A good Christian church or faith group should: 1. Welcome: all people without discrimination based on race, ability/disability, faith, politics or sexuality. 2. Empower: people to better cope with all areas of life; relationships, family, studies, work, and leisure. 3. Be Inclusive: open and welcoming to others, their talents and abilities; not an exclusive clique that only embraces “it’s own”. 4. Be Non-Authoritarian: its government should not depend upon hierarchical leadership where any person or group is recognized as having a divine right to rule or exclusive understanding of the will of God. 5. Respect all literature, the arts, and scientific research and discovery. 6. Recognize that in seeking to know and worship an all knowing, all powerful God there will always be far more we don’t know than we do. 7. Have the Bible as its basis, particularly the person of Christ as revealed in the four Gospels, and hold to the Greatest Commandment “Love God, yourself and your neighbour”. (Matthew 22:36-40) David Ayliffe http://www.goodsects.com.au/page3.php?post=1 **** To which I'd add: I'd suggest adding something about Jesus, the Heart of God/ the Living Word/Revelation of God. Shalom! Rowland
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