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

[stmatthew]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

Oh ....let me help you out w/ this ... Praxeas and Amos ...

First, God's plan of Salvation is Jesus Christ ... HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION are the Gospel ... We are not saved based on our re-enactment of it.

Second, a dead church is JUST THAT ... DEAD. Many posters, including myself, defined the difference between a happening church and a dead church ... in the previous thread but some will read into it what the please.

A dead church does not lift up the THE LIFE ... but lift up their own works, man-made traditions, religious rituals and their kingdoms.

A dead church does not ALLOW the PNEUMA OF GOD ... to operate ... it is as dead as the dead bones in the valley the prophet was instructed to speak to.

A dead church mechanizes salvation, worship and preaching because they've got it down to a science....

A dead church is not grafted into the VINE ... and therefore do not demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit ... nor are they showing the world what makes them disciples ... LOVING ONE ANOTHER because the LOVE OF THE FATHER is in them.

A Spirit-filled church, Trinitarian or OP, has THE LIFE flowing through it's members... it has growth in many areas ... impact, maturity, vision, and yes ... even in number.

A HAPPENING CHURCH is God-centered and lost-centered. A happening church is the body of a PALPABLE GOD ... he is the Head. Their energy and life source is HIM.

Amazingly enough, you hear very little about trinitarian churches that "mature" to the place that even the basic fundamental doctrine of baptism in Jesus name is accepted. Doesn't sound like their maturing to me.

The Holy Ghost leads one into ALL truth. I do not for one moment believe that the Holy Ghost "skips over" the correct biblical method of water baptism, and allow someone to go on into perfection. Water baptism is a foundational doctrine. If one does not have it right, then they are off on everything else.

A True "Happening" Church will be a church where the True Word is preached to the congregation. A place where the congregation begins to look, talk, and over all act, like Jesus Christ. It will be a place were there is a balance. A place where gifts operate. A place where sinners are saved, and backslidders are restored. A place were saints grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord.

It is not a "Happening Place" just because the steppers perform, or the McGruders sing. It is not "Happening" because the church shouts, and people jerk with convulsions under the "power".

To me, 2 things represent the "Happening" church:

Truth is preached and Maturity is reached.