What is Evangelism?

Very true Revelette1,

Many ministers survive on a very meager living and teachers are not paid they do it out of duty to many.

A problem that exists today is what is called "organic unions".

Many small churches are tied to larger churches who do have paid clergy and this is where the rub is. On the surface your local pastor lives a meager life (exemplary) but he passes the financial sharing from the parishioners onto the larger organization members who live extravagant lifestyles.

These larger organizations often take this money and lobby on political platforms that discriminate, promote hate and elect crooks like Trump into high office.

I recall Tammy Baker who gave up temporary control of her church to a larger church and they never gave it back. They promptly turned her inclusive ideas of welcoming ALL people into the church into a social club for the hypocrites and the wealthy.

PTL had its money problems and hypocrisy too but what it became after Tammy was unrecognizable. Jim Baker is now part of the new iteration of PTL that hates on people and is just a shade off from what the Westboro Baptist Church has been in the past.

Billy Graham's son is also a hater and part of this global "organic union" of churches controlling the tiny little parish in Anywhereville USA from afar.

An organic union "makes" peace in religion by saying, we don't care if we have differences of opinion on doctrines (they don't care about "The Word") let's just become as big as we can, usurp all the little churches and bleed them dry, in spite of our differences so, we can become filthy rich and tell people what to do.

It is just not worth it to toss a coin into a collection plate that will find its way into the hands of one of these "organic unions".

I feel as if I am quibbling over small things, but, the conservative (sorry)Church of Christ is not a organized Church in the formal sense. In other words, our local church is not part of an organization of churches. There are two types of Churches of Christ. The liberal one where do things like other churches such as Southern Baptist or another such church and then there the conservative Church of Christ. I have went to the latter all my life. We do not have instrumental music of any kind, we do not have a kitchen nor do anything other worshipping inside the church building nor do we have other buildings paid for by church money to have events outside of worshiping God. If we have pot luck or other get togethers we do it with our own individual resources, not the church's money. We sure do not have fund raising events. We do have elders if there are enough qualified members (been a long time) to form elders. (elders being plural) If there is another church of Christ in the area who we feel needs contributions from our church, then yes, we would contribute what we can to that preacher and offer other such support if needed. Also, if our members of our church or another church like ours have members who need help, we try to help them. But it is not something that is set up, it is more like a need to basis.

I have told this sort of lame joke before sometime or another, but it perfectly describes us.

A person went up to heaven, and an angel was showing him/her around (forget some parts of it) and introducing him to everyone. Finally the person looked at the small group standing by themselves and the person asked the angel, "who are they?" The angel said, "Oh, they are Church of Christers they think they are here all by themselves."

Your church is the kind of church I would visit and wholeheartedly contribute to.

As a child I attended the Congregational Church before they became part of the organic unions of the conservatives.

The difference in that church is like night and day now, today it is nothing but fake holy rollers who voted for a rapist President.

The "Congo" church used to have missions where they fed and clothed the poor and had many other humanitarian outreach programs. Now they are a self serving bunch of hypocrites.

I would not set foot in a church like that now.

It is refreshing to hear about your church, I wish you much joy and abundance in all that you set out to accomplish!

Thank you. Sometimes I think churches who become too political should have to pay taxes but then I think about during the Civil Rights era and how big a role Churches played for blacks. Also, wouldn't want the government to get a toe in no matter the reason.

I think only non-charitable churches should pay taxes (like the pope has suggested).

I am neutral when it comes to the protestant and catholic (and Jewish) divide.

Well, since I don't want the government snooping into church business (no matter what church or doctrine or religion) I think even those churches who seem to be in a business rather than a church should just be left alone or else who knows what will happen once we travel down that road. The freedom of religion works both ways. Or should.



wiki

Franklin Graham Declares Liberals And Progressives Aren’t Christians
https://bluestatedaily.com/franklin-graham-declares-liberals-and-progressives-arent-christians/

This hateful man should not be operating his church at the US taxpayer's expense.

Hate should not be sanctioned as a religion.

So are you saying you vote on how a man lives his life rather than on his policy. Then john and ted kennedy and bill clinton would be disqualified. We are voting for policy makers not spouses. It would be nice if there were people to choose from that live consistently moral lives, just isnt in the cards in this fallen world. Sexual addiction and pornography create the same chemicals in the mind as illegal addictive drugs. Good men like the ones i listed fell prey to it.

I don't consider adultery (or porn) an impeachable offence, especially if it is consensual. Smelling flowers on a spring day creates the same chemicals as porn.

As for Donald sleeping with porn stars, I don't think Melania gave her okay to him on that, especially since she was giving birth while he was screwing around. What kind of sick person does that to a spouse half his age?

Homophobia... disrespect for women, the elderly, the handicapped, racism and greedy and corrupt business practices are impeachable offences.

No John, Ted and Bill would not be disqualified. How do you know their wives did not say, "Fine, go have your fun. I am not sleeping with you anyway, we are just married and friends."

John, Ted and Bill were not hypocrites out telling the world how holy and sinless they were while screwing around. Setting standards for others high above their own... They may have tried to cover up the affairs but they could have plausibly been consensual in the first place.

Unlike (grab 'em by the p***y) Trump and these Christian fakes that are doing it without their spouses consent while preaching about the immorality of such acts. Hiding behind religious people while claiming to be pure and without sin.

These Trump style hypocrites have no heart, no soul and no conscience that guides them in any reasonable and ethical way.

