Unwritten, yet commonly understood rules/standards/beliefs that your church has?

[Heirbyadoption]

It's interesting how different Christian cultures develop.

In Colombia, S.A., there is a Christian group that practices non-violence, modest dress, head-covering for women, disciplined church life, etc. I don't think they have much written down. (And yes, believe it or not, they never had any influence from Anabaptists.

In most disciplined churches with these sorts of convictions, there is an invisible fence around the communion table. At communion time, a visitor finds out who is inside the fence and who is outside unless they find out through inquiry ahead of time.

At the church in Colombia, there is an actual waist-high chain link fence about 3/4 of the way back through the auditorium. Members sit in front of the fence, non-members and the excommunicated sit behind the fence. This may seem really bizarre but I have no problem with it.

Only Christians from other churches who meet the dress code can sit in front of the fence. The dress code for men is a red shirt and white/light pants and no red socks. (wearing red socks could give the impression that one is trampling underfoot the blood of Jesus.)

Some Nationwide Fellowship Mennonites visited the church and were allowed to sit in front of the fence wearing dark pants, since they were foreigners and unused to the church's customs.

Other neat things about this group of churches is that one of pastors try to check in with each member of the flock each day to make sure they are doing ok. Westerners might think this is overboard, but I love it. It is the opposite of what most pastors do that I am familiar with.

I tend to think of myself as pretty open to different ways of practice, but this one repels my spirit pretty strongly...

The fence or the daily interrogation?

The fence. I live in a land of visible membership "fences" here in southern PA, so I'm not unfamiliar with the concept, but that really does seem to take it to a whole new level.

[steve-in-kville]

One church we were a part of had segregated seating for the front 2/3 of the pews, but after that point it was a free for all. There were families that intentionally come late to services so they would "have to" sit in the back third.

[Heirbyadoption]

One church we were a part of had segregated seating for the front 2/3 of the pews, but after that point it was a free for all. There were families that intentionally come late to services so they would "have to" sit in the back third.

That's quite a different concept from a literal fence between members and everybody else, but we do have some of what you describe within our congregations, a bit by default and out of respect for those who wish to sit separate. It varies by the congregation, but would be what I grew up with for the most part. Unlike putting up a fence, allowing room for that sort of differing conviction doesn't bother me at all (at least as long as it doesn't become a Sneetches issues). Anywho, maybe that's enough said by me about the fence thing, lol... Perhaps its time for another thread on the pros/cons of gender- or age- segregated seating in church.