Last night my beloved and i were supposed to enjoy an evening with friends coming over for dinner. Unfortunately one of our friends rolled her ankle (it looked like a small grapefruit), so we took the meal to their house. We ended up spending the evening discussing things of our church and our search for another church "home". 
One thing that kind of sunk in as i woke up this morning. The church is not a business. Too many times i am hearing things like "seeker services" or "but our numbers are up". Last night as i reviewed how things were being addressed regarding our current situation it just 'smells like' a business plan. I want to review some things and really look to see if the issue at the heart of it all was being addressed... sin. Too often 'difficulties' are dealt with in an indirect way. People turn to gossip and innuendo in the hopes that someone else will deal with the "problem". 
To my shame i know that to at least a small degree either i have, or my family has, been a part of this. Although there is now an effort to deal with the issue in an upfront manner, it has thus far been seen as nothing more than an inconvenience and/or a larger example of gossip run amok. I am not privy to the inner workings of the Deacons, or the Pastoral team so i am not really sure how things are being dealt with. There are concerns of mine that are not just personal preference, but i am not in a position to share them. Either learn how i am wrong, or being able to help another brother grow. Either way the body of Christ is edified and made stronger.
Speaking of which, i have been downloading sermons from the church i had wanted before i moved to where i live now. It is a sister church to Covenant Life Church. Before i moved to where i live now i drove with my family 45 minutes from Frederick to Gaithersburg every Sunday, and twice a month for caregroup meetings. Covenant Life was the church i was saved into back in August of 1989 (back then they met in a High School auditorium). 
Eventually God placed it on my heart to write a note asking that the pastors of Covenant Life, and the team of Sovereign Grace Ministries, to consider a church plant in Frederick, MD. To make a long story short, and to also note that i was nothing more than perhaps a footnote, the church plant in Frederick took place after we moved away. *chuckle* Sovereign Grace Church of Frederick was born! Although my family and i were not able to attend there, i rejoiced in seeing the church being born for an area i had felt God give me a burden for (even if it was not a burden for me to be a part of). 
With all of the wandering my family and i have been doing in regards to our church home of late i began to download sermons from this relatively young church. Today as i was downloading this past Sunday's sermon (titled "The Atonement: Confidently Waiting for Glory") i decided to look up the directions to where they meet. I knew it was too far to go weekly, but perhaps some Sunday i could just visit... i found out they meet at the Tusorora High School... within sight distance of my old house! LOL God is awesome.
Well to tie it together, lest people think i am a hopeless rambler, i have been considering picking up the quill once more to petition for yet another church plant. Obviously closer to where i currently live. I am struggling with the fear of man here. You might think the opposite is true, but i am concerned with how the letter will be received... what the readers will think of me (the two intended receipients thus far, both knew me once)... whether my request will be rejected or rebuffed. And yet this desire, perhaps a burden, has been felt by me since at least 1991. I know that sounds odd, but i have struggled and stumbled over my own pride and two feet. But by God's grace i have started an outline and will actually follow through with this...soon!
Well, to wrap this up with a totally unrelated note... my new Tilley Hat arrived! Yippie! I hope to wear it very soon.
One thing that kind of sunk in as i woke up this morning. The church is not a business. Too many times i am hearing things like "seeker services" or "but our numbers are up". Last night as i reviewed how things were being addressed regarding our current situation it just 'smells like' a business plan. I want to review some things and really look to see if the issue at the heart of it all was being addressed... sin. Too often 'difficulties' are dealt with in an indirect way. People turn to gossip and innuendo in the hopes that someone else will deal with the "problem". 
To my shame i know that to at least a small degree either i have, or my family has, been a part of this. Although there is now an effort to deal with the issue in an upfront manner, it has thus far been seen as nothing more than an inconvenience and/or a larger example of gossip run amok. I am not privy to the inner workings of the Deacons, or the Pastoral team so i am not really sure how things are being dealt with. There are concerns of mine that are not just personal preference, but i am not in a position to share them. Either learn how i am wrong, or being able to help another brother grow. Either way the body of Christ is edified and made stronger.
Speaking of which, i have been downloading sermons from the church i had wanted before i moved to where i live now. It is a sister church to Covenant Life Church. Before i moved to where i live now i drove with my family 45 minutes from Frederick to Gaithersburg every Sunday, and twice a month for caregroup meetings. Covenant Life was the church i was saved into back in August of 1989 (back then they met in a High School auditorium). 
Eventually God placed it on my heart to write a note asking that the pastors of Covenant Life, and the team of Sovereign Grace Ministries, to consider a church plant in Frederick, MD. To make a long story short, and to also note that i was nothing more than perhaps a footnote, the church plant in Frederick took place after we moved away. *chuckle* Sovereign Grace Church of Frederick was born! Although my family and i were not able to attend there, i rejoiced in seeing the church being born for an area i had felt God give me a burden for (even if it was not a burden for me to be a part of). 
With all of the wandering my family and i have been doing in regards to our church home of late i began to download sermons from this relatively young church. Today as i was downloading this past Sunday's sermon (titled "The Atonement: Confidently Waiting for Glory") i decided to look up the directions to where they meet. I knew it was too far to go weekly, but perhaps some Sunday i could just visit... i found out they meet at the Tusorora High School... within sight distance of my old house! LOL God is awesome.
Well to tie it together, lest people think i am a hopeless rambler, i have been considering picking up the quill once more to petition for yet another church plant. Obviously closer to where i currently live. I am struggling with the fear of man here. You might think the opposite is true, but i am concerned with how the letter will be received... what the readers will think of me (the two intended receipients thus far, both knew me once)... whether my request will be rejected or rebuffed. And yet this desire, perhaps a burden, has been felt by me since at least 1991. I know that sounds odd, but i have struggled and stumbled over my own pride and two feet. But by God's grace i have started an outline and will actually follow through with this...soon!
Well, to wrap this up with a totally unrelated note... my new Tilley Hat arrived! Yippie! I hope to wear it very soon.
3 comments:
Praying that God gives you peace to make the request and that you are settled soon.
Susan
Yay! I love church plants, and know how well SGM takes care of their sister churches. I'll be praying that your request will be met with favor!
I'm not sure if you guys are signed up for responses, but please do pray. I am so struggling with the fear of man in the writing of a simple letter.
~ john
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