I'm feeling a little out of place here. . .

[Wordgazer]

I belong to an Independent Christian Church. Are there other ICC members here? I've been trying to post my feelings on some of the topics here, and almost everyone I've met has been Church of Christ. I am happy to fellowship with Church of Christ members, but frankly, there seem to be some fairly striking differences between what I believe and what CoC people believe. . . Sometimes I have received short answers to my posts, and sometimes I have been met with polite silence, or had my posts virtually ignored. . . .

I'm wondering if perhaps as an ICC person, I really belong in the "Non-Denominational" section.

Please, don't anyone take offense, ok? Just take this in the spirit in which it was intended-- of someone who came for fellowship and discussion who is feeling lonely and out of place, not of someone accusing others of anything.

Do the rest of you think I should go over to the Non-Denominational section? The rules for that section say it isn't for RM people, but I don't seem to fit here as an ICC instead of a CoC person. :o

[HeyHomie]

I'm an ICC person. :thumbsup:

There's no rule that says we can't post in the ND forum. The statement about the RM in the ND sticky is rather vague, but I don't read it as a prohibition against us posting there. I've posted there dozens of times and never gotten so much as a warning.

[JDIBe]

Wordgazer,

There are many ICC people here on the board. A lot of your posts here have been asking about what the coC has to say on a given subject. You would probably expect a lot of responses from coC people.

Please feel free to visit the non-D board. I do occasionally as well. However, I will say if you are looking for strictly like-minded individuals, you will find the non-D board a hodge-podge of different views and beliefs.

Enjoy the people here and on the non-D forum regardless of their afilliation. Talking to people with a different perspective on things is sometimes interesting and useful. I'm sure if you hang around long enough you will run across many ICC's here as well.

[Splayd]

Hey Wordgazer :wave:

I'm CofC, but I'd suggest that the CofC is Australia is probably more like the ICC there anyway.

Peace :)

[HeyHomie]

Hey Wordgazer :wave:

I'm CofC, but I'd suggest that the CofC is Australia is probably more like the ICC there anyway.

Peace :)

I was under the impression that CoC's in Australia were rather militant and sectarian. Or was it the New Zealand CoC? :scratch:

[Splayd]

That's the NZ CofC. Most Aussies I know that go to the US attend ICC there.

[Wordgazer]

Thanks, everyone, for your nice answers! I'm feeling better now. :)


Wordgazer,

There are many ICC people here on the board. A lot of your posts here have been asking about what the coC has to say on a given subject. You would probably expect a lot of responses from coC people.

Please feel free to visit the non-D board. I do occasionally as well. However, I will say if you are looking for strictly like-minded individuals, you will find the non-D board a hodge-podge of different views and beliefs.

Enjoy the people here and on the non-D forum regardless of their afilliation. Talking to people with a different perspective on things is sometimes interesting and useful. I'm sure if you hang around long enough you will run across many ICC's here as well.

Good points, JDIBe, and no, it's not that I'm looking for strictly like-minded people. In fact, as I explained on another thread, I don't define like-minded in the biblical sense as meaning we all must think alike. :cool:

What it is, is that I'm the kind of person who likes to follow the rules. So when I read in the non-Denom section that if I really wanted to enter in and speak freely there, I shouldn't be RM, I figured this was probably the place where I could let loose and stretch my wings, as it were. But so many of the threads here seemed, well . . . different to my way of thinking. I mean, I've never, before now, really given it much thought or considered it important how many times a week or month you take communion, whether or not you should use the Sinner's Prayer to lead people to Christ, whether, if the Bible is silent on something, we should interpret it as forbidding that thing (I always assumed the opposite), whether you should use instruments in church, and so on.

To put it another way-- when I visited the Eastern Orthodox section and learned things there like, "it's impolite to leave lipstick on the icons when you kiss them," that seemed no more foreign and different to me than some of the topics of discussion here--

I suppose this might be because I'm not a lifelong member of RM, but joined an ICC church only about six years ago. . . but my ICC church never seems to discuss these types of issues either. My church seems to stick to things like the diety of Christ, the love of God, and trying to avoid sin, stuff that seems much more familiar and basic.

