families and pendulums
My middle-aged friend was struggling to value his local church. He was raised in a home that emphasized a personal relationship with God but didn’t care much for organized religion. When his parents were younger, their church had stopped preaching the gospel, so they became suspicious of all churches. They passed their skepticism on to their son. I’m hoping he won’t overcorrect and allow corporate worship to replace his own time in prayer and reading God’s Word.
be patient
If you had the opportunity to handpick the members of your local church or small group, would you choose people who always . . .
you choose Q: i'm feeling restless in my local church, what should I do?
Q: I am personally battling an issue of restlessness, and by that I mean my soul is restless, my spirit seems restless and I am contemplating leaving my home church. Not because of the people or the size, but because I am seeking to go higher in God and right now I don't feel the connect (fire) there that I…
January 6, 2014
How are you encouraged by what’s happening in your local church?
leaving church
Poised at the door of the church auditorium, I hesitated. Why? I realized that I didn’t want to go to church. It’s not that I didn’t want to go to any church at all. I simply no longer wanted to go to this church. My wife felt the same way. A few weeks later, after 20 years as members, we made the agonizingly painful decision to leave. But leaving is not the same as quitting.
amenities
Amenities. Surprisingly, I heard someone use that word in describing a church they had chosen to attend. I understood that the individual was referring to the different ministries the church had to offer, but I was also reminded of the big difference between a fishing boat and a cruise liner.
experiencing community
Respondents to a recent Barna Group survey listed the following as key elements of their church life: connecting with God, experiencing transformation, gaining new insights, and feeling cared for. All of those things happen as individual believers come together and use their gifts to bless and edify one another.
October 15, 2012
What should be your aim and attitude in your involvement in your local church?
the Lord's house
My local church finally moved into our own building. After more than 10 years of renting, our first meeting in the new building was a prayer gathering. The leaders of our congregation prayed that we would always be a people who seek God.
In 1 Kings 9 Solomon had finally completed the building of the magnificent temple. For 400 years…
protect this house
When Under Armour® wanted athletes to notice its new brand of sweat-wicking clothing, the upstart company marketed its apparel with the tag line, “Protect This House.” The slogan was a hit, for it implied that Under Armour transformed athletes into gladiators who fiercely defended their home turf.
I thought of this motto as I read in the newspaper about a…
go, make, disciple, teach, give
My church is in the process of a transformation. We’re working toward shedding some dead weight. We’re trying to become more outwardly focused—putting our energy into where Christ called us to put it, into our Jerusalem, our Samaria, and to the world. We’re evaluating our programs and budget and making sure we’re being good stewards of the resources of time,…
