Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Churches.

My whole 27 years here on earth I have been in a few churches. Lets count them up and see why I had to leave.
Birth - about 4 or 5 Church 1. I dont know why we left here. I have never asked. Hmm..
4 or 5 - about 8 or 9. Church 2. Dont remember much about leaving this church either. I think something happened and the Pastor left and mom and dad did not like the new pastor. I was saved at that church.
8 or 9 - 11 or 12. Church 3. The week after we joined the Pastor resigned. Red flag number one. Red flag number 2 came when we realized the deacons ran this church. Mom and dad worked alot during those years and I spent a lot of time with my grandparents at thier church. Should I count that as a church. Lets and call it church 4. We left church 3 when the pastor and music minister were run off by the deacons and another man stood up in the business meeting and called my best friend's dad out into the parking lot. My dad stood up and said my family is outta here and not coming back. We followed. Church 4 I left because my mom and dad were back home and so were we. Thus began my aversion to business meetings.
12ish - 17 Church 5. Left here when Pastor told his wife he did not love her anymore and walked out. I was close to this family and felt the whole thing. Also had people teaching the youth who were on the brink of divorce and fought constantly. They did not like me a bit, mainly because up until they showed up I was the one running the youth group and because they talked down to us and fought all the time people still looked to me (the oldest youth) as the leader. It was a difficult time for our church and I was not sticking around to see it. I was done.
18-22 Church 6. I sat through some gory business meetings here. Should the pastor step down because his ADULT son was arrested? Should the music minister, whose wife and family is completly out of control and who refuses to show up for meetings and other church events be kept around? By the way yes, the Pastor should stay. No, the music minister needs to find another calling in life. IMO. There were more issues there but those are the ones I remember. The next big thing in our church life there was the homeless people for crying out loud!! There was a homeless ministry to women and children that area churches were taking up. Basically for one week these people slept at your church. During the day they were out getting job help. Some of the people in this church thought this would be a blemish to the church. UNBELIEVEABLE! The church got it voted in and then the neighbors (some of them church members) got it blocked by city council. NICE. Glad Im not going to be one of the ones answering to God on that one. I was all for it. Anyways, the church and its AMAZING pastor withstood both of those things. I love that man and his wife. They are saints in my book. Hubby and I left not long after marriage to find our "adult" church. We wanted a church were we were seen as husband and wife. Also we wanted one closer to home.
22-present church 7. Is it time to say goodbye to this church? Looks like the time is drawing near. I want to find a church were I can get lost. I dont want to be in the "core" group anymore. Im sick of it! Now, I have kids to think about. I want my kids to grow up in a church. I never had that. I always wanted the bond that kids have who have known each other in the church setting their whole lives. I want my kids to have that. Now, because of immaturity and a lack of leadership my kids are not going to have that. Im just sick!

The End.

3 comments:

  1. ooohhhh.....you don't sound very happy! What happened?

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  2. I will be praying as you make this decision. My husband and I have been married for almost 17 years and we have been in 3 churches in that 17 years, each time we've changed churches, it was because of a move. Our last church certainly had problems, but we were not willing to jump ship, we desired to be a part of the solution. Is that something that maybe the Lord is leading you to in your present situation? I will be praying for you!!!!

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  3. Lori, I wish we could stay. That was actually our original plan and things may change in the immediate future to make that happen. Our problem is actually with the leadership of the church. I cant go into much more than that. Thanks for the prayer and encouragement though.

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