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Alter Call
- Thread starter Salty
- Start date
Was watching a church service this am - the assist pastor offered an altar call - just before the message began- for personal preparation to receive Gods word.
Has anyone ever seen that in a church before?
Interestingraying:
Our hearing church in S. Texas used to do that at the beginning of the service.
Tom Butler
New Member
New to me, too. It does raise the question, how does answering an altar call prepare one for the message to come? What does the response entail, that can't be achieved where one is in the pew?
I put this in the category of " WHATEVER", in that if you think you can communicate with God better than from the pew ---- suit yourself. Just don't expect me to follow.
Well, I was almost always in the Deaf church and we did not do it there. My understanding is it was more of a time of prayer for the service to follow, for the ministers, and for God to move in the service. There wasn't any counseling provided, it was just an invitation to join in prayer for those things.
We offer some time for those present to prepare for worship... certainly confession of sin would be a part of that, but maybe it would also include getting right with your spouse if you just "had words" on your way to the church campus, or maybe someone else in the room.
We have noticed an uptick in singing participation and taking notes during the message as a result. Anecdotal evidence for sure, but at the very least, it's been good for the pastor.
We have noticed an uptick in singing participation and taking notes during the message as a result. Anecdotal evidence for sure, but at the very least, it's been good for the pastor.
Was watching a church service this am - the assist pastor offered an altar call - just before the message began- for personal preparation to receive Gods word.
Has anyone ever seen that in a church before?
Interesting
Never heard of it. But then, just because I've never heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't happen
We don't do altar calls in our church. We invite people up for prayer, but we don't do the whole "...and now with every head bowed and every eye closed..." thing.
Might be a good idea to do that more before the Lord's Supper.
We did it then too...just about anytime we got together for worship.
I don't think most churches do put enough consideration into repentence before the Lord's Supper. Maybe ours doesn't.
Something to think about.
Bless me father to I have sinned...its been 3 weeks from my last confession.:smilewinkgrin:
salzer mtn
Well-Known Member
Altar call in the south. Everyone gather around the Altar, someone is called on to lead in prayer and then everyone start's praying in a loud voice. If preachers are present some will try to preach their prayer. When prayer is concluded those that went up to the altar will quickly look around to see who didn't go. I don't see how anyone can get their mind upon God with all the loud praying. Is God deft ? Is he asleep ? I visited one night a revival by a local church and the choir was singing one song after another. One by one the choir members went to the altar for prayer. As quick as one or two would pray and get up and go back to singing one or two more would go until about every one in the choir had went. These people must have been convicted by their own songs. Finally the pastor jumped up and invited everyone to come to the altar as he said, I'm not worried about those that did come, i'm worried about those that didn't come to the altar. I didn't go.
Probably scared you....it would have scared me! Does the HS work like that? :tear:
saturneptune
New Member
Why yes. Funny the inventions man has added to God's worship service. An altar call of most any type is a sales gimmick. "Lets strike up a few verses of Amazing Grace, and come on down." Verse 1, 2, 3.................no response. Next mini sermon. Now, lets repeat the verses ONE MORE TIME.
There are Baptists that believe the Holy Spirit hovers around the pulpit for some reason.
There is nothing wrong with a time of self examination prayer before the Lord's Supper, before or after the sermon. Doing skip-to-my-lou towards the front accomplishes nothing.
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't think I've ever seen that.Was watching a church service this am - the assist pastor offered an altar call - just before the message began- for personal preparation to receive Gods word.
Has anyone ever seen that in a church before?
Interesting
convicted1
Guest
Anything to ellicit a response, I guess......
saturneptune
New Member
When I first changed from Presbyterian to Baptist, I thought of the altar call as refreshing. In the PCA church I attended, the sermon ended, we had a choral response of some type, a short prayer, and marched out like robots. As time went on, I noticed the repeated times of singing verses to evoke a response with a new reason to come up between verses. It was also if one person came up, friends of that person would follow.
If an altar call would be held in the mindset of using it as a time to pray, talk to the pastor or deacons, etc, that would be fine. It should be a short statement and after the hymn, dismiss. The Holy Spirit resides in our hearts, not at the front of the church.
Another invention closely related is the "sinner's prayer." For a leader to tell the person who walked up to repeat this prayer after me is akin to repeating a magical chant. There is not one place in Scripture one can find a model for the "sinner's prayer."
That's similar to my experiences when I went looking for a church...same magic show. I kind of share Luke's dream of the day these churches stop the gimmicks & start by humbling themselves to an almighty sovereign Lord. I see the Primative & Old Regular churches much more genuine than anything produced by the SBC, Reformed & IFB churches today. That's why I have gravitated toward them. :godisgood: