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Are altar calls passe or a thing of the past? I posted the following elsewhere and was surprised at the response. Would be interested to hear your thoughts...I went to an Encounter Tour with Lysa Terkeurst meeting this week, and it was a great service. (We had free tickets but the cost was $33.) They had praise & worship at the beginning & end and in between segments. They had a sermon early on with Levi Lusko and another segment with a lady that promoted Compassion International. Lysa's sermon was really good. But I was astounded that there was no altar call at the end - of any kind! No salvation appeal, no come forward if you're struggling with this...it ended with a worship song and keep this in your heart as you go... The service was in a local charismatic church, around 3000 people. Well planned & executed...this just blew my mind. Do other churches operate this way? My daughter & I were kind of like, What's the point? More of Him...less of me.twitter.com/camiracle77www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=691241499&ref=name

Preaching the Gospel forces a decision

To accept or reject.Men and brethren, what can we do?

many moons ago,

when I had to try out, after the message a time of Q & A followed and I was asked the following, Do you give altar calls?I responded, no, I didn't but the Holy Spirit does. I continued by stating that no amount of manipulation, cajoling, and/or emotional appeal to get a response can replace, nor should replace, the work of the Holy Spirit.They were satisfied and voted to accept me as pastor The HammerMi kamocah ba'elim AdonaiWho is like you, Adonai, among the mighty? (Exodus 15:11

Re: many moons ago,

Re: many moons ago,

Not maqqebet obviously, but I started going to a more reformedish church a year and a half ago and they approach salvation the same way. They passionately preach the gospel, talk about trusting in believing in Christ for salvation, and then after every message there's an opportunity to sing in response to the word, and then they give the benediction and dismiss. Usually during the benediction they'll let people know that some of the pastors will be at the front if they have any questions about Jesus, etc.This took a little to get used to, as I have attended altar call churches my whole life, but I honestly think it is a much more effective approach. The decision to believe in Christ is not an emotionally charged decision made in the moment -- it's a considered decision, made by someone who has counted the cost, perhaps over weeks or even months. And in my personal opinion, that results in stronger disciples and many fewer false conversions.I understand the concern that someone may die and face their eternal fate somewhere over the course of those weeks or months, but God is sovereign, and if He is working in someone's heart to save them, I think we owe Him the trust that He will sustain their life in the meantime. On top of that, what good does it do if we, out of fear, push them psychologically to make an emotional decision to come to an altar, if that doesn't result in genuine conversion? If they die over the course of those weeks or months, their fate will be the same.My church does give altar calls from time to time for particular needs as the Spirit leads, but this is almost always oriented toward supplication for believers. At other times the pastors will ask people who are facing a particular need the Holy Spirit has highlighted to stand, so others in the congregation can gather around them to pray. I really like this approach as well, as it emphasizes the reality of the priesthood of the believers.

I don't know just how it started, but it has been dramatically effective. I did not get saved in an altar (I was saved at the pew), but so many HAVE been saved that way that it cannot be discounted as an instrumental part of the (at least) American evangelicalism.At some point, there was a slow move from the traditional altar call...to just coming forward and standing around the front. The pastor might walk through the people praying for them, or it might simply be the people stood and prayed. Nothing wrong with that...except I think that this come to the front thing likely began when pastors would give the altar call, no one would come forward, so an general call the front took place. It might have also been a way of making it easier for people to come forward that would not have come forward otherwise.Along with coming forward, pastors began to do the Sinner's Prayer thing. Used to be, when people came forward, it was organic/authentic in the way they reached out to God--and utterly effective. I have seen people come to the altar, needing to pray through, and someone waste the moment by spending the entire time talking to that person. (In a Baptist Church I visited, it was an exceptional service, and people came forward, weeping, to be saved. But upon kneeling, immediately a deacon/deaconess(?) would get them to stop praying while he/she showed them scripture after scripture. It was a largely wasted effort, as the chance for true connection to God passed by.Even at Camp Meeting (I'm speaking of Wimauma, Florida, as I know precious little about the others), it used to be that after a service, the altars would be in use for HOURS, often until the wee hours of the morning, as people continued to pray. Today, we usually walk forward and pray (some may kneel on the steps of the platform). It's just went that way for some reason. Still great services, but no altar call, for the most part.In my own church, the people had gotten out of the habit of going to the altar. Also, I am a very poor hand at giving an altar call. For a while, we'd do the whole come to front and stand and pray thing. But I finally told my congregation that I am going to be in the altar every service. If no one joins me, fine. But I'm praying. And I do. And they join me. After altar time, I usually ask if anyone wants special prayer, to which 10 or so of the neighborhood children respond most of the time. I don't know what they want, but they must want something of the Lord, and HE DOES KNOW. Also, their parents--most of whom are not saved--will sometimes accompany them.

I agree that each church has to do what is right for them. I totally get that. I understand that what works at one church may not work at another, and we each have to find our way of doing things.I just don't understand how people are ministered to. Probably because I am the leader of the prayer ministry at our church, it stands out to me. The whole point of going to church is to draw closer to God, to be encouraged, and to gain strength in Him, to learn more about Him, and to experience His presence. Or to receive salvation if you don't know the Lord. I just don't understand how that happens without altar ministry and prayer.My point wasn't really to criticize them. I just don't get it. Honestly, I've never seen it done like this before More of Him...less of me.twitter.com/camiracle77www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=691241499&ref=name