A cowboy church is "really different from a regular church"

We have a few Cowboy Churches around here (We live in Texas afterall! )- it’s a cultural thing I guess. From my experience they are decent churches. The people are GREAT .. Music tends to Southern Gospel - not REAL contemporary - I think that they’ve seen a big uptick in growth because this is how a LOT of REAL ranchers live .. and so many have thought that church means a suit - it’s big news that they can meet God in their bluejeans..

My son attended a “youth group” that met on Tues evenings there - the church is across the street from the High School - and the group was heavily attended by adults as well .. good preaching .. great attitudes .. and reaching roughly 80 - 100 teens a week .. it was a good outreach ..

I like ‘em - probably wouldn’t attend because I don’t get a lot of the culture .. I’m a city girl - who became a country girl .. but I’m not a cowgirl.. laugh..

The North Iowa Area churches associated with IARBC are having a Sportsman’s Adventure September 24th.

http://www.sportsmansadventure.org/ Sportsman’s Adventure

We invite those from the community who spend their time (many on Sunday’s) hunting and fishing. We give away some door prizes,
feed them and share the Gospel with them.

Having something like hunting/fishing or cowboying as a common connection with people give us opportunity to share the gospel with them.

An acquaintance of mine, (he’s decidedly Pentecostal) told me about an outreach his church did down in Texas. I wonder if any of our fundamentalist churches would try something like this?

I’m quoting from the account he wrote of the event.

Cowboy Campmeeting
The ropings were a huge success. They were both team ropings. The Saturday morning roping was a four steer average with a nice saddle for 1st in the average, in addition to the prize money. There were nearly 300 teams entered.

The Saturday night roping was a progressive and what we refer to as a “church roping.” It’s an annual tradition at Cowboy Campmeeting. It’s a money-added, open roping. The church put up $3000 this year. The entry “fee” is that the ropers have to attend the church service just prior to the roping. As Pastor Butch said to them at the start of the service, “There’s no catch and we aren’t trying to hide anything. It’s simple as this: I’ve got a God so good and a message so powerful that I’ll pay you to listen to what I have to say because I know that if you listen, you’ll want to know my God and He’ll change your life.” The pot is increased by the offering in that service. Pastor Butch said, “We’re not trying to get anything from ya. Every dollar in this offering goes into the pot for the roping and we’ll let you know at the end of the service how much it is.” This year it was a bit over $2100, so the roping had a $5000+ pot.

It works. Cowboys (and a few cowgirls) come from miles around and even other states for a shot at all that free money. Every year there are testimonies from some that are back because they had a life changing encounter with God in some prior year. The fun part is that the ropers think it’s too good to be true. Pastor said they were still coming up to him during the roping saying, “When’s the other shoe drop? There’s gotta be a catch.” I think there were over 200 teams in that one and it didn’t finish until almost midnight.
I don’t believe we have to compromise our message too reach groups of people who are not traditionally attracted to Sunday morning service in a “church building”.

And as long as the Truth of Scripture is being preached, lives are being changed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and people are changing from their wicked ways to walk in newness of life, I got no problem with “cowboy church”.

Friends on SI, I am seriously thinking about changing my name to Tex and becoming an evangelist for the cowboy churches.

What do you all think about that?

[Pastor Joe Roof] Friends on SI, I am seriously thinking about changing my name to Tex and becoming an evangelist for the cowboy churches.

What do you all think about that?
This is from the guy who wouldn’t name his son Slate. :)

[Pastor Joe Roof] Friends on SI, I am seriously thinking about changing my name to Tex and becoming an evangelist for the cowboy churches.

What do you all think about that?
C’mon down - I’ve got three or four churches I could point you to!

We are thinking about a “Grade B Martial Arts Fan Movie Church”. In every sermon, my lips will begin moving before sounds come out, and continue moving after I finish speaking.

[Mike Durning] We are thinking about a “Grade B Martial Arts Fan Movie Church”. In every sermon, my lips will begin moving before sounds come out, and continue moving after I finish speaking.

Thank you Pastor Mike “Chan” Durning. Your statement has me sitting here in my office laughing.

I assume their favorite Bible character would be cowboy Amos:
Amos 1:1
The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa… (NASB)

-------
Greg Long, Ed.D. (SBTS)

Pastor of Adult Ministries
Grace Church, Des Moines, IA

Adjunct Instructor
School of Divinity
Liberty University

[Greg Long] I assume their favorite Bible character would be cowboy Amos:
Amos 1:1
The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa… (NASB)
Everyone knows real cowboys can’t stand sheepherders!

Why is it that my voice always seems to be loudest when I am saying the dumbest things?

[Chip Van Emmerik]
[Greg Long] I assume their favorite Bible character would be cowboy Amos:
Amos 1:1
The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa… (NASB)
Everyone knows real cowboys can’t stand sheepherders!
You are absolutely right, Chip…I am a city slicker!

-------
Greg Long, Ed.D. (SBTS)

Pastor of Adult Ministries
Grace Church, Des Moines, IA

Adjunct Instructor
School of Divinity
Liberty University

Does anyone else not see a problem besides John Brian and me? Take out cowboy and insert “young urban hipsters in their twenties,” and everyone would have a conniption. The church should be striving to be somewhat diverse, or at least as diverse as it’s neighborhood.

[Shaynus] The church should be striving to be somewhat diverse, or at least as diverse as it’s neighborhood.
The Bible makes no such command or implies no such standard. Now, Cowboy Church maybe have its problems but it seems to me your responding prescription fails just as easily.