to attend church in order to spread "the word"

What good is it to 'spread the word' in a place where it has allready 'spread'?

Why not attend life to spread the word? The way you live spreads it faster than any words you might utter.

Church isn't important particularly for spreading the word. Yes that is a huge part of it, but that's not what church is about. Church is about fellowshipping with other followers, it is about giving praise to our God who art in heaven. It's not really about gaining anything for us, eg., learning the word. It's about sacrificing a small portion of our time to our God to show our appreciation and love for all the things he does.

I never saw it as spreading the word, as much as I did sharing the word. Much like a potluck where people come together to share their dishes, church has been a place to congregate with each other and share the influence of Jesus on our lives.

Yes exactly. It allows us to congregate with other people who face the same things as us through life. It is a place to share the good times of joy and love through life and to find support for the hard times, people that can and are willing to relate to your problems through this life.

rather a small portion of our time... 1 day a week.

Nay,

I sacrfice all of my time to God.

He steps when I step...

Breaths when I breath...

Watchs over me when I sleep...

I give him praise with each breath I take.

I need not 'church' to do that.

awesome


church is the building where the church meets
but even without the building, the church exists,,,,

because that how organized religion controls you. they couldn't tell what and how to think, or get money for their new house if you didn't go to church. The more of a "flock" the church has, the more power it can have...

Should religious people be obligated to attend church in order to share the word? The reason I asked; my family tell me I "need" to go to church. Why do I "need" to go?

Preach on brother!

have their always been churches and if not, did none of those who lived before the first church have a place in heaven?


I dont think everyone has a duplicate journey, some will be sheep and some will be shepherds some will be leaders and some will be followers some will be teachers and some will be students,,,,,I dont really think any of those stations has less of a place in heaven than the next


I say all this to say, if the end destination is to be heaven, I dont think it matters what buildings we visited or congregated in

The point is to congregate and build 'strength' and 'support' through the numbers. Some can do that amongst their own friends or family and others, like myself, who are a bit too exposed to the world need to balance that exposure with a visit to the church on a regular basis, as a support and reinforcement and a motivation to keep in the walk,,,,,

that is absolutely true. i can see you have seen life in a good way of learning understanding through life itself.. Blessings. of Shalom...Miles

also a good place to meet nice women

Having a nice dog to walk in the Park I have heard refered to as a " Good Chic Magnet"

babies and puppies = chic magnet...

Hypo: What if you were aware of the "sins" of a preacher; would you continue to congregate at his/her church?

To answer your second question first....no.


to answer your first question second...

I liken churches and parishioners to AA and the 12 step programme...


you have to keep going to meetings so you don't fall off the wagon.

yes, I dont expect any preacher to be without sins,

if he was without repentence for his sins, that might send me looking elsewhere,,,,