Growing up in my day, us Baptists "did" Church ... it was something we did. Doing Church was attending as many Church meetings as we could each week. The Church was the building and we "did Church" in our building. The building; White, cross on top; inside there were pews, podium, track rack, and a communion table ... and a sincere preacher who didn't make sense to us kids.
Our Church, like most Evangelical Churches, was "centripetal" to the core ... so our Christianity was pretty well self serving, simple and enjoyable.
Just maybe we could whirl some non-Christians our way and get 'em saved.
'Doing Church' gave you a good feeling. Every meeting had it's rewards; Bibles, singing and high calorie fellowships.
On occasion we had Revivals. We hired a good revivalist and he brought the revival banner ... Invitations went out to come to our Church and be saved and become like us. Sit, listen. study and pay tithe.
Learn to 'do Church!' and do it well.
Purpose of the Church? On occasion the purpose of the Early Church in the New Testament was taught but pretty well limited to history.
So our purpose ended up, well "doing Church."
'Doing Church' was much easier than 'Doing the Gospel'.
In Sunday school we were carefully schooled on what Christians couldn't do. NO fellowship with the worldly people and their pleasures. Dancing, parties, worldly music, and no shows. No alcohol or smoking. So we were known in the community ... for what we didn't.
And we didn't do a lot!
