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NASB | Acts 2:47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 2:47 praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved. |
Subject: Question rephrased |
Bible Note: Perhaps the better question is “What does the Bible say about growing a congregation?” I’m not convinced of a ‘means justifying the ends’ approach when it comes to the Church, local and universal. However, I do agree with the statement regarding purpose. I’m just concerned that with a dwindling congregation, there may be an underlying panic to shore up the loss of finances especially when the debt is great as well as the apprehension of seeing more and more empty pews every Sunday. My first impulse is to encourage a movement to get back to the basics; abandoning man-made programs (drama team, ballroom dancing, Alpha, etc) and concentrate on preaching and teaching from the Word of God. I know that running a church has become as much of a business as any other business (the benefits are better for us, though!) and that my first impulse may be an immature one or at best uninformed. Still, there’s something that rankles me about a canned program designed to bring in more warm bodies to the pews. I understand that this may be one of the many gray areas about which the Bible doesn’t address, but if anyone knows of more specific verses for/against such canned programs, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know them. |