Reformed Baptist "icon"

[BBAS 64]

Good Day, All

I have made a request for a new "icon".

http://www.christianforums.com/t2478939-reformed-baptist-icon.html#post21131465

Please share your thoughts....

Peace to u,

Bill

[MrJim]

Hope it works out for you.

The anabaptists have been trying to come up with something but alas nothing so far.

[JPPT1974]

Praying that it will work out for you Bill.
God bless you!

[RED that's ME]

The biggest thing getting a new added icon is, if there's enough members to warrant adding one. :)

[Happy to be His]

sounds good to me. If it is ment to be it will all work out. :)

[BBAS 64]

** Bump**

[JPPT1974]

The biggest thing getting a new added icon is, if there's enough members to warrant adding one. :)

Shouldn't we get a petition in order to do so Red?

[Dmckay]

Good Day, All

I have made a request for a new "icon".

http://www.christianforums.com/t2478939-reformed-baptist-icon.html#post21131465

Please share your thoughts....

Peace to u,

Bill
Brother Bill,

What did you have in mind? One of the things that Baptists have historically been equated with is our emphasis upon Scripture. I think that the Bible Icon works just fine. However, considering that so many Baptist church's today seem to be down-playing the Bible in their interest in both the Church-Growth Movement and the Willow Creek model's deemphasis of Scripture so as not to offend "seekers", maybe the Bible Icon could be used just for Reformed Baptists. Maybe change the Baptist Icon to a Weeping Willow tree.

[TwinCrier]

Brother Bill,

What did you have in mind? One of the things that Baptists have historically been equated with is our emphasis upon Scripture. I think that the Bible Icon works just fine. However, considering that so many Baptist church's today seem to be down-playing the Bible in their interest in both the Church-Growth Movement and the Willow Creek model's deemphasis of Scripture so as not to offend "seekers", maybe the Bible Icon could be used just for Reformed Baptists. Maybe change the Baptist Icon to a Weeping Willow tree.As the one who chose the bible Icon I disagree. Reformed Baptists can sport the tulip.

[BBAS 64]

Brother Bill,

What did you have in mind? One of the things that Baptists have historically been equated with is our emphasis upon Scripture. I think that the Bible Icon works just fine. However, considering that so many Baptist church's today seem to be down-playing the Bible in their interest in both the Church-Growth Movement and the Willow Creek model's deemphasis of Scripture so as not to offend "seekers", maybe the Bible Icon could be used just for Reformed Baptists. Maybe change the Baptist Icon to a Weeping Willow tree.

Good Day, Dmckay

There is a idea I had never thought of, there are not too many like that here at CF. I do think that the new Icon should contain the Baptist history of appeal to Scripture.

"The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again."—C. H. Spurgeon

Peace to u,

Bill

[MrJim]

Brother Bill,

What did you have in mind? One of the things that Baptists have historically been equated with is our emphasis upon Scripture. I think that the Bible Icon works just fine. However, considering that so many Baptist church's today seem to be down-playing the Bible in their interest in both the Church-Growth Movement and the Willow Creek model's deemphasis of Scripture so as not to offend "seekers", maybe the Bible Icon could be used just for Reformed Baptists. Maybe change the Baptist Icon to a Weeping Willow tree.

^_^

[Imblessed]

Brother Bill,

What did you have in mind? One of the things that Baptists have historically been equated with is our emphasis upon Scripture. I think that the Bible Icon works just fine. However, considering that so many Baptist church's today seem to be down-playing the Bible in their interest in both the Church-Growth Movement and the Willow Creek model's deemphasis of Scripture so as not to offend "seekers", maybe the Bible Icon could be used just for Reformed Baptists. Maybe change the Baptist Icon to a Weeping Willow tree.

sorry, I did laugh at that. Weeping Willow! :D

even if I don't agree with it, it was still funny!

[Dmckay]

sorry, I did laugh at that. Weeping Willow! :D

even if I don't agree with it, it was still funny!
No need to apologize. But I think that it is more true than we would like to believe. The founder of the Church Growth Movement has publically renounced what he had worked so diligently spread for years. He has come to realize that while it may have created larger churches all across America, those churches are, his words, "spiritually bankrupt." The latest iteration of the Church Growth movement is the Willow Creek model. The last Baptist Church I worked in and with decided to adopt the Willow Church model. They stopped preaching about sin from the pulpit. Most of the messages were topical "feel-good" sermons. They decided to drop Baptist from the name of the Church because they felt that Baptist was offensive to "seekers."

My Bible says that the Church is a place for believers to be edified and trained for the work of the ministry. It isn't supposed to be a place for the "unsaved" to come in and be made to feel comfortable enough that they will stay long enough to maybe "'catch" Christianity by association. It has been my experience that those churches that adopt the "Willow Creek Model" may experience numerical growth for a while, but since the believers in the church are no longer being fed spiritually they begin to waste away. They are usually overworked because they a few in number and have to do so much of the work of the ministry that the "seekers" are not qualified to do. Slowly, the more mature believers realize what is going on and leave for other Churches where they can be fed. This has resulted, in many churches that I am aware of, in many unsaved or baby believers being called on to fill positions that they aren't qualifed for.

