Saturday, August 4, 2018

Why does this small town need yet another church?


Certainly a valid question, and the issues are complex but we can address them in brief.
The main issue the every Christian and congregation must wrestle with is that of Authority. On what basis do you decide and what criteria do you employ to determine Christian doctrine and life? What do we believe and how do we apply it?
Most Churches respond with some kind of mixture of Scripture, Reason and Tradition. Even the churches professing to follow Scripture Alone all too easily fall into this trap. It's easy to do. We are often affected by our culture, traditions and patterns of thought without realizing it.

Western Pennsylvania and the State of the Church in 2018

Though many churches elevate Scripture as God's Word and many profess to follow Scripture Alone, the reality is far different. We are surrounded by Churches that have elevated tradition and cultural norms placing them on par with God's Word or in some cases above it. Others have simply given in to the world and embraced its methods to build and sustain God's Church. While we don't doubt their motives, the result has proven disastrous and instead of strengthening the Church, they've created a counterfeit.