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- I am new here<\/a><\/li>\n
- What does it mean to be a Christian<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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I am new here<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nSomeone once said that people are very open for new things as far as they are just like the old ones. Change often frustrates and even confuses us. If you\u2019ve never been to our church chances are that many things will look unfamiliar to you. Probably you have many questions. Here are the answers of some frequently asked questions.<\/p>\n
How should I dress?<\/strong><\/p>\n
There is no requirement that people should wear formal wear. Clothing can be casual but still we have to dress modestly and decently. We encourage you not to wear scanty or skin-tight clothes. Thus we show our reverence to God and our respect to the other believers.<\/p>\n
Do I have to make the sign of the cross at entering?<\/strong><\/p>\n
At \u201cNew Life\u201d you don\u2019t have to cross yourself at entering, leaving or during special prayers. Still, if you are used to make the sign of the cross, feel free to do it. The sign of the cross symbolizes the cross of Christ. \u0422he three fingers put together stand for the Holy Trinity, whereas the two folded fingers symbolize our faith in Jesus Christ who had two natures on earth \u2013 Godly and human, God and man. Therefore, without faith in God and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior our sign of the cross would be just an empty ritual.<\/p>\n
What is a typical worship service like?<\/strong><\/p>\n
The Bible says that our worship should be done with spirit and truth and is a manifestation of our belief and not following empty rituals. That\u2019s why most probably you won\u2019t see opulent decoration, icons and priests wearing black robes. You won\u2019t hear sermons and prayers in archaic language either. What will you see then?<\/p>\n
We sing songs in contemporary Bulgarian language to God so as to show Him that we love Him and worship Him. We pray with all our hearts for Bulgaria, our friends and each other to show that God\u2019s love is alive in us. We read, study and preach God\u2019s Word so that it would dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16).\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
What time does<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0your\u00a0worship service start<\/strong><\/em>?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
Our worship service is conducted every Sunday. It starts at 11 am and lasts about an hour and a half. After the service we stay on to have fellowship at a cup of tea or coffee. On the first Sunday of the month we have lunch together.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
What about kids?<\/strong><\/p>\n
If you have kids and have no babysitter available we have taken care of this. There is a children\u2019s Sunday school at BPC \u201cNew Life\u201d. Attendance is free of charge. Every Sunday after the songs we sing and before the sermon you can take your child or children to the Sunday school room. If necessary you can stay for some time there until your kids get used to it. Our experienced Sunday school teachers will make sure through crafts, drawing and songs that all kids are having fun and learning something new from God\u2019s Word.<\/p>\n
Jesus says: \u201cJesus said,\u00a0\u201cLet the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs\u00a0to such as these.\u201d (Matthew 19:14). We believe that only God\u2019s word can teach children how to distinguish good from evil and keep them from the fate of many youths who are going down the road of sin.<\/p>\n
Where are the icons?<\/strong><\/p>\n
Usually you won\u2019t see icons at our churches. There are two reasons why. First, God is a Spirit and cannot be depicted graphically. The Bible says that true worship involves \u201cspirit and truth\u201d, i.e. with faith in the heart and a life committed to God. Moreover, the second of the Ten Commandments forbids worship of icons (Exodus 20:4). This, of course, does not mean that we don\u2019t appreciate art. It only means that we know how to distinguish worship of God from adoration of the artist\u2019s talent.<\/p>\n
Must I give money to the church?<\/strong><\/p>\n
The attendance of our worship service is completely free of charge. You don\u2019t have to pay entrance fee or for the pastor to pray for you, or for your kid to attend the Sunday school. As Jesus reminds us, \u201cFreely you have received; freely give.\u201d (Matthew 10:8). At the same time, if you want you can leave a donation in the money box. The money goes for the maintenance of the church building and for conducting initiatives.<\/p>\n
You have more questions?<\/strong><\/p>\n
Write to newlifevarna@abv.bg or call +359894483341.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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What does it mean to be a Christian?<\/h1>\n
Some people think that to be a\u00a0Christian<\/a>\u00a0means you go a couple of times to church a year to light up a candle or pray before exams. For others it means you can’t see movies, that you can’t dance, can’t have a drink, or that you can’t have any more fun. That isn’t true. \u00a0Christianity isn’t about rules and regulations to follow. \u00a0It is about a relationship with the Lord\u00a0Jesus<\/a>\u00a0Christ.<\/p>\n
In the Old Testament times God gave the Law which had to be followed precisely. \u00a0There were instructions about clothes, food, what you could or could not do on the Sabbath, what you had to do in the temple, how priests were to carry out their functions, how strangers were to be treated, how people were to be punished, etc. \u00a0All these things were to be observed properly and precisely since all of them affected their standing before God.\u00a0 That was in Old Testament times, but now we have Jesus and the requirements of the Law are no longer necessary for us in order to please\u00a0God<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Being a Christian means that you are changed on the inside, not controlled from the outside. \u00a0It means that your heart has been changed by the presence of God. \u00a0It does not mean that you are required to go to church, required to pay tithes, required to be good, required to do anything in order to stay a Christian. \u00a0It means you desire to do those things because you’ve been changed.<\/p>\n
Regeneration<\/h2>\n
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- What does it mean to be a Christian<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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