Dropping church of Christ from our title?

[Skip]

Ha!

Thanks for the info about windows and metal buildings! I'll add it to my treasury of useless knowledge.

Though I must say that at least one of the windowless Kingdom Halls I referred to is not a metal building - I saw it go up.

[James Rondon]

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote [/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]Clifty wrote:
Because when you see that sign, you immediately assume that every single person in that congregation believes everything that the name on the sign says they do.....[/quote]
Regarding architecture... Signs out front have done a good job keeping the walls up.

[Nevertheless]

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote [/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]Where do you live?

Here in north central Alabama there are several \"larger, newer\" coC buildings, but every one that I've seen has windows.[/quote]


South-central Missouri.

And the buildings are brick on the outside, no clue about the innards though.

I specified \"larger, newer\" because the older ones are generally smaller white stucco with a door on one end and one or two windows on each side.

The COC in my town is getting ready to build on a new site, so we'll see what they put up.

Never

[MIZ83]

Never,

I'm in Calif. now, but grew up in West - Central Mo.

You've got to show me!

Blessings,

Bob

[Shelly]

My sister and her husband are in MO, I guess you'd call it central or So. Central.  The Church he preaches for is an old store front, they've converted.  I think they recently added a steeple! :clap:

He in Indiana churches are anything from store fronts to metal building or one congregation even bought an old catholic or lutheran building.  It had a school attached which they are making great use of!

Shelly

[boringoldguy]

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote (Cliftyman @ Feb. 12 2004,1:50)[/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]I think its sad that architectural considerations are even considered part of our heritage.....

In fact its deplorable, that we can in any way associate following Christ with a lifeless building.[/quote]
Why?

What's wrong with wanting a building to be beautiful?

[spurly]

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote (boringoldguy @ Feb. 13 2004,09:17)[/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--][!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote [/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]I think its sad that architectural considerations are even considered part of our heritage.....

In fact its deplorable, that we can in any way associate following Christ with a lifeless building.[/quote]
Why?

What's wrong with wanting a building to be beautiful?[/quote]
Because so much money is wasted on buildings that could be used to save the lost, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, give a drink to the thirsty, comfort the dying, etc.  

If it were up to me, the American church would stop putting money in sanctuaries, gyms, family life centers, etc.  And instead we would start using the money where God would be more please and that is to save the lost and meet the needs of the people we love.

I think we as a church have fallen short in this area.  For example, people in Sub-Saharn Africa are being ravaged by AIDS, and for the most part the American Church stands to the side and watches.  How much money in the offering plate gets to people like that?  After paying preachers, mortgages, bills, and other expenses very, very, little actually is used for that.  Will we be judged severely for that?  Probably.

Kevin

[boringoldguy]

Spurly,

I would agree entirely as far as gyms and family life centers go.

But a well-designed \"sanctuary\" can have a tremendous spiritual impact.   And many of the most beautiful church buildings I know of serve people who are often desperately poor.

The thing that irritates me about our buildings is that we often intentionally make them ugly because we say things like what you say about the poor, but we don't really want any real poor people in our building anyway.

We could, if we wished, feed the hungry and clothe the naked in our buildings.    But most congregations instead ran away from them out to the suburbs where they have built windowless monstrosities with gyms and family life centers and seek to avoid the poor.

Eidted by BOG

[servantofchrist]

Hello to you all,
I have been reading this topic and since I'm fairly new to gods word you all have caused me some confussion tha I hope you can clear up for me.
You say that there is nothing in a name but to me it identifies a person town country group or what ever and with in that name is the understanding of what is to be found in this case what the group name of believers believe and if I was looking for that belief then I would look for that group so I feel that the name is of more meaning than given grantit that it wasn't meant to be that way from Christ teaching but brothers wake up we have made it that way.
Futher more some one said it has nothing to do with doctrin. That as long as it was based on some kind of belief in christ it doesn't matter what the doctrin is. That is a direct disregaurd to The Spirits teaching. Remebering that the Spirit is the one talking through Paul look what the Spirit said in Galations 1 :-12
6.I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gopel
7. Which is not another but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of christ.
8.But though we or an angle from heaven preach any other gosspel unto you thatn that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed.
9.As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have recieved let him be accursed.
10. For do I now persuade men or God or do i seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men  I should not be the servant of Christ.
11. But I certify you brethren that the Gosple which was preached of me is not after man.
12.for I neither received it of man niether ws I taught it. but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

So see doctrin does matter and the name of the church indicates what the doctrin is that the church follows and for us to day that it doesn't matter is to call God a lier he has begged us not to get caught up in all the false doctrins and that they would be many he pleads for unity and is not the author of cunfussion. For us to sugar coat this teaching is the same as not accepting the truth of his word.
So in the light of the many different names of churches and all with different doctrins how can we mear humans say that Doctrin doesn't matter when our Most Gracious Father in Heaven clearly said it is of most importance.

That is why I feel that the name of the group is important. I know that the Bible doesn't teach any certian name but the ones we have applied do tell of the doctrin of the name.

Thanks for your time and forgive me if I have offended anyone in standing on the word of God but it is the only means of knowing what Gods will is for me .
Bill

[Johnb]

Bill
Hi my brother.  
Could you tell me who and how one deternines what doctrine is of God or not?  Also do you think the churches that meet in house in the first century had signs out front to seperate them from the jews?  Just wondering  Johnb