What is a Happening Church to you? What is a Dead church?
 

What is a happening church? Programs programs programs? Great music? A built in cafe? People coming to believe in Jesus, repenting, being baptized and being filled with the Holy Ghost? The gifts operating?

For what it's worth, I have had "happening church" in a prayer meeting or in a bible study. Dead to me is nobody is worshiping, nobody prays, nobody new ever comes to church, nobody is getting saved and the Spirit just is not moving. I don't consider a Joel Osteen experience happening

Wow! lets totally disect my thread, huh?

Dead to me is when I go to church, and don't leave filled. Where worship is stale, and preaching is empty.

Happening, is a church on fire for God. Where worship is deep and preaching is edifying.

Its not about programs although they help.

The most dynamic, entertaining, riveting oratory is empty if it doesn't tell people God's only plan of salvation.

Trinitarian churches don't ever preach that message.

their preaching is therefore as empty as it can get, no matter how entertaining it might be, or how much good information there is on anger management, coping skills, reationship advice, stress relief, or whatever hot topic the Osteens of the world are pontificating about.

Why are we mentioning the Olsteens?!??!?!?

As much as I believe Acts 2:38, it can't be the only thing preached service after service, and standards on our weekday services

We need that if we are going to survive the REAL WORLD

True enough...but you can have all those things in spades and still go to hell.

If they aren't preaching the only saving message, the rest is jut fluff.

Yes, but sister, in trinity churches it is NEVER preached.

Agreed, however this thread is about the difference between a dead and a happening church, we are not talking about trinnies, that would be my previous thread.

Good! Although I think it's entirely possible for a person to go to a happening church and not leave filled and consider the worship dead and the preaching empty. Some of it is about our own attitudes and expectations too. Thad might think only a church like his, where they are "shockamooing" is a happening church while Keith4Him might think in their church where they are not necessarily as physically demonstrative as Thad's, but have the gifts in operation is a happening church.

Then too I have seen individuals that could NOT get into a service where the Spirit was moving for anything because they did not like the Pastor or someone else in the church or they had already decided this church is dead or they don't like the modern songs they are playing. You know I felt the Holy Ghost at a BET Gospel Celebration recording (Vicki was singing there too) during Donnie McClurken's song. I was worshiping and speaking in tongues. Most of the others I just did not feel it...I even felt like that once at a Carman concert at Magic Mountain...he was doing some songs that just sounded "Pentecostal" (and he does have a Pentecostal background), but I really didn't care what others thought. I have felt happening at bible studies, personal prayer and corporate prayer. I have felt happening in many different places. I know people that would never think the preaching of a Pentecostal church is fulfilling....they prefer the book by book teaching of a Calvery Chapel.

And so what was your answer to the question? Folks this is not Darcie's thread version #2. If you want to discussion where to go, a dead OP church or a happening Trinnie church, discuss it there please :-)