Title Usage In The UPC: Brother & Sister So and So

[My Own Eyes]

Originally Posted by tamor

I'll PM ya my address for you to send your check to!

If I pay you, I would have to pay about 50 more people on the forum who have acted as mental therapists to me over the past 5 years!

[tamor]

Originally Posted by My Own Eyes

If I pay you, I would have to pay about 50 more people on the forum who have acted as mental therapists to me over the past 5 years!

We won't tell them!

[Arphaxad]

I call all all the women in church sister first name. I feel kinda weird if I just call them by thier name, like I think that they think I'm trying to pick up on them or something, lol. (I'm 46 and single).
My pastor I just use pastor.
Older men I use elder last name or brother first or last name.
When I first meet people in church I use bro or sister.
I use first names for young adults, teens and kids, but they call me brother Mike.
When I become close friends with a male I call them by first name or just plain brother
I feel goofy if someone introduces me as brother ... to someone that is not in church
When I am asking about someone or referring to someone I use brother or sister so and so. " It's sister so and so's birthday today"
This is all stuff I developed on my own.
There's more but I gotta jet outta here.
ARPH

[RandyWayne]

Until I joined this board I NEVER heard of anyone using the title "elder" when addressing someone. It was always either Bro, Sis, or Pastor.

[Mike Williamson]

Originally Posted by mfblume

It's an older tradition in the UPC to call most everyone "Brother ____".

Understandable, since that's what we are...brothers and sisters in Christ. I don't know why anyone would get upset at being called brother or sister...unless you aren't.

[freeatlast]

We pretty much phased out Br and Sis usage around our church.

I'm 57, an Elder board menber, an assist. and worship leader and even the little ones call me by just my first name.

Pastor is addressed by many as Pastor first name. There are a few of our older members who call him Bro last name.

I think if we call each other Br and Sis that it makes our guests feel a little wierd, that's why we kinda dropped the usage of titles.

If addressing a women by her first name makes you feel all warm and amorous you got bigger problems than title problems. Get real!

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Mike Williamson

Understandable, since that's what we are...brothers and sisters in Christ. I don't know why anyone would get upset at being called brother or sister...unless you aren't.

It's not getting upset that is the issue. Who cares? It's just a tradition that seems to have been made insistent on everyone. From the amount of ink such an issue gets within traditional circles, you would think it was a serious issue in the early church. The New Testament saints were not called this by a long shot, only rarely on occasion in the writings.

[jaxfam6]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

I have never heard anyone but my family use that term.... and I know we are not related. Have gotten some very funny looks when I used it.

In answer to the OP's question.... I am just plain old (insert first name here). Brother & Sister is a matter of respect for my elders and ministry. Pastor is "Pastor Last Name".

Do you use the term heebee-jeebees?

[freeatlast]

Bump for BROTHER Herbert Hubert

[HerbHubert]

Proper Respect should be given...We don't need to adopt the charismatic line of Christianity of addressing each other by our first names