http://oneinjesus.info/2008/09/the-future-of-the-progressive-churches-of-christ-the-christian-standard-weighs-in-introduction/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-future-of-the-progressive-churches-of-christ-the-christian-standard-weighs-in-introduction Thu, 24 May 2012 17:55:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://oneinjesus.info/2008/09/the-future-of-the-progressive-churches-of-christ-the-christian-standard-weighs-in-introduction/#comment-3582 truthmerchant Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:57:55 +0000 http://jayguin.wordpress.com/?p=1960#comment-3582 The progressive Christianity and consistency: <a href="http://truthmerchant.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/yet-another-christian-hypocrite/" rel="nofollow">http://truthmerchant.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/yet...</a> The progressive Christianity and consistency:
http://truthmerchant.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/yet…

]]> http://oneinjesus.info/2008/09/the-future-of-the-progressive-churches-of-christ-the-christian-standard-weighs-in-introduction/#comment-3581 Hal Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:27:10 +0000 http://jayguin.wordpress.com/?p=1960#comment-3581 I think the reason that the "conservative" publications never publish both sides of an issue is because they only recognize one side. I believe that pretty much sums up legalism. As for the interesting comment by Joe that we are moving toward a time when we will be forced to engage the unchurched and the de-churched of our society...isn't that what we were called to do in the first place?! :) I think the reason that the "conservative" publications never publish both sides of an issue is because they only recognize one side. I believe that pretty much sums up legalism.
As for the interesting comment by Joe that we are moving toward a time when we will be forced to engage the unchurched and the de-churched of our society…isn't that what we were called to do in the first place?!

]]> http://oneinjesus.info/2008/09/the-future-of-the-progressive-churches-of-christ-the-christian-standard-weighs-in-introduction/#comment-3580 Joe Baggett Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:27:50 +0000 http://jayguin.wordpress.com/?p=1960#comment-3580 I too have read the Christian Standard usually on their website. While it does present balanced articles from the broader spectrum of the Restoration Movement churches. To me it is pointless to continue arguing our little battles. Who will decide for all the churches of Christ if they will openly fellowship those in the independent Christian churches? We have no Pope or bishop to decide these things for an entire religious group. Now for the future of the churches of Christ who are questioning (studying for themselves) what they have always understood and coming up with some different conclusions. There will inevitably be a continued separation from traditional churches of Christ it is already documented and evident. There are certain leaders within the traditional churches of Christ who have taken on as their main mission to destroy and alienate anyone who does not adhere to what they believe. So through formal organizational alliance they will be cut off by what Joe Beam calls “Zealots” in his diagram of this phenomenon. Many of the, and I hate to use this term “Progressive churches of Christ” are gaining members from other area churches of Christ; this is a well that will be drying up drying soon. So soon they will like all the churches in USA be forced to engage the un churched and the de-churched from the emerging generation X and Y if they want to represent a demographic other than the rapidly aging and declining white middle class. They are poised to this better almost any other religious group if they can break themselves from the toxic poison of legalism and stop worrying about maintaining denomination ties with the traditional churches of Christ. Or what the church of Christ down the street or on the other side of town thinks of them. Here is Joe Beams description of this issue <a href="http://www.gracecentered.com/what_is_happening_to_churches_of_Christ.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.gracecentered.com/what_is_happening_to...</a>. In 10-15 years the rest of the WWII builder generation (those born before 1945) will die of old age. The Baby Boomers will not continue to live indefinitely though they are living longer than any other generation in American history. In the next 10-30 years most of them (boomers born between 1945-1965) will reach the age of life expectancy. The latest report shows that by 2042 the white middle class will no longer be the majority. The record low birth rate among white middle class that started in 1990 will continue to drop just as it has in other similar parts of the postmodern world such as Germany, Italy and Japan. So the “progressive churches of Christ will have to make significant relationships with people who are not like them by race, age, socio-economic level etcetera. Numerically they will eventually have to make enough disciples out of non-white middle class people to make up for those who leave church for whatever reason (especially the younger), those who are and will be dying of old age, and those who have not and will not be born. This is shear reality. I too have read the Christian Standard usually on their website. While it does present balanced articles from the broader spectrum of the Restoration Movement churches. To me it is pointless to continue arguing our little battles. Who will decide for all the churches of Christ if they will openly fellowship those in the independent Christian churches? We have no Pope or bishop to decide these things for an entire religious group.
Now for the future of the churches of Christ who are questioning (studying for themselves) what they have always understood and coming up with some different conclusions. There will inevitably be a continued separation from traditional churches of Christ it is already documented and evident. There are certain leaders within the traditional churches of Christ who have taken on as their main mission to destroy and alienate anyone who does not adhere to what they believe. So through formal organizational alliance they will be cut off by what Joe Beam calls “Zealots” in his diagram of this phenomenon. Many of the, and I hate to use this term “Progressive churches of Christ” are gaining members from other area churches of Christ; this is a well that will be drying up drying soon. So soon they will like all the churches in USA be forced to engage the un churched and the de-churched from the emerging generation X and Y if they want to represent a demographic other than the rapidly aging and declining white middle class. They are poised to this better almost any other religious group if they can break themselves from the toxic poison of legalism and stop worrying about maintaining denomination ties with the traditional churches of Christ. Or what the church of Christ down the street or on the other side of town thinks of them. Here is Joe Beams description of this issue http://www.gracecentered.com/what_is_happening_to….
In 10-15 years the rest of the WWII builder generation (those born before 1945) will die of old age. The Baby Boomers will not continue to live indefinitely though they are living longer than any other generation in American history. In the next 10-30 years most of them (boomers born between 1945-1965) will reach the age of life expectancy. The latest report shows that by 2042 the white middle class will no longer be the majority. The record low birth rate among white middle class that started in 1990 will continue to drop just as it has in other similar parts of the postmodern world such as Germany, Italy and Japan. So the “progressive churches of Christ will have to make significant relationships with people who are not like them by race, age, socio-economic level etcetera. Numerically they will eventually have to make enough disciples out of non-white middle class people to make up for those who leave church for whatever reason (especially the younger), those who are and will be dying of old age, and those who have not and will not be born. This is shear reality.

]]>