Nancy
Well-Known Member
@Episkopos @Nancy
I have encountered at least two Christian groups with a similar policy... [and maybe a third].
I dealt with one on the Internet for a long time being a member of their forum without joining their church.
[Actually they would not have allowed me to join without completing their course and embracing certain of their doctrines.] I was just about a member of the other for a number of years. [The third is represented here on the forum and my only experience with them is on the Internet and I while I am guessing about their policy what I have seen makes be believe it is so.]
Of the two I experienced more closely they both had other problems which offset the benefit of having that one better policy. I would be very slow to recommend any of them to an unbeliever. I won't say absolutely that I would not recommend them because sure as I do that God might then press me to do just what I said that I would not. LOL. It would not be the first time.
Hi John,
I have heard it said and, believe there is wisdom here too: "Churches are meant for believers, not the unbeliever" Our Church is big on small groups and taking what we hear out into the world. I personally think that an unbeliever coming to a Church, should be prompted by the Holy Spirit to do so, not so much someone who goes because they think just being there and hearing things they do not understand (that goes for many believers too) will somehow make them want to come back, just because you (generally, not YOU, lol) keep asking or pleading with them to come. I could be totally off my rocker here, but I believe Church is for the believer, not the unbeliever. And even so, we should NOT get every bit of teaching from the same people over and over again. And, again, I am glad that my Church has 7 pastors! They all teach differently and, we get some more than others but...they are biblical and do NOT shy away from the "hard verses". If we take good from God, we need to take bad as well.
I'm sorry Epi, I hope I did not (yet again) derail here.
Just to stay on topic...I do believe the mainstream Christian denoms. are becoming more and more like Islam...