And when I tried to jump in with my perspectives on these RM or CoC things, I (probably mistakenly) felt that my perspectives didn't really belong or weren't welcome. . . :o

Anyway, it's not that I want to only fellowship with like-minded people, it's more that I want to feel some sense of familiarity with the issues that are important to a group of people, which I haven't been feeling here. I just don't feel that sense of familiarity here. Nevertheless, everyone seems to be accepting and kind here. :) :)

So I'll probably take HeyHomie's advice and post in both forums.

Christ's love to all of you.

[ParsonJefferson]

I'm an ICC pastor.

[cremi]

well, I don't know what I am anymore...lol!

I was raised in a bible church, spent my teenage years in an SBC, then in my late teen early college years, went to CoC, which is where I have mostly been for the last several years. We did a brief stint (about 18 mos) in an ICC and left last summer to seek a new church home. We ended up back at a CoC, but it's not really a CoC right now...name change, instruments, etc...very much like an ICC.

So I'm not sure what that makes me...

Anyway, I'm happy to see you here. I'm not on much anymore. RL is just very busy, so I don't post much or even get on to read, but I think it's great to have your opinions voiced here. Keep em coming.

[Wordgazer]

Hey, ParsonJefferson! If you're anything like my ICC pastor, then you're a terrific guy!

Cremi-- it's funny, but though I do identify myself as ICC now, I come from a hodgepodge of religious backgrounds too.

I was raised Presbyertian till I was five. Then my parents more or less left the faith and we went to a Unitarian Universalist church for the rest of my childhood (for those who don't know, this is a church that is not Christian in any sense that we mean it here on this forum. They are an "all paths lead to God" type organization). In my teen years my sister and I got tired of being bored at those services, and attended an Evangelical Covenant church, where we both gave our lives to Christ. We then both ended up in charismatic churches. I was in charismatic churches for around 15 years. During that time I got married. My husband and I eventually decided that the thing we valued most in a church was grace, mercy and tolerance for all different types of people. That's how we ended up in an ICC church. As I said, we've only been going there about six years, but I love the way no one at our church insists that you if you don't agree with them on everything from tithing to teetotalling to tongues, you're somehow not as good a Christian as they are. . . (Note: this is not intended to say that all charismatic churches are like this!)

Anyway, hugs to all of you RM people, CoC and ICC alike! (And any DoC people here, though I don't know who you are. . . ) :wave:

[ParsonJefferson]

Hey, ParsonJefferson! If you're anything like my ICC pastor, then you're a terrific guy!

Cremi-- it's funny, but though I do identify myself as ICC now, I come from a hodgepodge of religious backgrounds too.

I was raised Presbyertian till I was five. Then my parents more or less left the faith and we went to a Unitarian Universalist church for the rest of my childhood (for those who don't know, this is a church that is not Christian in any sense that we mean it here on this forum. They are an "all paths lead to God" type organization). In my teen years my sister and I got tired of being bored at those services, and attended an Evangelical Covenant church, where we both gave our lives to Christ. We then both ended up in charismatic churches. I was in charismatic churches for around 15 years. During that time I got married. My husband and I eventually decided that the thing we valued most in a church was grace, mercy and tolerance for all different types of people. That's how we ended up in an ICC church. As I said, we've only been going there about six years, but I love the way no one at our church insists that you if you don't agree with them on everything from tithing to teetotalling to tongues, you're somehow not as good a Christian as they are. . . (Note: this is not intended to say that all charismatic churches are like this!)

Anyway, hugs to all of you RM people, CoC and ICC alike! (And any DoC people here, though I don't know who you are. . . ) :wave:


Oh I AM a terrific guy - just ask me! ;)

Actually, I think the ICC is, for the most part, in a GREAT spot. We're very conservative theologically, but not rigidly judgmental. Very Biblical and solid, but relevant.

I always preach expository sermons. I very much want to stay away from proof-texting what I've already decided I believe but, rather, let the Word speak.

The church I'm currently at in Omaha, NE is a WONDERFUL church. Very family and neighborhood oriented. Visitors are immediately drawn in and welcomed. I'm glad to be here!

[constance]

You totally belong here! I belong to a DoC church that thought it was iCC for the past 40 years. :)

[Wordgazer]

You totally belong here! I belong to a DoC church that thought it was iCC for the past 40 years. :)
Everyone's being so sweet. Thank you!