TODAY'S CONVENTIONAL CHURCH

 NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

Definition of Church:
1) A building
2) A meeting place
3) A type of meeting.

Definition of Church:
1) Believers in Jesus Christ under the headship and leadership of Jesus meeting anywhere
2) The body of Christ in a city
3) The body of Christ in the world.

Use of Money:
Financial burden and pressure are put on believers by leaders and workers - believers are taught to Tithe - give 10% of their income to the leaders of the church despite financial situation or financial obligations.

1) Pay for mortgage and maintenance of facility or facility rental
2) Pay full time staff (senior pastor, associate/assistant pastor, youth pastor, worship pastor, secretary), etc
3) Give to full time missionary work
4) Occasionally help poor believers.

Use of Money:
No financial burden or pressure is put on believers by workers - believers are asked to give any extra money that they do not need in order to share with believers in need.

1) Support elderly believers and disabled believers
2) Help poor believers who worked
3) Did not pay for facilities but instead met in homes except for a hall that Paul rented and paid for personally to train apostolic workers
4) Did not pay salaries. Local workers have jobs and do ministry on the side. Paul an apostle worked during his missionary travels when staying in one place. Traveling workers on the move stayed with other believers who took care of their needs as well as receiving occasional gifts of money to help in their travels.

Structure and Style of Gathering:
Uses a corporate business model or activity club model.

1) Large formal groups of people in large buildings
2) Hierarchy of leadership - dictatorship - follow the leader
3) Only the specially trained and subordinate workers are allowed to run the meeting
4) Agenda is driven by order of service and programs.

Structure and Style of Gathering:
A family type community.

1) Smaller informal groups of people in houses
2) No hierarchy - Jesus is the head and Leader although older men (elders) help to oversee the church
3) Everyone has ministry and Spiritual gifts and can participate
4) Agenda is driven by the leading of Jesus by the Holy Spirit as everyone participates in sharing Christ together.

1) Worship together with songs
2) Give tithes which are needed to run the organization
3) Classroom style learning from specially trained workers
4) Share the Lord's supper together
5) Special teaching for children
6) Additional youth group and/or home groups for relationships
7) Help to maintain the facilities.

1) Eat a meal together incorporating the Lord's supper
2) Learn while participating
3) Share testimonies of God's goodness
4) Worship together with songs
5) Sharing a song or revelation by the gifts of the Holy Spirit
6) Teaching through sharing scriptures, revelation by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and sharing experiences together.
7) Prayer ministry for one another (healing, freedom, miracles)
8) Serving one another and sharing resources with one another.

Receiving Revelation & Direction:
Follow traditions of man rather than the New Testament teachings of Jesus and the apostles.

1) Specially trained indoctrinated leaders use teaching styles and doctrines that they have been taught
2) Traditions and doctrines are enforced using selected Bible verses
3) Input is usually from only one specially trained person teaching in a classroom style
4) There is no discussion - trust is placed in the specially trained leader to provide understanding into spiritual things.

Receiving Revelation & Direction:
Follow the teachings of Jesus and the apostles from the New Testament.

1) Many mature spirit filled believers (overseers) go from house to house to train others by example and participation
2) The Bible, especially the teachings of Jesus from the New Testament are used to continually understand God's heart and principles
3) Additionally believers receive revelation from the Holy Spirit by the gifts of the Holy Spirit
4) Everyone shares the principles and revelation they have received for a collaborated and balanced understanding.

Evangelism:
Bring people to the meeting.

1) Draw people through advertising and entertaining productions
2) Get people to come to their big gathering in a facility - members invite newcomers
3) One person teaching and sharing the gospel in the facility with little or no demonstration of God's power and often omits repentance as a requirement
4) Get people to pray the sinner's prayer
5) Add people to the size of the group - membership
6) Increase the size of the facility
7) Sometimes start an additional conventional church in another part of the city
8) Send and support a missionary to another country.

Evangelism:
Go into the world and share the good news.

1) Share the good news out in the market place with a demonstration of God's power (healing, freedom, and miracles)
2) Teach people to repent, believe in (trust) and follow Jesus Christ, be baptized in water, be born again and receive the Holy Spirit, and love one another.
3) Exponentially multiply the church in houses
4) Apostles went on missionary journeys establishing the church in houses in many cities.

Training and Discipling:
Train leaders - specialized training to become a leader that is called a Pastor. The Pastor then teaches a large group.

1) Go to Bible College and/or Seminary in order to become a church leader as an ordained Pastor
2) Become a leader in the church as a Senior Pastor, Assistant Pastor, Youth Pastor, Children's Pastor or Worship Pastor
3) Pastor teaches the believers how to live the Christian life through lecture teaching.
4) Focus is on believers coming to the church building every Sunday, listen to Pastor, follow his teaching, pay their tithes, and invite newcomers.

1) Jesus is the Head, Leader and Teacher through the Holy Spirit utilizing every believer as they function in their ministry and spiritual gifts.
2) Every believer learns by watching and sharing Christ in homes utilizing their ministry and Spiritual gifts
3) Some mature believers (overseers) helped to teach and train younger believers by example and involve them in making disciples
4) Sometimes there was intensive training for apostolic workers
5) Believers go with other experienced believers to preach the good news in the market place
6) Believers go with other experienced apostolic traveling workers on mission trips to different cities.
7) Focus is on devotion to Jesus Christ, following him, serving and loving one another. Gathered in small groups in homes any day to eat together, share together, worship together, learn together, and pray together (share their lives together).