results in a more workable amount of 10% to 25% (rather than 40% to 50% with traditional church financing) for the down payment or non-financed portion in refinancing.

(6) Church Loan Solution Number Six: Church financing can now include new construction, renovation, land acquisition, purchase and refinancing. Due to flexible church loan financing, it is not necessary for any of these important church loan activities to be postponed.

Collectively the six church financing solutions described above should benefit a large number of churches by allowing refinancing with much better financial terms and by facilitating the construction of new churches on an accelerated timetable. The six church loan financing approaches should result in financial covenants that will contribute to the long-term financial profile of prudent churches which adhere to the church financing approaches suggested.

Regardless of the practical business finance and commercial mortgage strategies that have been described above, it is appropriate to emphasize that arranging appropriate church financing will almost always be difficult. Due to the specialized nature of a church loan, unavoidable complications with the commercial real estate financing should be anticipated. As a result, prudent church borrowers should attempt to acquire a better understanding of these complex business loan issues.

anonymous asked:


he Church? Who is the Church? Where is the Church? Is there a True Church, is there a false Church and how can you tell the difference? Unlike the simplistic and unassuming appearance of these queries, these are perhaps some of the most important questions that can ever be answered. The answer itself is the most important piece of understanding you could ever possess for the transformation and empowerment of your life. The religious stigma attached to these words belies their critical necessity in illuminating the mind and enlivening the soul, thus their apparent irrelevance when viewed from a traditional vantage point.

In order to clarify this whole subject, a standard must be set by which all definitions of Church must be gauged. Only by possessing such an authoritative standard of universal applicability, can false doctrine be weeded out and comprehension of the Truth begin. The vast potential of benefit to be derived from a proper definition of Church would make one wonder, why it has never been done before? Most likely because without a quantum mechanical reference for the Gospel a working knowledge of the Church must remain outside of a conceptual framework. Since that hindrance is longer an obstacle, let’s set about defining this thing called Church and see what all it entails.

The Body of Christ is the only True Church. There it is in one sentence, everything you will ever need to resolve all the issues of life. That is of course assuming you comprehend the nuances and implications involved, then the full measure of probability should be apparent. However upon the chance that you may lack the ability to grasp the quantum dynamics involved, then perhaps more explanation is necessary.

The Body of Christ is the only True Church, which means that Church is an Immortal Being and not an institution. If the Immortal Being of Christ’s Body is the only True Church, then all mortal churches must of necessity be false. Can a church composed of Christian mortals be true when Church is an Immortal Being? Can the Immortal Being of Christ’s Body be subject to mortal judgments and rulebooks? If God created us Immortal, then who made us all a bunch of mortals? If we are not really mortal, where did all these mortal churches come from? If God’s Word is True, does that mean all mortals are liars and blasphemers? (Yes it does) Can you believe in Jesus without becoming the Christ you are in? (No you cannot) Does Union with God leave room for relationship? (No) Is Christ in you my hope of glory? (Yes it is) Is church a building that mortals gather in to pay homage to the immortal one they are not? (We think NOT) Who died and made you God?

This Immortal Being we call Church (The Body of Christ) being the only established authority for Gospel interpretation and church definition, is nevertheless the standard set by God’s Word and thus constitutes the only legitimate True Church. The Immortal Being of Christ’s Body is True Church and mortal church sin in the camp reunions are false. Since everything you have ever known about church most likely fits into the sin in the camp category then this exposition may seem radical and revolutionary, yet it remains unchangeable Truth. The problem with unchangeable Truth is that you can accept it or deny it but you cannot change it because it is unchangeable. Shall we digress and explore mortal church sin in the camp reunions or continue the definition of Church? The Body of Christ is the only True Church, saying it again will not make it any more true but it might assist you in letting go of your deceptions. So then, The Body of Christ is the only True Church and all mortal churches are false!!!

As we’ve said: The Body of Christ as the True standard for Church, does present some interesting implications. You may even be grasping some of the dynamics involved by now, shall we continue with implications or get right down to the dynamics? The dynamics of True Church are actually the most vital aspect, as this is where the rubber meets the road. All this intellectual speculation on Absolute Self is fine and good but it is only the experience of Absolute Self that actually counts. This dichotomy is the difference between word lessons and World Lessons. Word lessons are mental gymnastics of intellectual speculation while World Lessons are the experience of Truth. So if we are done playing mortal mind games, let’s get into some World Lessons by exploring the dynamics of Church.

