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The Differences I’m Thankful For
I’m thankful for the:
- Social conscious of the United Methodists.
- Emphasis on being born again from the Baptists.
- Focus on holiness from the Nazarenes.
- Power of the Holy Spirit in the Charismatics.
- Evangelistic hearts of the seeker sensitive leaders.
- Message of grace from the Lutherans.
- Attention to right doctrine from the Bible Church leaders.
- Heartfelt worship from Pentecostals.
- …and much more more!
I’m thankful that God uses different Christian Churches as His light in a dark world!
What are some of the differences you’re thankful for?
Visit 
I am thankful that even though I come from a big church with a contemporary look, sound and feel, God uses me in this Military community with numerous roles in a small, Baptist church.
I like it!
I am grateful for the Assembly of God Church reaching the hurting and the sick!!
Non-Denominational - for welcoming everyone.
Purpose Driven - for pointing people to their God given purpose.
For church leaders that have cool blogs to glean great ideas from.
I’m thankful that our community has different opportunities for my neighbors to attend the church of their choice.
I grew up in the Catholic Church and I am in awe of the reverence they have for God. God is God!
I’m thankful for Charismatic enthusiasm, Catholic architecture, and Lutheran potlucks!
I’m thankful for the attention to the sacriments of the Charismatic Episcopals.
I’m thankful for the love of the scriptures of the Baptists and Presbyterians
I’m thankful for the attention to holiness of Pentacostals
I’m thankful for the attention to serving the poor of Emerging/Emergents
Lex, You made me laugh with the potlucks!
Amen!
First, I read this blog everyday through the RSS feed. I thank God for the content and daily inspiration.
I am thankful for a country where all of us can still worship in our own buildings, free of danger and persecution,
and
Baptist Fried Chicken!!! uuummmm uuummmm good!
Well put Craig,
I love seeing the unity that glorifies God. Thanks for emphasizing the importance of unity. One of my managers says, “the devil uses division to keep Christians from fulfilling the Great Commission. Through unity we will always move forward.”
I’m thankful that other denominational church around us are able to reach people that our style won’t reach. I truly see us working together. In fact I pray for every church I pass on the way to services each weekend. I pray that God uses them to reach the people we can’t reach. If you have a heart to build God’s kingdom, you won’t ever feel like you are competing. One Prayer changed my outlook as a pastor.
Thanks Craig!
It makes me think, too, of the great contributions we’ve received from various cultures and races. I’m thinking the Italians are the potluck frontrunners!
God bless His church, in whatever form or culture it takes!
I am thankfull the church I grew up spiritually in put such an emphasis on Bible. Even though that can be carried too far, the one thing it did instill in me is that God speaks louder than we do. It is His word, His mind, and not ours. When stuff between us starts happening which it always does and has, we can turn to a sure word that can help even when we can’t stand each other. It speaks to all of us no matter what our traditional background is or was. God is, of course bigger than even His word, but I can’t tell you how thankful I am for it; so precious a gift.
This week’s topic reminds me of how Paul felt in Philippians 1:18: The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice…
In our former community each church had different strengths and if you could mix them together in one pot, you would come out with a well balanced “complete package”.
I am thankful for the Vineyard Churches and there heart for serving.
This is a great post!! I’m thankful for parachurch organizations and their work for the lost!!
I am thankful for the sweet meaningful hymns I carry with me since the time I was a kid in an Episcopal school.
I also appreciate the Catholics for always envisioning the church as something global from the very beginning.
I love the way Baptist give so aggressively to fund global missions.
I’m thankful for the passion for Church Planting with the Evangelical Free Church.
Coming from a charismatic background… I really LOVE some of the powerful liturgies and reverence found in catholic churches. My favorite experience was at a huge catholic late night mass in San Pedro Sula - I felt so compelled to draw closer to God.
Thanks for this post. I never really thought of things like that. I never really liked the different denominations because I felt like they took away from the “one body” aspect of the church. This is really interesting though. I need to reevaluate.
Ryan, I’m with you. I’m not big into denominations at all, but acknowledge God works through them in different ways.
I am thankful for all church leaders who focus on Jesus and do not allow minor doctrinal differences divide the body. I’m thankful for you, Craig!!