I left the last Baptist Church that I was working in when I was ordered by the new Young Marrieds Pastor to stop "wasting" valuable Sunday School time with prayer and Bible Study. He was of the opinion that those things should be left for the meetings of the "Small-Groups" that were meeting in their homes, and the Sunday School time should be used for fellowship and making visitors feel loved and welcome. By the way, that church, which had been a leader in the community, always winning the Bible quizzes in AWANA, having hundreds of young people go to Bible Camp each summer, and had an active membership of 1700, no longer has AWANA, no longer has Missionary Conferences, the youth group have their own night-club in the Church basement where they have dances to secular rock and roll and pool tables. The membership, the last I heard was down to 700.

I think that that qualifies for a Weeping Willow icon.

[Imblessed]

No need to apologize. But I think that it is more true than we would like to believe. The founder of the Church Growth Movement has publically renounced what he had worked so diligently spread for years. He has come to realize that while it may have created larger churches all across America, those churches are, his words, "spiritually bankrupt." The latest iteration of the Church Growth movement is the Willow Creek model. The last Baptist Church I worked in and with decided to adopt the Willow Church model. They stopped preaching about sin from the pulpit. Most of the messages were topical "feel-good" sermons. They decided to drop Baptist from the name of the Church because they felt that Baptist was offensive to "seekers."

My Bible says that the Church is a place for believers to be edified and trained for the work of the ministry. It isn't supposed to be a place for the "unsaved" to come in and be made to feel comfortable enough that they will stay long enough to maybe "'catch" Christianity by association. It has been my experience that those churches that adopt the "Willow Creek Model" may experience numerical growth for a while, but since the believers in the church are no longer being fed spiritually they begin to waste away. They are usually overworked because they a few in number and have to do so much of the work of the ministry that the "seekers" are not qualified to do. Slowly, the more mature believers realize what is going on and leave for other Churches where they can be fed. This has resulted, in many churches that I am aware of, in many unsaved or baby believers being called on to fill positions that they aren't qualifed for.

I left the last Baptist Church that I was working in when I was ordered by the new Young Marrieds Pastor to stop "wasting" valuable Sunday School time with prayer and Bible Study. He was of the opinion that those things should be left for the meetings of the "Small-Groups" that were meeting in their homes, and the Sunday School time should be used for fellowship and making visitors feel loved and welcome. By the way, that church, which had been a leader in the community, always winning the Bible quizzes in AWANA, having hundreds of young people go to Bible Camp each summer, and had an active membership of 1700, no longer has AWANA, no longer has Missionary Conferences, the youth group have their own night-club in the Church basement where they have dances to secular rock and roll and pool tables. The membership, the last I heard was down to 700.

I think that that qualifies for a Weeping Willow icon.

Very sad.

Our church is a "member" of Willow Creek Association also. But, unlike the church you left, the gospel is most definately still preached there. Without apology. Yes, some of the series are full of milk, but there is enough meat thrown in to keep those of us who are further along in the faith happy and learning also. I have to keep in mind that the church was established primarily for the irreligious folks in the area, and they need the basics first.

I have noticed recently, that they have withdrawn or stopped doing some of the fluffy stuff. They used to have a big common room for the kids and a saturday night "party" every night. They have stopped doing that, separated the kids into age groups 7/8th graders, 9/10 and 11/12--and have gone to more a traditional format. Some of the other things that were obviously "willow creek" inspired have also gone by the wayside. I do believe the leadership realized that maybe they were compromising a little bit trying to grow. We've kept some things that have worked without compromising the general message, but have ditched the things that make the church seem too wordly.

anyway, we've gone totally off topic.

Forgive me....

[Dmckay]

Very sad.

Our church is a "member" of Willow Creek Association also. But, unlike the church you left, the gospel is most definately still preached there. Without apology. Yes, some of the series are full of milk, but there is enough meat thrown in to keep those of us who are further along in the faith happy and learning also. I have to keep in mind that the church was established primarily for the irreligious folks in the area, and they need the basics first.

I have noticed recently, that they have withdrawn or stopped doing some of the fluffy stuff. They used to have a big common room for the kids and a saturday night "party" every night. They have stopped doing that, separated the kids into age groups 7/8th graders, 9/10 and 11/12--and have gone to more a traditional format. Some of the other things that were obviously "willow creek" inspired have also gone by the wayside. I do believe the leadership realized that maybe they were compromising a little bit trying to grow. We've kept some things that have worked without compromising the general message, but have ditched the things that make the church seem too wordly.

anyway, we've gone totally off topic.

Forgive me....I praise the Lord that your leadership was smart enough to see the problems coming and not just focus on the numbers. I tried to talk to the Pastor of the Church that I left, and I laid out for him Scripturally what he was doing wrong, according to Scripture. His response was all that was meant for a different time and culture, Jesus means for us to use the culture of today to reach todays people. I warned him about James admonition about teachers encoring the more severe judgment. His response was, "I'm the Pastor of the largest Church in Metro Denver. I think that proves that I know a bit more about it then you do." Two months later he was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer which first symptom was the loss of his voice. A couple of months later he was dead. I still am overwhelmed by conviction that I did not visit him in the hospital and encourage him to repent.