A question for pastors
 

I've noticed that in the city of which I currently make my abode, that whenever I meet a fellow pentecostal from a neighboring church and I let them know that I attend a pentecostal church they always invite me to their church. In my church we're taught not to do this unless it's for a special event or something of that nature. Do you as a pastor/preacher teach that it's wrong for your saints to encourage other local pastor's saints to come visit your church?

What? You mean you're in a place where Pentecostals talk to each other in public!? :eek:

lol

In my opinion there's nothing wrong with inviting another saint to visit, but not to the end of having the motive of 'stealing' them from their home church.

Good luck getting anybody to visit though. :)

I was thinking the same thing. HERE, there's no fellowship outside of pastor approved and set up functions. NONE. It's sad, and wrong.

I guess it has to do with influence

I think if the pastor does it is wrong. Also, if it has been more than one or two from the same church something is not right.

p.s. If they have a service on a night different than your church I see no problem if you want to go. But if it is to get you to change churches it is wrong.

I wonder if it is the same with all organizations.

No it is not the same in all organizations, Thank God! Some do not feel the need to micromanage the salvation of others and allow saints to "work out their own salvation". . . .

Are you talking fellowship among all other churches, just Pentecostal churches? just Oneness only churches, or just same org. churches?

Please clarify.

In our churches we can invite whomever we please to come to our church... but I don't invite other ONeness people to our church unless it's something special because I feel a person should find a home church and remain faithful in support of that church. Our pastor doesn't advise us not to invite other Apostolics, but he DOES advise us to invite our neighbours, friends, co-workers, grocery cashiers etc.

In our town, other Pentecostals turn and walk the other way....

Um no. Pentecostals are strange this way. It's been a rude culture shock for me. BIG TIME.

I grew up where most everyone fellowshipped most everyone. Across organizational boundaries, in between churches within, everything. If you were Christian, you hung out. Sure, diff people, diff convictions, diff groups they'd spend more time with.

I'll also say I'm trying not to put all Pentecostals into this box. I've met too many of y'all here who don't live this way. It's hard though when it's what I see here and I've felt some of the stinging barbs and likely will feel more before it's all said and done. This exclusivism is definitely something I don't understand, and frankly hope I never get to a point where it's comfortable for me. It's not right.

Well, first of all, it is encourging that other Pentecostals in the same town actually speak! That is accomplishment number one!

Now, I don't believe it is right to invite a member of another church to your church unless it is for something special or they do not have service. I always taught our people this. I feel one should be faithful to ones own church unless the service is on an off night or something special is happening. Now, when I say something special, I don't mean if they are having a concert and you are having church on the same night that because they are having something 'special', you should be qualified to go! I mean off nights or such as that.

We live in a town where there is 3 UPC churches within 1 mile of each other. One is the 'Big' church and the other is just a bit smaller and the third is the smallest (although not small). We have this issue--alot!

1 Cor.1:10] Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
[11] For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
[12] Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
[13] Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

I have always found this disturbing.I wonder how a person can claim to be full of Gods spirit, but void of Love and compassion for a brother or sister.

1 John
[4] He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
[5] But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
[6] He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
[7] Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
[8] Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
[9] He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
[10] He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
[11] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

I think when you fail to see, that it's one big body, it begins to fall under the guidline of a cult... I've got a neice caught up in this type of situation right now. She can't even see her family without permission.

Are you serious???

She needs to be ministered to then.

Maybe they just need to spend some time researching church history.Catholicism has alot to do with the modern church's rituals.:shhh

Yes, here are excellent books on this subject and even goes deeper than Catholicism.

'Pagan Christianity' by Frank Viola and "Who is Your Covering' by Mr. Viola.