A Vintage Church

Pastor Austin Gardner wrote a good article on his blog about a Vintage Church.  Read the article below:

Clay Reed (Southlake Baptist Church) uses a term that I really like for their new church plant, vintage. You can read all that he wrote about it in part one and part two from his blog. Below are some excerpts that I think are very fitting to our church.

All the following comes from these two articles. I have sought for ways to describe the type of church that I want us to be and think that he does a great job in these two posts. Read and ask questions.

“In a world dizzy with change, people have a deep-seated need to immerse themselves in something ancient and transcendent. Unfortunately, all some churches offer is a splash in whatever hip new trend happens to be stylish. And while that kind of worship can draw a crowd, the heart cries out for something deeper and more authentic.

I like the word “Vintage,” because it says our church is connected with the best of the past.

Not everything from the past, of course, is worth keeping. Not everything is “Vintage.” Some things, over time, wear out. They get stale. They get weak and outdated. They go out of style.

But some things stand the test of time. Classics. They stay strong. They transcend the ages. They’re Vintage.

When we say we are “Vintage” Christians, we conjure up the very best of our past – all the way back to Jesus Christ himself. Strong theology. A strong sense of loving community. A mission emphasis with a call to a crucified life.

Vintage is not a little wade in the kiddie pool of hip, feel-good religion. Vintage is not a passing fad; it is timeless.

Vintage says, “I’m not trying to reinvent Christianity with cheap innovations.” Vintage speaks to a historic body of Bible truth and biblical practice that we treasure, honor, and preserve so it can be handed on to the next generation. Vintage is firmly anchored in God’s Word and Baptist traditions.”

Vintage describes a time-tested theology. Its roots are deep in Scripture – relevant in all generations because it is based on the timeless, unchanging truth of the Gospel. It is a theology passed on to us by our fathers. It is based on something far more profound than feelings or fads. It is very old and very, very deep.

As Baptists, we profess a living faith, a heritage rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” The sole authority for our faith and practice is the Jesus Christ whose will is revealed in Scripture.

Vintage evokes a strong sense of community. It says our church family endeavors to connect with each other, to encourage one another as we continue the mission Jesus began. Over the past quarter century, America has experienced a significant loss of community. In many ways, churches have reduced people to numbers, while Christ commanded us to love people as neighbors.

Vintage speaks to a need for authentic Christianity – Aren’t you tired of the show? Shouldn’t there be somewhere we can go every week that isn’t a performance? A place where we can hear the truth and find real answers? We believe people are looking for a place to hear God’s honest Truth, spoken in love, without the pretense or ritual of empty religion.

Vintage speaks to the need for a simpler Christianity. We live in an over-programmed world. In some ways, this attitude has crept in to our churches. We contribute to the hectic pace of life, rather than giving frazzled people a calm place to encounter the Living God and experience community with one another.

Vintage is timeless and relevant to all generations. We will endeavor to apply the timeless truths of Scripture in timely ways to the challenges of everyday life. It does not grow stale like man-made religion or human philosophy. It is fresh and timeless.

A living faith must experience a growing understanding of truth and be continually interpreted and related to the needs of each new generation. Throughout their history, Baptist bodies – both large and small – have issued statements of faith that succinctly describe a consensus of their beliefs.

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