Does God ONLY move at the Altar?

[The Mrs]

Originally Posted by AmazingGrace

Yea ok whatever!!!

Message to AG from Boom:

Tell AG I was funning with her and realize she is not a backslider please- i am late...

He ran out of time to answer you AG, and asked me to let you know.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by BoredOutOfMyMind

I stand corrected.

Above 200 then you neglect the altar....

You do raise the point of logistical considerations here. When designing or selecting a place of worship you must consider the traffic flow of people to and from the altar. I've always been an advocate of wide aisles and lots of room. It's strange that some people who've been around Pentecost for generations don't think in terms of moving people toward the altar. Without the altar service there really wouldn't have been a 20th century Pentecostal movement.

Make the area up front inviting and comfortable. Set your speakers up so that they don't blast people away from the altar area. Don't create an atmosphere of harsh judgementalism (if that's even a word) but disciple people into biblical modes of worship. Church should be a "safe place" and the altar area especially so.

Is there ever a time when a church grows beyond the point of needing an altar call, altar service or even an altar at all? I don't think so. If we are to be living sacrifices, we need altars.

Originally Posted by BoredOutOfMyMind

The asking others to come to the front is a Wesleyian philosophy. Yet, I have heard recently "you should come down to the altar to find God!"

Is God limited to only 10 feet in front of a pulpit, or can he fill "all the house where they are sitting?"

Do you have an altar at church, or only steps to the platform instead of an altar?

Is the altar dated to be abandoned?

What it seems to me...is that it is part of the tradition or ritual....each service HAS to end with alter call? In my opinion, it has lost meaning because its done every time and expected instead of a move of God to do so....if you don't go to the alter people think....hummm that person is holding back from God...repenting...etc...more finger pointing for not conforming....

[BoredOutOfMyMind]

Originally Posted by Sister Truth Seeker

What it seems to me...is that it is part of the tradition or ritual....each service HAS to end with alter call? In my opinion, it has lost meaning because its done every time and expected instead of a move of God to do so....if you don't go to the alter people think....hummm that person is holding back from God...repenting...etc...more finger pointing for not conforming....

And this is the thing that seems missing sometimes- a move of GOD.

One of the dullest churches we EVER attended was labelled Pentecostal on the sign.

We desperately need a revival of Apostolic Power.

Originally Posted by BoredOutOfMyMind

And this is the thing that seems missing sometimes- a move of GOD.

One of the dullest churches we EVER attended was labelled Pentecostal on the sign.

We desperately need a revival of Apostolic Power.

I agree......the church that my husband and I have attended the past few Sunday's has a free alter...by that I mean when someone feels they need to go there it's always open....there is no alter call, its when God says
'get up there and get on your knees we need to talk".............I pray for the perfect church, but I know none is there, God is with me at all times, so in a church I need good praise and worship, and good preachin...which right now we are getting...I don't know if we will make it our home church, but so far it feels like God wants us there.........and that is who I want to hear from...God! I question my husband last Sunday wanting to know how he could be praising when he wasn't lifting his arms...he said..."how would you if someone had no arms?" He was praising and singing, but just not fitting what I was taught is a demonstration of how we should praise....we get hung up on outward appearance and forget to look at someones heart.