New to this board

[Methinks]

Hi all, I am not just new to this board, I am new to posting on any board. I have been looking for a discussion group for a long time now. Most of the boards I found on the internet had no new posts for a year or more. Finally I saw this one with current posts. I read and browsed over almost all of this site that I was able to access while waiting to be validated. I am very happy to be able to participate here. I attend a church of the Christian Reformed denomination for about 31 years. It is the only church I have attended. I have been a christian for half my life now. My church has come apart and is down to a small fraction of what it was. In the last several years we had meetings to discuss our problems and how to become a vibrant church. at several meetings I stated that we should put down how we do church and turn to God and ask Him how we should continue. I said we should do this deliberately as a congregation and have one or more Sunday services devoted to this task. The Elders (church leadership) sent a delegation to meet with me and told me that I am disrupting the church and I was not welcome here anymore. I do not attend meetings anymore. I still attend Sunday services every week. I believe that God wants me to stay at this church. Is wanting to have God's input into how we should fix the church an "out in left field" idealism?

I sure enjoyed reading all the different comments on many different topics. I think it is beneficial to hear other views than ones own. Makes for a more flexible rounded person. Thanks for hauling me aboard.

 

[lforrest]

Welcome Methinks,

I'm interested to hear what you have to say about dysfunctional churches, my own church has seen better days.

 

[Angelina]

Hello Methinks

Although I am not from a reformed background, I can relate to the subject of declining church numbers in general. I hope you enjoy your time here @CyB!

Bless you!

 

[Chuckt]

Hi Methinks,

So you were in their church for 31 years and they no longer see themselves as having any responsibility towards you after you made that church your storehouse?

English Standard Version
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:

http://biblehub.com/1_peter/5-1.htm

So you don't have a position in the church but doesn't being a Christian in that Church for 31 years make you an elder age wise? And if you phrased yourself as being an elder in the same manner as Peter in 1 Peter 5:1 then they are acting above you and not as fellow elders especially when they gave you opportunity to speak.

I think the miracle that happened is that you came out of a dead Church.

Chuck

 

[HammerStone]

First off, thanks for your patience and I am sorry that it took so long for your account to be approved! I try and review each account that signs up here, and sometimes that gets me in trouble when I miss it for a day or two.

It's interesting that you mention a dying/struggling church. That seems to be the theme these days. I am into the blogs and publications across the Christian world. Honestly, it does not matter - denominational, non-denominational, Catholic, etc. the complaint seems to always been the same. I'm seeing it regularly being an issue for our community members and even team members.

I wish I knew how to fix it. I've seen all sorts of fixes suggested and undertaken from going back to more traditional/liturgical worship to moving to more contemporary music and services. Unlike many, I am not convinced that either alone is the ultimate fix. In fact, often the fixes have already been tried and found wanting in the first place. Traditional churches are hemorrhaging at times and so are more contemporary ones. I guess I am truly an old soul in a younger body as well.

I do not think your desire for a more vibrant church is a bad thing.

I've been somewhat blessed in that our little church (barely 30 members strong at the lowest) was able to "repot" and change things. Am I always happy with the changes? Not exactly. I struggle because we've chosen (as a body) the contemporary path with some traditional spice, and sometimes I might not be in love with this or that. However, I know some very godly people have come into my life from a variety of backgrounds, many making the same statement that when they came to church in my town, they always felt like outsiders everywhere but at our church. We move from 60-100 per weekend now, but it's safe to say we have 75+ members. We also moved to making a difference in some local lives and helping kids at a close-by rural school. If we went missing tomorrow, I now know some folks would miss us.

I feel like God wants his Church to be in that position. He has chosen to operate through Jesus and then also through His Church.

All of this change of direction came about because we met together as the body, acknowledge that we were dying, and came together literally stating that we are prepared to move where God will move us. I am sorry to say that as much as I know you love your congregation, the attitude that you were met with - after being clearly involved - is one that will not produce a change in direction. My prayers are with you, and I hope we all can chat about this more and pray together that something begins to happen.

I think everything starts with prayer, but God empowers us to act as well, through that prayer.

 

[Methinks]

I still remember how my life was before I became a christian as compared to how it is now. A huge change, huge. One time my mom said she knew I would change, but did I have to change so much? I didn't really think I changed much at all. I like following Jesus and for me it is not routine and does not fit into a set schedule. I worry if my decisions are pleasing to God. I think that each person has an identity with God and each family has an identity with God, made up of the identities of each family member; and each church has an identity with God, made up of the identies of each family within that church. It is relatively easy to hear from God as an individual and then to follow where He wants to lead us. It is not much harder to go there as a family. But it seems that it is very hard for some churches to hear from God and then follow where He is leading. I think the difficulty arises from people having to tight a grip on what is familiar and comfortable, and also from the fact that God does not necessarily give us the complete picture up front, I'm not complaining. I think that in a church, God most probably imparts his vision to several people instead of only to one person.

 

[DanielGarneau]

Welcome Methinks, and thank you for sharing about your situation with Church.

Your post gave rise to an interesting thread on an issue that concerns many of us.

God bless!