What is it that draws you?

[Frankie]

I thought it might be interesting to see what it was that drew us each to the Baptist denomination. I believe that first and formost for me, I am a member of the body of Christ (all believers in the true Jesus of the Bible) but there are a few things that led to my decision to make the Baptist religion my church home. One thing and most importantly is the emphasis on the triune God and His love and complete saving grace and the other thing is the zeal of the Baptist churches to share the "good news" with others. Of course the fact that I agree with 99% of the doctrine doesn't hurt either.

What are some things that drew you all to the Baptist faith?

 

[Pilgrim 33]

John 6:44, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."

 

[GreenEyedLady]

Well, i was praying hard that the Lord would send someone to me so that I could get involved with a church. *knock* It was a Jehovah Witness. hmmmmmmm Ok I check out the kingdom hall and debated with them for several months. I knew that the Lord did not want me with them. We also got a knock from the mormons. I knew better and just told them I was not intrested.
I prayed and prayed.......got another knock at my door. I opened and the man said " I would like to talk to you about Jesus!" I said OK! And from there the Lord drew me in a bible believing baptist church!
PRAISE THE LORD for bible believing churchs that go soul winning! Its so important!
GEL

 

[eldermike]

So many things come to mind. I would say that the priesthood of all believers is tops. Purpose for every believer is the key for me. The bottom line for me is the faith and mission statement totally lines up with what I have learned about God, man, the cross of Jesus, the purpose of salvation, and the bible.
Mike

 

[jenptcfan]

So many things come to mind. I would say that the priesthood of all believers is tops. Purpose for every believer is the key for me. The bottom line for me is the faith and mission statement totally lines up with what I have learned about God, man, the cross of Jesus, the purpose of salvation, and the bible.
Mike

Could you explain what is meant by "the priesthood of all believers"? I hear the term a lot and would like to know what it means. Thanks!

---------------

I was raised Baptist, saved in the Baptist church, and the docterine makes sense to me. I suppose those are the biggest reasons why I'm Baptist. I believe that Baptist docterine follows closely with what the bible teaches, and that's what I look for in a docterine. I'm especially pleased with my current church. Though it is SB, there is a freedom in our times of worship that I've never experienced in any other Baptist church.

 

[BBAS 64]

Could you explain what is meant by "the priesthood of all believers"? I hear the term a lot and would like to know what it means. Thanks!

---------------

I was raised Baptist, saved in the Baptist church, and the docterine makes sense to me. I suppose those are the biggest reasons why I'm Baptist. I believe that Baptist docterine follows closely with what the bible teaches, and that's what I look for in a docterine. I'm especially pleased with my current church. Though it is SB, there is a freedom in our times of worship that I've never experienced in any other Baptist church.

Good Day, Jen

Baptist :

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Village/4851/8baptist.html

We should make this a sticky in this fourm.

Bill

 

[jenptcfan]

Good Day, Jen

Baptist :

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Village/4851/8baptist.html

We should make this a sticky in this fourm.

Bill

Thanks for the link. I figured it meant something along those lines.

 

[eldermike]

Could you explain what is meant by "the priesthood of all believers"? I hear the term a lot and would like to know what it means. Thanks!

This is a huge question, and a very good one.
There are many books that touch on this subject and you will find that this issue has been highly misunderstood or even used improperly over time within the shifts from liberal to conservative leadership within our denominations.

This is from the SBC:

Priesthood of All Believers


We affirm the priesthood of all believers. Laypersons have the same right as ordained ministers to communicate with God, interpret Scripture, and minister in Christ's name. That is why the Convention requires strong lay involvement on its boards. This doctrine is first and foremost a matter of responsibility and servanthood, not privilege and license.

It is of course, a perversion of this doctrine to say that all views are equally valid, that you can believe anything and still be a Baptist or that the pastor has no unique leadership role.

The basic belief is that we are all called to proclaim the good news of Christ, we all have a testimony and each of us can be prepared by God to give that testimony. We all are equal in that regard. And it must be said that this in no way subverts the pastorial position or the elder/deacon position. It's about ministry.

Mike

 

[Frankie]

It would seem that we all attend the Baptist church for very simular reasons.

I know that different Baptist churches have different forms of worship. Some sing and play modern praise music, some "old time gospel", some "full gospel" and some just sing hymns. At the baptist service I attend, we sing modern praise music and find a lot of joy in our worship service. I was wondering if anyone here would mind sharing with me what kind of worship service your Baptist church conducts.

In God's love,
Frankie

 

[jenptcfan]

It would seem that we all attend the Baptist church for very simular reasons.

I know that different Baptist churches have different forms of worship. Some sing and play modern praise music, some "old time gospel", some "full gospel" and some just sing hymns. At the baptist service I attend, we sing modern praise music and find a lot of joy in our worship service. I was wondering if anyone here would mind sharing with me what kind of worship service your Baptist church conducts.

In God's love,
Frankie

Our church has two worship services: a traditional and a contemporary.

In the traditional service, the pastors wear suits and ties, it's more formal, piano and organ music only, hymns only, no multi-media presentations, etc.

