What Kind of Church is This?

What Kind of Church is This?

Nowadays, with so much strange and false teaching around, it can be hard to know what a church is like just by visiting its web page. Many no longer include a statement of faith, and even when they do, there is no guarantee that the leaders follow it. Besides, a statement of faith alone is not enough to determine what the church is like, in terms of its priorities, practices, and leadership style. The best way, of course, is to visit and see for yourself. But even then, one visit is not enough. It can take months to get to know what a church is truly like or “into.” If you are a Christian who has been part of another church, or who has had a bad experience in church, this process can be overwhelming. Thankfully, there is an easier way to begin. Churches tend to fall into denominations or types which are easily discernible since their style and practice is already known. Consequently, by knowing what a church is, or is not, one can be spared much time searching and can avoid unpleasant experiences. Below you will find a list of church types that are common today, with an indication of where Banner of Love Church does or does not fit.

Charismatic Churches

Charismatic churches are a result of the revivals of the last Century. They believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for the church today, hence the name “charismatic” (from the Greek “Charis” meaning gift). Non-charismatic churches generally believe that the gifts were for the First-Century church only. Banner of Love is a Charismatic church.

Non-Denominational Churches

Non-Denominational simply means that the church is not affiliated with any of the traditional denominations. It usually means that the church has come into being within the last fifty years. These churches are generally more modern in style of worship and music, don’t use hymnals, and tend to be more casual in dress. Banner of Love is a Non-Denominational Church.

Seeker-Sensitive Churches

The Seeker-Sensitive church is designed to make people feel comfortable in their “seeking” experience. The intent is for church to be fun and short. This is not a belief taken from the Bible, but rather a modern marketing strategy for church growth. The worship is usually a few songs (or a play) in a concert like performance, replete with flashing lights and smoke. The message is usually about twenty minutes long, is light on Scripture, and heavy on positive themes. You will likely never hear challenging messages on sin, repentance, obedience, or the coming of Jesus. These things are considered crowd busters. Since people flock to a short service, and an entertainment atmosphere, and a guaranteed “upbeat” message, these churches are usually quite large. However, these churches are very lacking in expository Bible teaching or preaching and many of them freely admit they are not making disciples. Therefore, if you want to go all out for Jesus and grow in your walk with Him, you will need more than this. To become a mature believer, you will need solid Bible teaching, times of worship in His presence, and personal ministry and discipling.

Banner of Love is NOT a Seeker Sensitive church. That does not mean we are not sensitive to those who are seeking Christ, or that we don’t care about growth. However, we are unwilling to compromise our corporate worship and the preaching of the Word merely for numbers. Our service consists of approximately fifty minutes of praise and worship with communion, and an hour of preaching the Word. To give space for those who want to bring their unsaved friends, who will only come to a short service, we have a short break in the middle. We also have a two-year Bible School that covers the whole Bible as well as a New Believers class. Besides the opportunity to grow in the Word, there is always time for personal ministry and prayer. We are a church committed to making disciples and equipping the people of God to love Him and do His work!

Hyper Grace Churches

Hyper Grace Churches are fairly new and very popular, although they will not likely identify themselves with this name. They largely tend to be Charismatic and are not an organized group or denomination. They come from a worldwide movement of unbiblical teaching on grace which is referred to as “Hyper Grace.” This is an emphasis on Grace that denies a process of sanctification in the life of the believer. It teaches that when a person receives Christ they become perfect and flawless and don’t need to repent ever again. They say things like, “God doesn’t want to hear about sin anymore,” and “We don’t have a sinful nature,” and that “confessing sin to God is Legalism.” They deny that all the warnings about sin and disobedience in the New Testament saying they are not for believers, including the Sermon on the Mount. Instead they say, we must separate or divide Scripture into that which speaks to our “Pre-Renewed Self” and out “Post-Renewed Self.” Hyper Grace churches talk a lot about the love of God the Father, and are inviting and warm places to be. However, this teaching is heretical (against God’s Word) and we warn all believers to avoid such churches!

Banner of Love is NOT a Hyper Grace Church!
Here at Banner of Love we are very grateful for the unconditional love of the Father, the great grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the wonderful fellowship of the Holy Spirit! We know we are saved by grace and we live through grace, but we also know that there is a process of sanctification and holiness – making us more like Him. Even though we no longer practice sin, the Scripture is clear that Christians still sin and stumble in many ways, and when they do, they need to repent, ask God’s forgiveness, and receive the cleansing of the Blood. Jesus was very clear that we have a choice to obey Him and keep His commandments, or to walk after our own ways and desires. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ and the apostles of Christ does not have God.

 

We Believe

 

We Value

Intimacy with God: We believe that there needs to be an intimate and passionate love for Jesus Christ continually burning in our hearts and a wholehearted pursuit of His presence in our lives individually and corporately. John 17:3 , 1 John 1:3, Rev. 2:4

The Word of God: We believe that the Bible is God’s inerrant word and a guide for our faith and practice. We believe that teaching and preaching the Bible is essential to our growth and character. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. ” 2 Tim 3:16-17

The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is Lord in the church and that we are called to walk in His supernatural power. All believers are exhorted to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to pursue the gifts which He gives for the building up of the church. 1 Cor 14:1, 2 Cor 3:17

Prayer: We believe that prayer is an essential discipline of the spiritual life. No Christian can maintain a healthy relationship with Christ without it. Therefore, we seek communion with God through private and corporate devotional and intercessory prayer. Mt. 6:6, Acts 2:42

Praise & Worship: Praise & Worship are extremely important to us here at Banner of Love. We seek to praise the Lord by publicly declaring His person and deeds and we endeavor to worship Him in corporate celebration and devotion. Ps 2:11, 150: 1-6, John 4:24

Holiness: The Scriptures admonish us to live holy lives that are worthy of the calling we have as Christians. We are to be holy as He is holy. We must be under His Lordship in every area of our lives and a testimony to all. Therefore, we teach and exhort holiness of character and integrity of heart for all ages. 1 Peter 1:14-16

Love: The heart of the Father is full of love for His children and for the world. The Scripture tells us that all of the Law can be summed up in love. Therefore, genuine love for one another must be the underpinning for our relationships and the motivation for everything we say and do. John 15:12, Rom 13:8-10, 1 Cor 13

Evangelism & Outreach: Someone once said that the church is the only organization that exists for those outside of it. This is true. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son and it is not His will that any would perish. We as Christians are called not only to be salt and light to a dark world but to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God. It is our desire at Banner of Love to be an effective witness for Christ in our area and to gather in a harvest of souls for the kingdom. John 3:16, Mt 28:18-20, 2 Peter 3:9