I giggled once at a Community-Wide Thanksgiving Service held at a Church of Christ - the pastor commented that the refreshments would be in different places throughout their fellowship hall according to different denominational beliefs. For example, the Baptists would find theirs as close to the punch, so they could fully dunk their cookies before eating, the Methodists would only be allowed cookies with sprinkles, the Church of Christ members would find theirs back in the sanctuary, far away from the piano in their fellowship hall. And then, I thought, how sad. In heaven, we’ll all be together worshipping and praising God (emphasis on TOGETHER). May we all start focusing on the positives each of our ministries bring for the sake of the kingdom! Thanks for a great week of posts, Craig!
Just imagine if the church were one! I’m thankful for the hope that that will one day happen. Peace.
I am thankful for the diversity within our denomination. It is easy to shun those not just like us - but we are moving towards embracing and celebrating the varied in our midst. We have some great thinkers and some great doers! Some missional, some urban, some seeker sensitive, many with passionate spirituality, mega and small churches and all of us celebrating the diversity of our church family within the greater family of the God’s Kingdom.
I am thankful for the door to door evangelism and bus ministry in the 70’s that hauled us kids to church leading to the salvation of Mom and Dad.
I am thankful for the move of the Holy Spirit in pentecostal faith communities where I grew in courage to witness.
Now, I am thankful for the Mennonites and their focus on peace and reconciliation.
I am thankful that I am Mennocostal….so I can catch the “peaceful spirit!”
[...] Shared a link on Google Reader. The Differences I’m Thankful For [...]
[...] Awesome post from Lifechurch.tv about differences in each church to be appreciated. Check it out here. [...]
This mindset is so foreign to everything I’ve really learned throughout life…
I LOVE that God is using this to open my eyes to the truth of what He really wants for His Church!
Think about it! WHAT WILL HE DO THROUGH US LEADERS IN THE NEXT 60 YEARS>>??
We’ll be so on fire together and achieve so much more! But enough of what I think, let God give you the vision for the rest!
i am thankful for the sweet hymns, sincere fellowship, missions-minded efforts, and the fifth-sunday singing/potlucks i was surrounded by in the southern baptist tradition. :] i am thankful i attend a university with this affiliation, and i am also thankful i get to experience/serve at the edmond campus of lifechurch.tv at the same time. i am learning so much of how these two establishments do not have to be so different, and how i have found deep delight in them both.
I am thankful… for the beautiful liturgy of the Episcopals, the stain glass, chanting, and incense from the Greek Orthodox, the hymnals in the Catholic parishes, the acappella singing in the church of Christ, the gentle caring hearts of the Lutherans, the openness of the Non Denominational and the understanding of the Evangelical Covenant.
I am thankful that God has calmed my heart and helped me to see all these places as wonderful institutions that lead my brothers and sisters to our loving God.
Well this Adventist is thankful for Craig’s blogs each week!
I’m grateful for the diversity of denominations and the unique light that each one illuminates on aspects of faith that we otherwise would not have ever seen with our denominational blindfolds.
I’m thankful for iTunes, which is how I first discovered Lifechurch.tv and thankful that God uses cutting edge technology to reach people through lifechurch.tv
I’m thankful for my wife, who stumbled upon the lifechurch.tv podcast one summer day:)
My first day viewing swerve and it is truly inspirational. God bless you all
Thankful for an unbiased Church leader that posts a positive message that allows us to appreciate each other and remember we are ALL part of the Kingdom.
Way to to Craig!!
thanks. perfectly what I needed to see. I needed this for a bit of hope in our churches!
[...] others in building the kingdom. Here’s what I mean: In one post this week entiteld, “The Differences I’m Thankful For” Groeschel had this to [...]
The best blog post I’ve read. Amen!
[...] For - LifeChurch.tv : swerve Posted by on stycznia 8, 2009 in Uncategorized | Subscribe nieznany wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptYou can leave a response, or [...]
[...] Craig Groeschel points out, and Matt Judkins comments on, Methodists are often commended for their “social [...]
I am thankful for an online community of Christians. I am a shut in disabled woman with no outside friends and no church. I praise God for the internet!!