For prayer, for counseling, for healing (which would fall under the "prayer category"), to announce a desire for membership or baptism, all of which are legitimate reasons.
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Why I Give a Public Invitation
- Thread starter Revmitchell
- Start date
For prayer, for counseling, for healing (which would fall under the "prayer category"), to announce a desire for membership or baptism, all of which are legitimate reasons.
You are suggesting that they are humanistic then?
Yes...they could be held privately or in a seperate prayer meeting or via a prayer chain.
No. I'm suggesting that altar calls are unwise and that his criticism of our decision is misguided.
Sure, they could, but the Bible talks about at least two of them occurring corporately, so why not do it corporately?
convicted1
Guest
Nope, I know he wouldn't.
Well then...I'm much more in line to Old Regular beliefs to "corporate" ways...but that's my preferred style of service. I envy you your having those churches in your area...you are quite blessed brother. :love2:
convicted1
Guest
True story.
One night, I was blessed to preach at my home church. As I was preaching, I "knew", had an unctioning from the Spirit, that God was dealing with someone. I even stated, "I have a feeling that God is dealing with someone tonight". One of the Sisters had a husband there that was lost. A few weeks, later, I witnessed him wiping his tears. Part of me wanted to go talk to him after church, but I left him in God's hands. I didn't want to muddy the water, so-to-speak. Why? Too many times, we can do more harm than good. I was afraid of pushing him away. It was that way with me. I had a bad experience as I asked a local church to have prayer with me because I was lost and needed their prayers. One of the preachers then tried the "Roman's Road" approach and told me all I had to do was to confess Jesus as Lord, and they'd take and baptize me. Before that, a few months prior, I had another church pray with me, and someone else told me the same thing, that all I had to do was confess Him, and I'd be saved. During that same meeting, as people were giving their testimonies, this same man said he didn't know if a year from now he'd be a drunk or not, but he was thankful for God saving him. These people believe in a fall from grace, and that each day we choose to serve Him or not. That is why I didn't speak to him. If he would have came to me, I would have spoken to him. A few weeks later, he was baptized, and he is now one of our deacons. And a humble, and wonderful Brother in Christ.
One night, I was blessed to preach at my home church. As I was preaching, I "knew", had an unctioning from the Spirit, that God was dealing with someone. I even stated, "I have a feeling that God is dealing with someone tonight". One of the Sisters had a husband there that was lost. A few weeks, later, I witnessed him wiping his tears. Part of me wanted to go talk to him after church, but I left him in God's hands. I didn't want to muddy the water, so-to-speak. Why? Too many times, we can do more harm than good. I was afraid of pushing him away. It was that way with me. I had a bad experience as I asked a local church to have prayer with me because I was lost and needed their prayers. One of the preachers then tried the "Roman's Road" approach and told me all I had to do was to confess Jesus as Lord, and they'd take and baptize me. Before that, a few months prior, I had another church pray with me, and someone else told me the same thing, that all I had to do was confess Him, and I'd be saved. During that same meeting, as people were giving their testimonies, this same man said he didn't know if a year from now he'd be a drunk or not, but he was thankful for God saving him. These people believe in a fall from grace, and that each day we choose to serve Him or not. That is why I didn't speak to him. If he would have came to me, I would have spoken to him. A few weeks later, he was baptized, and he is now one of our deacons. And a humble, and wonderful Brother in Christ.
salzer mtn
Well-Known Member
The altar call invitational program has gotten way out of control in the area I live in. I saw this happen years ago at a revival, A certain man of the community that all the church knew to be a lost man showed up one night at a service. When it came time for the altar call people of the church lined up along the sides of the walls to get their turn to speak to this lost man. As they sung song after song people would whisper their comments in the man's ear one by one. Finally the man stormed out of the building never as far as I know to ever come into a church building again. This man recently died but lived to be up in his nineties. Here is another account I witnessed, a sinner woman came to a altar one time and two men, her relatives went up and knelt on each side of her and had prayer with her till she was satisfied. Before she stood up one man reached across her to the other man and they shook hands as if what they had done was the reason prayer was answered. That's been thirty years ago and shortly after the altar call the woman quit church and don't go any where.
Robert Snow
New Member
I said to pray. What they pray about is between them and God.
That is why we have an open altar
people have come forward for prayer for everything from money problems, to health needs, to marital problems to needing Jesus or needing to be more comitted and dedicated. I think this is a great place to have, so people can come and not only pray, but get support from their leaders and united prayer.
people have come forward for prayer for everything from money problems, to health needs, to marital problems to needing Jesus or needing to be more comitted and dedicated. I think this is a great place to have, so people can come and not only pray, but get support from their leaders and united prayer.
You know, when the gospel gets replaced with "modern pastoral ministry" the church will be lost. The gospel is timeless and an invitation to the gospel whether in the church building or on the street is always needed. And Junior Hill knows the gospel better than most. :BangHead:
Oh ok...then have a seperate prayer meeting...no need to waist my time.
At the end of our services I say something like this- "We're going to have a few moments of silent prayer. If anyone feels a need to come forward and speak with me or one of our counselors, please feel free to do so. After the time of prayer, we will have a closing prayer and be dismissed."
No music, no begging folks to come and pray, no raising of hands or brow beating.
No music, no begging folks to come and pray, no raising of hands or brow beating.
Robert Snow
New Member
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Robert Snow
New Member
If you consider worshiping God by extending an open alter to all is a waste of time, you have much bigger issues at hand than worrying about how we conduct our services.
Tom Butler
New Member
This speaks to my concern that some invitations can be emotionally manipulative. I've seen every trick in the book employed to elicit a response--any response--to get them out of their seats and down the aisles.
When the Holy Spirit is at work, you can't keep them from coming. I like the way you do it at your church.
I was a professional musician for many years. I know exactly what to say to get an audience to do exactly what I want them to. Want to make them cheer? I can do that. Want to make them chant? I can do that. Want to make the right side of the audience stand up and taunt the left side of the audience? I can do that, too. Crowd not dancing? I can fix that. Crowd not spending enough at the bar? I can make them stampede to the bar. Can't remember the words to the song and want the people in the front to start singing so I can read their lips to jog my memory? No problem. I can empty a bar or I can make every person in the bar run to get a beer. There's a fight in the bar? I can keep it under control until the bouncers step in. These are not hard tricks and everybody who's ever stood behind a chicken wire fence, a la Bob's Country Bunker, knows how to do this. (Incidentally, such places were not just in the movies).
What's the difference between those crowd control techniques I used and the preacher, no matter how well meaning, who plays the soft, emotional music, tells everybody "...and now, with every head bowed and every eye closed...", or have a "plant" in the crowd to come forward (you would be surprised how many preachers you would never expect to do this, do this), and other such tricks using emotion and groupthink?
I would much rather do what Mexdeaf describes and simply preach the Gospel and let people come as God wills than to "convince" them or manipulate them into playing a religious game, only to find, later on, that there is no fruit and no sanctification because there was never any God-granted faith or repentence.
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Oh Robert. You are back to your old ways I see. As an Arminian you would automatically preach the full Gospel I suppose.