First of all the Body is a whole, this can best be represented by a holographic image. Suppose if you will that the Body of Christ as a form is a holographic image. If you know about holograms you understand that every part of the image is contained in every part of the image. If not, you should do some research because we can work with this model. The Body of Christ working by a holographic principle makes every member an integral part of every other member in intimate and direct relationship. Every minute change in the member directly affects the whole and every change in the whole directly affects the member. This is the model that best explains the dynamics we are exploring in the light of wholeness, but there are other models of less technical value that work as well.

The Body of Christ outside of a technical designation can have only one standard and that is Peace. Peace is the only acceptable standard because it is the foundation of Love and Love is the Dynamic of Divine Design. Love is the energy signature of God because God is Love and Peace is the access code to the dynamics of God’s energy signature. So then, if you are at Peace then congratulations and feel Free to Play!!! If not, then you haven’t even gotten started yet, so get to work. Peace is the only standard that witnesses to Truth, therefore the first dynamic to consider is: How much do you Value Peace.

How much you value peace is directly proportional to how much difficulty you will have absolving your self-conflict. When you Value Peace with all honor, self- conflict becomes powerless, anything less determines the level of conflict in authority. It would seem most advantageous if one could see the benefits to be derived on the other side of Peace before taking up the discipline. Otherwise you must just take your stand of Faith on Peace and wait to see what you get. We have attempted here to give you that glimpse of the invisible by giving you words for the unspeakable in hope of your thinking the unthinkable, but only you can let yourself be Free. That is the Value of Peace and why Peace is the only standard for True Church.

So then, Church is an Immortal being known as the Body of Christ, are we finally seeing into the content behind the form of those words yet??? We certainly hope so because we are drawing to a close now. This new definition of Church is the Key to Gospel Truth and Christ in you as my hope of glory is how you turn that key in the lock. Did you know that Christ was in you even before you accepted Him? Accepting Christ does not change Christ it changes you into Christ. If you can’t even recognize Christ in your Brother, how can you find him in yourself and others, you don’t. That is why Christ in you is my hope of glory.

Now you have the Key to Freedom (a definition of True Church) and the means to turn that key (Christ in you is my hope of glory) in the lock that keeps you trapped in mortality. Don’t be surprised to learn if you ever come out of your cell that the door wasn’t really locked in the first place. To find out more about your Freedom in Christ: Just BE Free!!!

Celestial Church Of Christ Forum! asked:


Celestial Church Of Christ Forum! : An Internet Forum

An Internet forum is a web application for holding discussions and posting user-generated content. A Forum is simply where people connect, discuss, share and learn. Forum topics vary greatly and can be about almost anything. Commonly forums can be about games, TV shows, mobile phones, websites and even people. CELESTIAL CHURCH OF CHRIST FORUM at www.celestialforum.com is an example. People can view or read discussions from outside a forum but cannot partake in such discussions if they are not registered.

Membership

Membership is free on the Celestial Church Of Christ Forum! Registered members of a forum, who are identified by unique usernames, may have additional privileges, such as the ability to edit their previous posts, start new topics, upload pictures and control their individual settings and profiles.

The Celestial Church of Christ Forum has been developed based on a word from God that:

“the online forum would be a portal of information to the whole world, where people would come, search and get solutions to their problems from what members of the Celestial Church of Christ and forum members have discussed”

The CELESTIAL CHURCH OF CHRIST FORUM! has various forums and boards like:

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BLUEPRINT FOR CHURCH DEVELOPMENT

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Contribute your ideas to impart the whole world. Share Information with millions of internet users. Get current information of what is happening around the world. Learn from peoples’ contributions and get solutions to your questions and puzzles. Connect yourself, your parish with people and other parishes around the world. Publicize your ministries and outreaches, church activities and programmes, expertise, personal businesses, FREE.

Join Celestial Church of Christ Forum & Online Discussion Board; Discuss Various Topics. Share Information, Learn & Connect With People around the World. Publicize Your Programmes, Expertise & Businesses To Billions Of Internet Users. Register FREE!:

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