Church Names

[janine]

All an iglesia de Cristo is, is a church of Christ.

Maybe they were looking for something in the decor that they felt would give them a clue about how y'all "do worship".  Like, if the one they come from is really into pageantry and more ceremony in worship, they might start a service with the preacher, elders, Lord's table leaders, song leaders, etc., walking in together after all else have entered and sat down.  They might carry a banner for the lecturn or a flag to set up behind the pulpit or something like that.  Maybe they are used to instruments, if y'all don't use them, or vice-versa.

It is a shock to some people I have met in the Lord's church, that folks don't do every tiny detail of a worship service the way they're used to at home.  They have to re-evaluate what they see as vital and what has been convenience/tradition.

My husband spoke with a friend, a great Christian brother, about things like that; our friend would think it pretty much sacriledge & blasphemy to have the people sing a hymn during the Lord's supper.  30 minutes away is a congregation full of similar loving Christians who wouldn't have it any other way.  When I've been in worship there, I've found it very beautiful & spiritual.

In that same congregation, folks who desire the prayers of the church (whether because they're repenting of sin & coming back to the fold, or because they have a problem, illness, whatever the reason) stand and state the reason and ask for what they need, addressing the congregation.  At my current church, all women and most men slip quietly up front and write out something on a card, which an elder then mangles in the reading.  Some men step up & speak, but not many.

It's only in travelling, I think, and getting outside of your immediate culture, that you can really see the clumsy seams of your church life.  Usually only then do you get a smack in the face from what was your own old complacency.

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote (spurly @ Sep. 26 2002,05:27)[/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]I know that today there are many churches that go by the name "Christian Church" that are not associated with the Restoration Movement.  But I guess it is hard to copyright such a generic name.

Kevin[/quote]
Agreed.  The census data lists a great variety of so-called churches of Christ, and I still don't know which is which.  
Maybe some kind of an anacronym, such as RM for restoration movement could be attached to the church name to make it easier for strangers to identify it.

[Bill]

When I was affiliated with the UMC, they were the ones without Bibles as they entered a church building. :D  :D

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote (Bill @ Sep. 26 2002,07:41)[/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]When I was affiliated with the UMC, they were the ones without Bibles as they entered a church building. :D  :D[/quote]
My UMC church and all those I have attended furnish bibles, right in front of you at the pews.

[Eric]

I was wondering if other have experienced problems.  I work for a church of Christ and the name is on our sign.  We have visitors who come from many different places passing through our town and they all come with different expectations of what that names means.

Does the name really mean a lot when you travel to a new place?  Do you expect the church in a new state or country (like Canada) to be the same as where you are from?

(side question - we have had a couple stop in looking for Iglesta de Christo [I might have spelled it wrong] when they looked around the building they said that this is not the same kind of church.  What are they looking for?  I noticed Booty have something similar after her posts but I do not know if this is something different.)

Eric

[spurly]

I know that today there are many churches that go by the name "Christian Church" that are not associated with the Restoration Movement.  But I guess it is hard to copyright such a generic name.

Kevin

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote (Guest @ Sep. 26 2002,06:12)[/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 know that today there are many churches that go by the name "Christian Church" that are not associated with the Restoration Movement.  But I guess it is hard to copyright such a generic name.

Kevin[/quote]
Agreed.  The census data lists a great variety of so-called churches of Christ, and I still don't know which is which.  
Maybe some kind of an anacronym, such as RM for restoration movement could be attached to the church name to make it easier for strangers to identify it.[/quote]
Well, acronym maybe?  

Thank goodness it's easy to spot a United Methodist Church or UMC, worldwide.  That's the bunch that likes to eat.

[spurly]

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote (Guest @ Sep. 26 2002,06:12)[/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 know that today there are many churches that go by the name "Christian Church" that are not associated with the Restoration Movement.  But I guess it is hard to copyright such a generic name.

Kevin[/quote]
Agreed.  The census data lists a great variety of so-called churches of Christ, and I still don't know which is which.  
Maybe some kind of an anacronym, such as RM for restoration movement could be attached to the church name to make it easier for strangers to identify it.[/quote]
I would urge against adding anything to the name other than Christian or Church of Christ.  It leads only to divisions as people line up in one camp or another.

Kevin

[samloveall]

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote [/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 know that today there are many churches that go by the name "Christian Church" that are not associated with the Restoration Movement.  But I guess it is hard to copyright such a generic name.

Kevin[/quote]
Agreed.  The census data lists a great variety of so-called churches of Christ, and I still don't know which is which.  
Maybe some kind of an anacronym, such as RM for restoration movement could be attached to the church name to make it easier for strangers to identify it.[/quote]
Oddly enough, in today's church culture, we have to be careful that people know what we mean when we say we are part of the Restoration Movement.  Why?  Because there is another part of the church world using those words.  The bunch that falls in with the Toronto Airport Fellowship and the Brownsville Revival in Florida -- the ones who have "rediscovered" the way-out-there  "physical manifestations" of the Spirit (being thrown across the room, barking, "holy laughter", being stuck to the floor, dancing like a chicken, etc.) are calling themselves a "restoration movement", or movement of restoration, restoring the true presence of the Spirit in the Christian.  There've been a few I've talked to out this way that I had to explain, "No, that's not what I mean."

[janine]

I try to be open-minded, I really try.

Just not so open-minded that my brain falls out. :p