What and Who convinced you that you should be added to the Lord’s Church?

Question

I’m doing a survey on current church of Christ members, especially those who were originally members of a denomination (e.g. Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, and etc.). What and who convinced you that you should be added to the Lord’s Church (Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:47) or to become a Christian? Please provide detailed answers. I am hoping that the results from this survey will help develop methods that will improve outreach efforts to bring souls to Christ; especially those who are involved in denominationalism.

Answer 1

The same thing that convinces any other person who becomes a true New Testament Christian, the gospel of Christ.

Just preach the word. (2 Timothy 4:1-4) The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Only the word of God can lead to true faith! (Romans 10:17)

Some people rely on gimmicks. If you "convert" someone with a gimmick, sooner or later someone else will put on a better show. But, if they are converted by sound gospel teaching, nothing better will ever come along!

Now, I know that is not exactly what you were asking, but it is the answer we need to hear!

There are many good methods that can be used. The problem though is getting people to use them!

Probably the best is a friend sitting down with an open Bible!

In the 1970's, a lot of Christians used the Jule Miller filmstrip, The Visualized Bible Study. Many, many were brought to Christ! It gives a good overview of the Bible, showing God's plan for saving man..

This is available now on DVD or VHS, but not many people use it any more. I am convinced if it were used, it would still work! Many times it just sits on a church shelf gathering dust.

The "Searching for Truth" DVD shows promise. It can be viewed on-line (see atached link), or a church can purchase the DVD's for $1 each.

Tracts can also be useful. They can be given out, or used as a study guide for a personal study. They are also helpful for faithful Christians to study various subjects.

If a "Fishers of Men" course is offered where you can attend, I highly recommend it! This course involves extensive study and it teaches Christians how to teach others!

Be sure to take anything taught back to the Bible! No study material is as good as an open Bible in the hand of someone with an open mind!

Don't try to re-invent the wheel. No matter what method you choose, the main thing is to actually use it! Most methods will have some success if they are put into ACTION! No material, even the Bible, will convert anyone while it sits closed on a shelf!

Answer 2

Tasha N. Braggs
Hollywood Street Church of Christ

The person who convinced me to be added to the Lord's Church was my uncle Lester Harden. My Uncle Lester, an elder at Hollywood, was a my father and my best friend.He passed away last year around June.

I was about to be in my senior year at Northwestern State University in Louisiana, and I remember my Uncle Lester loved to ask me questions (He figured I was in journalism that I should always be prepared). I was very faithful to the baptist church...sung in the choir and all the things good old southern baptist do in the baptist church. Even though I was very active, I knew that there had to be something more to this "religion thing." I felt unconnected a little in the baptist church, but I thought if I increased my faith everything would be okay.

My Uncle Lester first invited me to the Church of Christ. I wasn't really feeling it at first because of course no music...that was crazy to me.
After a while Uncle Lester asked me one day that we were spending time together what I thought...and I was honest (I didn't really like it but it was different church style than I was use to). Then, he started telling me about how according to scripture, this was the only church found in the Bible. Of course, I had 10 million questions after that was over! Then, he began to asking me questions like why do we just observe the Lord's Supper once a month or what does the baptist church say about baptism? You know the more questions he asked the more I had no answer to justify them.

Uncle Lester gave me a visual next...he loved to cook and so he explained that salvation was like making cornbread. He said if you take out the cornmeal what do you have? I told him nothing. He said that is how salvation is...you have to have everything in order to be saved. Then, he took me to the scriptures, and I saw first hand that I needed to make a change.

Before I went back to NSU, I got baptized (and my Uncle LL baptized me). And the rest is all history...I am still very faithful to the Lord's Church forever and always.

Answer 3

Well, I'm not sure this will help, because I was really young when I became a Christian. I got most of my teaching in Sunday School and from being a nosy little sister, while a couple of sisters from church were teaching my older sisters. I cannot remember the name of the booklet they used, since it was over 25 years ago, but I also learned from the Fishers of Men courses. You may also want to look at some of the correspondance literature out there. A lot of them are great for teaching and converting.

Answer 4

I'm not sure if I would qualify. I went to the CofC once and sort of liked it. I'm now a Unity Christian. I was a Jehovah's Witness for 20 years.

I realized that I don't have to live in subjection to a church anymore and then I found out that the Bible is fallible and that God doesn't seem to always be perfect. I still believe in God and Jesus. I believe we should follow Jesus' way not Paul's way.