Having consent and not having consent there is a world of a difference.

Not having consent and sneaking around is the very essence and definition of corruption and evil...

The Bible says, "He who says he is without sin is a liar..."

Franklin Graham points fingers at others as if he is sinless. This in itself is a sin. It takes humility and an understanding that we are ALL unworthy, in order to lead people to truth.

Also much of the bible's condemnation of sin is barbaric and without truth.

Demons flying through the air causing people to lust and get sick is simply a lie. Love is not defined truthfully from the perspective of the scriptures.

And consensual sex is a personal choice and no one else's business unless you are a hypocrite telling others to be chaste while screwing around yourself.

Jesus of the New Testament never once spoke out against homosexuals but he did speak out about non-consensual adulterer hypocrites quite a few times. If you will lie to your sex partner then there is no morality left.

Trump supporters have a rude awakening coming soon.

I never heard Trump claim he was a conservative christian. Ive heard gay radio hosts claim they are muslim. That statement would get them killed in a majority muslim country especially one run by sharia law. Thank goodness they are broadcasting from a majority christian nation. I wouldnt worry too much about Don and Franklin's pesonal lives. Just vote for the guy that will put policies you want in place. I havent seen Donald put one gay rights or womens rights policy in place that wasnt the law of the land under Bill Clinton. Can you name a few or, one?

One has to be stupider than dumb to compare Donald with Bill...

The democratic party has evolved to accept gay rights, Example, Obama (and even Hillary evolved). While the GOP has continued like stick in the mud on their hypocritical corrupt ways of selling out their votes to corporations for profit. Trump tried to ban transsexuals from serving in the military. Only a religious freak would do that... More religious terrorism and extremism is perpetrated by homegrown Christians than by Muslims in our country and throughout history. If you are inferring that Christianity is a peaceful religion, think again.

A Trump supporter came up to me a couple months ago randomly on the street and said, "Excuse me sir, sir, I AM TALKING TO YOU!" I turned and he asked, Do you believe in Jesus? I said, "No". and walked off. I am not an obvious gay person at all, on the contrary quite "straight looking/acting". He replied, "You are going to hell you f*****g f****t". I have never had a Muslim do that to me ever and many Muslims live near to where I live even in my own building in a large metro. The Muslims could not be more accepting, gracious and nice. Your stereotype is rather prejudiced when you have not seen the reality first hand of how rotten many fundamentalist Christians really are..

The US voter has evolved. Years ago, a democrat could not get elected by their own party if they supported gay marriage. Even gay democrat politicians had to hide their favor of gay marriage in order to become elected. Lindsey Graham is still hiding it... Log cabin republicans are useless.

Now the democratic party has progressed and evolved while the GOP has digressed and become even more desperate, racist, narrow minded and corrupt...

They are killing the heart of Christianity's virtues and replacing them with "their own" hijacked, unloving, intolerant and hateful brand of religious Ayn Rand style dogma.

2 Peter 1:20
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

Comment:
They turn their backs on the poor and those needing affordable healthcare while taking bribes from the rich.

Sounds like "private interpretation" to me.

Gay Muslims on the radio are at least open about it rather than being hypocrites, spouting hateful scriptures, making young transsexuals fearful while screwing around on their wives...

Trump must be praying to the "non Christian" God... (cynical)

The God of porn stars and low taxes for the rich (except Amazon)... lol

First of all obama is the first president in the history of the usa to allow transexuals to serve in the military. Overturning that decision is hardly a radical christian move. I think it is more of a health and soldier readiness issue than a moral issue. There are a lot of health issues that disqualify people.

Progressive muslims come to the usa because they can peacefully live here with both conservative and liberal christians. They are not safe along with christians or jews in countries under muslim sharia law. That is unfortanate. I am glad liberals and conservatives are all usually protected equally by our constitution in our country. Especially at the supreme court.

I agree christianity is being hijacked. Pope John Paul the II did a good job of defining what a.good christian looks like. We need to look at that modern saint as a pattern for our lives

I think Pope Francis is a better example of a great saint upholding the best of the Christian values. They are actually human values that existed long before Christ in many people. The kind Samaritan did not know Jesus but still acted in a Christian and non-racist way.

Being LGBT is not a "health issue" it is a human issue. We are all humans and deserve the same equality, rights and respect.

Transgender people are going through a lot of hormone treatment and surgeries as they transition. That is what i meant by health. Jesus exsted before the universe, he created it.

The body produces hormones in both males and females yet, I do not consider that a "health issue".

When hormones are out of balance then it is a health issue. Transgendered people taking hormones means they are achieving a balance not an imbalance.

The imbalance existed before they started taking them.

The health issue existed before the hormones not after.

I agree the health issue existed before, thats why its a health issue. That hormone therapy must be continued in war time and delivered to the battle field. But turning a penis into a vagina or vis versa requires major surgeries also at war time. That can bring undo burden logistically and contribute to lack of readiness.

Somebody has been reading Fox News propaganda...

Hormone therapy is reversible it is not the end of the world to go off them.

And it costs less to distribute hormones to the battlefield than it costs to distribute bibles there.

But that never stopped bibles from finding their way to the front lines.

Are bibles a health issue too? Some say religion is a sickness.

Soldiers function without bibles. They don’t always get and don’t need to. If a female transitioning to male does not get testosterone strength and health will become an issue. I am sure Heath is an issue in the opposite case. Lack of bibles do not effect physical health in the same way.