In the contemporary service, the dress is anything from dressy to jeans and a t-shirt. We use drums, piano, keyboards, tambourines, and trumpets. We have a 'praise team' and the choir sings in this service. We use skits, power point sermon outlines, short videos, the congregation is more participatory (clapping, hands raised in worship, if we're sitting down singing a song, we usually end up standing up singing w/o any direction--just as the Holy Spirit moves).

The sermon is always the same in the two services, but the rest of the service is quite different between the two.

 

[Frankie]

In the contemporary service, the dress is anything from dressy to jeans and a t-shirt. We use drums, piano, keyboards, tambourines, and trumpets. We have a 'praise team' and the choir sings in this service. We use skits, power point sermon outlines, short videos, the congregation is more participatory (clapping, hands raised in worship, if we're sitting down singing a song, we usually end up standing up singing w/o any direction--just as the Holy Spirit moves).

This sounds like the service that my children and I attend. I really enjoy these kind of services. I think that if my MIL or FIL were to attend with us, we would probably go to our churches early morning service, which sounds just like the traditional service that your church offers too. Maybe I am getting young in my old age but I find so much joy in the vibrant services.

Frankie

 

[jenptcfan]

This sounds like the service that my children and I attend. I really enjoy these kind of services. I think that if my MIL or FIL were to attend with us, we would probably go to our churches early morning service, which sounds just like the traditional service that your church offers too. Maybe I am getting young in my old age but I find so much joy in the vibrant services.

Frankie

I love the contemporary service too. I sing in the choir and we sing in the contemp. service each week, and the trad. service once a month. We always laugh when we get done singing in the trad. service because the whole time we're singing, the congregation just sits there with blank stares...nobody claps, nobody 'amens'... nothing! Then we'll go sing the same song in the contemp. service and people are up on their feet clapping along and singing along if they know the song...just worshipping God with us.

I just figure...if we can't get excited about worshipping God together, what can we get excited about? You know? I've gotten spoiled to it and when I go to my home church (where my parents attend), I can hardly stand it. It feels like nobody's even happy to be there. I know that's not necessarily the case (I grew up and was saved in a traditional church, so I know that God moves in these churches too), but it's hard to go back to that (for me anyway).

 

[paulewog]

*cough* Emotional displays and "getting into the music" is just that... the part of worship that is worshipful in "worship songs" is mostly the words being sung, not the music and rhythm.

Anyways.... to answer the original post... truth

 

[jenptcfan]

*cough* Emotional displays and "getting into the music" is just that... the part of worship that is worshipful in "worship songs" is mostly the words being sung, not the music and rhythm.

Anyways.... to answer the original post... truth

absolutely!

But for me personally, I don't want to sit still express little emotion when I'm rejoicing with my brothers and sisters over such great truth. It just doesn't feel natural to me anymore. Worship style is just personal preference.

 

[Cright]

what drew me were the people there... when I asked them a question, they would tell me to read MY bible and find out. They would give me all the verses that pertained to the subject.
After I found the info, I'd form an opinion, then these people would give me theirs.

It was an amazing journey for me to find what I believed based on the bible. Now I go to a baptist church that chaned it's name to a bible church last year (independant before and after the change) so that people would know that's where the main focus lies.

 

[eutychus]

Doctrine is what drew me and what keeps me there.

We have one service (tried two, but the body never seemed unified). Its led by a praise band, with some instrumental organ during offering. We sing hymns and choruses.

 

[theseed]

1) I agree with the doctrine

2)emphasis on personal interpretation of scripture, and scripture as authority, priest hood of the believer and so on

3)The awesome baptist chruches out there :0

 

[Frankie]

absolutely!

But for me personally, I don't want to sit still express little emotion when I'm rejoicing with my brothers and sisters over such great truth. It just doesn't feel natural to me anymore. Worship style is just personal preference.

Yes, this is how it is for me also. I grew up in a church (not Baptist) that was very reserved and expressive worship was actually viewed as silly, irreverant and sinful. I find such joy in the Lord now, I wasn't saved then, but I am now and when I think of the change that Jesus has made in me and my life, I just want to shout my love for Him from the mountains! It is wonderful for me personally to be able to raise my hands to my God in prayer and song and to clap with joy while praising Him. It fills my heart with such happiness to worship God with other believers who expressivly worship the Lord too. It gives me a real sense of communion with others in my Christian family. Coming to Jesus was for me, a celebration. My life will never be the same since I accepted Him into my heart and I am in complete awe at His love and sacrafice for me. When I gather with other believers (or even by myself) I want to celebrate what Jesus did for me and show Him how much it means to me and the best way for me personally to do that is joyful and expressive worship. It is something that God put on my heart after being saved. I was not at all that way before being saved.

I am not saying that people who really are saved will worship God the same way I do because I believe that when we are saved, we gain have a very personal, one on one relationship with the Lord and we each express our joy in that relationship in different ways. I say that if a traditional, reserved service brings more communion in your walk with God, then go that route. It is just that for me personally, my walk with God has taken me to the worship style I have now.

Peace in God,
Frankie