Jesus was such a great teacher. I would love to be just like him. However, I haven't found a fundamentalist church that pleases me because I don't want to hear about hell and armageddon. I want to talk about God's love for us and how he wants us to be more spiritual, righteous, humanitarian and do our best. Love our Father and our neighbor as ourselves.

God is worthy to be praised but there is more to the Christian life than singing about God all the time. The joy comes from a willingness to serve and not a slavery or self-denial at every turn. No fear, shame, or guilt. Only love. Amen.

I should add that this is a lonely walk with no home and lots of persecution from fundies. It makes me wonder if it's worth it to keep trying to be a Christian at all or just believe them when they say that I'm not because I don't believe that Jesus is my savior nor do I believe that he died for me. Just because I don't need him doesn't mean I don't love him.

Answer 5

I've been around church my whole life from 0-3 i was in the Mormon and Catholic churches with my birth parents then when i was 4 I didn't go to church every Sunday but when I did go it was to a Luthrin church with my foster parents. After I moved to California with my adopted parents we went to different types of churches and now we're in the Catholic church.

Answer 6

I was raised in the Church. So I may not be the target you are looking at. However, I learned most of what I know and practice daily from the youth conferences. My best friend's grandfather, the late Bro. Dan Johnson of Northside CoC in Midland, Texas took the time to answer our questions. He took us to the conferences and answered any questions that were not covered. I thank god for that minister and the time he took with young ladies searching for answers. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

I was brought up in the church of christ and baptised when I was twelve years old. I got my teaching from bible classes and the Crusade for Christ and other teachings that are giving withing the church. When i was growing up we had a strong youth group and we did alot with youths within the church from all over. We spent our summers and camp Whispering Pines Christian Camp and alot of our daily activities consist of going to church and making it where the youth was added to activities and this made us want even more teaching.

Answer 8

My parents taught me about God as a young child.My father was a Catholic ,my mother was a Presbyterian.I started going to the First Baptist church in my town as a young child.My mother went with me some times.I read the Bible and I married and then went to church with my husband when he got saved in a Pentecostal church.I`ministered in music and My children grew up in this environment.I knew the word because I read and studied it and I didn`t let any one church lead me in their complete way of thinking.I believe that we the people are Gods church and that Heaven is his throne and the earth is his foot stool.I believe that Jesus is the son of God and that The Holy Ghost was put here among us as our comforter and teacher.I believe that the greatest of all gifts is love.I live my life with hope and with faith.

Answer 9

I would State that God Himself did. I was going threw a divorce and also find my best friend murdered in her home. It was a very emotional tramatic time for me. I was reading my bible and praying daily actually every chance I could. I was not sleeping very well. and i was up reading my bible or listening to christian radio it was the only things bringing me peace at the time. One Morning i felt God telling me to Go home to Kansas. I remember calling my sister and telling her to come and get me because i needed to come home and i could not do it myself. Her and my brother came and moved me within a weeks time. During this time i was working but i can not telling you how i drove to work or even how i did my job. I just know that God was there helping me threw it all. Once I returned home . I immediately started seeking a place to worship. but none of the churches were meeting my spiritaul needs. But God was still there and I felt this strong draw toward a church i knew nothing about. I never heard of the Church of Christ. So I started asking questions about the brick church on the Corner and no one i asked knew about it. So one Sunday morning I just got dress me and my sons and went. I have been a member for 9 years. I heard a lesson that day and every time i am there that puts me closer to God and it has allowed me to grow and Form my own personal relationship with God. It is a church that opens it arms to all those who enter and very involved in community, outreach youth. missonary etc. They have made my family a part of God family from the very first day we entered the door and allowed me to Heal and Learn of Gods love and what Loving and being your brothers keeper really means. God is a Big part of that because he knews what we need and he will always place us where we need to be. We just need to be Listening and following His lead.

Answer 10

When I was young I went to a Baptist church but what really call me out and convinced me to become a follower of Christ was God Himself. I always thought it had to be something bigger that "this" but when He really hit my spirit on the inside of me and begin to move in me and in my life doing what he promised I begin to believe more adamantly in Him. Now I can truly say that He is real. He has proven Himself to me on more than one occasion and I can say that I'm not a Baptist Catholic, Methodist, or Presbyterian..... I AM A BELIEVER! God is not a religion He simply just is. He is the great I AM!