How Much Does Your Church Fellowship With Other Churches?

My church went to a Youth rally at another Baptist Church once. There were several Baptist churches represented. A group was singing who just happened to be Pentecostal. One of the Baptist groups actually got up and left as soon as the Pentecostal group starting singing. I thought to myself, "now this is a horrible example to set for your young people".

My church fellowships quite often with several other churches in the area.

 

While most of my church's activities consist of only folks from our own congregation, my church has joined missionary and other community service groups that have other denominations as parts of those groups. Activities in such groups does not compromise an individual church's doctrines. If the local Catholic Church and Jewish Temple want to get together to feed the homeless, there's nothing scripturally that forbids them.

 

Our church is a 4-yr old church plant in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. We have good relations with a large fundamental church south of us who helped seed our church with several core families. There are three other fundamental church plants in the wider Atlanta area with whom we cooperate and have helped support (either finacially or with families of our own).

Because of our small size and history, many of our teens will go to activities with that large fundamental church. We often have teens from that church and other churches go on activities with us as well.

As far as joint activities are concerned, there really hasn't been any, but I don't think we or they would be opposed. As fundamentalists, we would limit our cooperation and fellowship to other fundamental churches and institutions, however.

Andy

 

When I was younger, our church was involved in the association, and we attended youth rallies etc, and it was a big deal. Sort of.

But ever since the church of my youth, I have been involved in larger churches or busy churches where involvement with other churches was not "important".

Now, everyone wants to visit with us, so we are the center anyway.

I am so busy at my church I don't have much time for other churches.

 

El Zippo

 

And just imagine what the non-believers who were present must have thought.

 

We have tried for years to fellowship and work together with other Baptist churches in the area. Unfortuneately, we are in a heavy BBFI and FBF area. Since we are neither, they will have nothing to do with us. We have made inroads in the last year or so with a church about 10 miles away and then with another, but for the most part, it is simply that most funamental churches are isolationists in this area.

As far as working with the Catholics and other unsaved organizations. We would never do this as a church sponsored activity. Scripture clearly teaches in 2 Cor. 6 that we should have no fellowship, communion with the unsaved.

As far as leaving a youth rally. He probably shouldn't have gone in the first place. However, I would have taken my kids out also for the same reasons stated above.

 

We are trading meeting houses for every 5th Sunday this year with the 3 other Primitive Baptist churches in the Houston area.

I have been to 5 different Associations/Annual Meetings so far this year (1 at our church, 1 at another local PB church, 1 at a PB church in Louisiana, 1 at a PB church in North Texas, and 1 at a PB church NW of Austin) , and I plan to attend at least 2 more (1 at a PB church in Hubbard, Texas and 1 at a PB church in Corsicana, Texas). Hopefully there will be some more we will be able to attend.

My pastor is flying out tomorrow to attend a church meeting in Oklahoma.

In short answer, yes, we fellowship very often with other churches. We have 2 Sundays each month where the visiting preachers are from other churches.

It's so nice to fellowship, especially with those who hold our same beliefs, yet we have never met before. I have been to 2 meetings this year where I knew no one but the few people I went with. I fell in love with all the brothers and sisters though, and they made me feel just like part of the family.

 

But, I do not have issue with fellowshipping with other believers. Period.

 

it is interesting you mention fellowshipping with another Church. I had the chance to meet with the pastor of the Church just four miles down the road from ours. Though he is southern baptist as we are he is more of a lone wolf and has never attneded our pastor fellowships or meetings so I never met him. After meeting we found that we have a great deal in common and share a similar vision. We have started merging our brotherhood meetings together and I have found it to be a most remarkable experience for our men. We give each other ideas and helps. In the fall we are planning on sharing expenses for a revival service & we are in talks for pooling resources to host a soul winning seminar.