tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post966974851770116675..comments2023-10-07T04:07:56.527-04:00Comments on The End Time: Leaving your church (for another)Elizabeth Pratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04341086233512507156noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-92044859385075668352016-06-09T11:18:22.038-04:002016-06-09T11:18:22.038-04:00I'm sorry, but I respectfully disagree. This ...I'm sorry, but I respectfully disagree. This family is facing some serious challenges with her husband having liver cancer. The Church is called to serve, her local church should be there to encourage, pray and serve their family during this time. To only have one person send a message to check in and for the pastor not to reach out at all is inexcusable. The church is supposed to be a family, her church sounds pretty dysfunctional.<br />And the shoe fits both ways...even if her family has not served in a meaningful way is that a reason for her church not to support her?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-46633861536717526502015-10-06T19:39:35.123-04:002015-10-06T19:39:35.123-04:00Hi anonymous,
I'm sorry for the diagnosis, I ...Hi anonymous,<br /><br />I'm sorry for the diagnosis, I pray all things will turnout well. Also I'm sorry to hear the people at your church have taken some time to warm up to you. Sometimes there can be church cliques, I know. However it goes both ways too...what have you and your husband done to love and serve others there? And even if you have served them and loved them well, but don't get the expected and hoped-for response, (after all Jesus didn't...Paul didn't...) maybe you stay and continue to serve anyway?Elizabeth Pratahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04341086233512507156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-46929060429240342022015-10-06T19:35:05.377-04:002015-10-06T19:35:05.377-04:00Great article. I have been wanting to leave my chu...Great article. I have been wanting to leave my church for quite sometime. It is ver clicky no one really associates with anyone out side my cburch except the clicks there nkt bad people. JUST CLICKY. The activities that come up afe very expensive. Only the clicks can afford to participate. Well what about the rest of us! My husband has been ill. Just diagnosed with Liver cancer. Went for his first chemotherapy treatment. Nobody called and asked if they could do something for us. A week later someone message me on fb. My Pastor hasn't even called. I think it's time to leaveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-69689697489276681772015-05-02T21:28:19.102-04:002015-05-02T21:28:19.102-04:00We left a church (after 12 years) when our childre...We left a church (after 12 years) when our children were being taken on 'prayer walks' during the Sunday school hour (without our prior knowledge) instead of being taught the Bible, and when "Listening (contemplative) Prayer" was being taught also in the Sunday school children's classes. We made the decision to leave only after we brought our concerns forward and had several meetings with the elders/pastor (the Sr. Pastor left first. He couldn't deal with the lack of support from the elder board on issues like the above...) While the Sr. Pastor was still there, the elders issued a statement (after we and several others protested and brought Scriptural concerns forward about listening prayer), that it would 'not' be taught any more. Once he left, and after we and several other families left also (after a series of meetings trying to work this out), the elders issued another statement saying that Listening Prayer was actually 'ok'. (in other words, the elders did a 'flip-flop'.) (talk about confusion!) It was a tragic situation but very clear that the false doctrine was the catalyst for many other problems that ultimately divided the church.<br />When you have children it is another whole ball-game. You can't safely stay and fight it out (contend for the faith) unless you keep you children with you at all times and don't let them participate in church activities while doctrinal concerns like the above are being decided.<br />Just my .02 : ) (I am sorry; I never post comments anonymously but this time I am going to : )Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-6997863367862881352015-04-14T19:01:04.832-04:002015-04-14T19:01:04.832-04:00Hi lLaudia,
I'm sad for you...:( Thanks for y...Hi lLaudia,<br /><br />I'm sad for you...:( Thanks for your note, it must have been heartbreaking to watch as the composition of the body of believers with whom you worship changed and the pastor deaf to pleas to return to more biblical footing. I see a lot of what you mention too, around here. A lot. It is the worst to watch happen because of the blight on Jesus name and the stunted growth of fellow believers, and worst, the deluded ones who soak it all in. I ache for them all.<br /><br />Thanks for your encouragement, very much.Elizabeth Pratahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04341086233512507156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-62620734735214000512015-04-14T18:51:50.433-04:002015-04-14T18:51:50.433-04:00Hi Elizabeth, I am a lurker on your blog and just ...Hi Elizabeth, I am a lurker on your blog and just wanted to say "Thank you" for writing this post. Thank you for the reminder that leaving a church should not be done lightly. For some of us, it's not a question of why we chose the wrong church in the first place: some of us have watched our church change over time to the point where it's not recognizable any longer. Discernment has been replaced with pragmatism. Some of us have watched our church fall incrementally under the Purpose Driven sway and become so seeker-sensitive that we are being fed bowls of sugar-coated cereal instead of the meat of God's word. Yes, I realize that we are individually responsible for digging into God's word; however, it is also the pastor's duty to preach the whole counsel of God in order to feed the sheep both new and mature. Also, when your church begins to make merchandise of you (2 Peter 2:3) by running the church like a business hawking every latest fad "Christian" book, selling conferences, merchandise, etc...it might be time to leave. When your church for years rails against the Hollywood influence, and then embraces Roma Downey and the A.D. sermon series kit because they have flattered your pastor, it might be time to leave. We have brought our concerns about these issues and others to leadership and our concerns were basically brushed aside. We have watched and waited patiently for years and have tried to address our concerns in a Biblical way. It is time to leave and I am sad. I will continue to read your blog. Keep up the good work.<br />-ClaudiaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-15211017254262987812015-04-14T06:11:08.990-04:002015-04-14T06:11:08.990-04:00Hi Jeff,
I think there is implicit understanding ...Hi Jeff,<br /><br />I think there is implicit understanding that in the context of this essay, "the church" is the local assembly of believers. The global body of believers is the Body, or the Bride. Or The Church.<br /><br />Yes, there are local destinations called "the church." Paul traveled to them- he roamed between the church at Ephesus, the church at Corinth, the church at Sardis, the church at Rome...those I just named were local assemblies to which local believers gathered and other Christians traveled to.<br /><br />Church Membership: A Distinctive<br />http://www.gty.org/resources/distinctives/DD03/church-membershipElizabeth Pratahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04341086233512507156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-60613604418573117852015-04-14T05:31:12.729-04:002015-04-14T05:31:12.729-04:00The main complication that exists is the ambiguity...The main complication that exists is the ambiguity in the definition of "the church". Most use the "membership role" and the "voting body" as the qualification for input. <br />If you do not belong to the corporate entity, you do not have a say. If you do it is a democracy that allows popular vote to rule in decision making.<br />The real question to any group is, what determines policy, corporate constitution or scripture?<br />The fact is the corporate entity has pushed Jesus/Word out of the church.<br />If we are called to Christ by faith we then are the church. It is not a destination. Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05171219693651832856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-21695243443780577942015-04-13T22:00:09.549-04:002015-04-13T22:00:09.549-04:00To me the real question is why we chose the "...To me the real question is why we chose the "wrong" church to begin with. But for arguments sake let's say that we have. What do we do next?<br /><br />We are told NOT to be unequally yoked with unbelievers yet that is very easy to do either by accident or sometimes intent. If by accident, then as soon as we know we are "yoked" with unbelievers we must make a decision about whether or not to ignore Scripture and it's demands to be separate. <br /><br />We need to recognize our disobedience and it's effect on our need to seek a Biblically correct doctrine. Of course, there are mature believers who stay in those "Churches" in hopes of influencing them to accept a true Biblical view. But for most born again believers, we must recognize that kind of commitment is not always within the scope of our influence and our abilty to initiate the necessary changes. That is entirely up to the Holy Spirit and is more likely to be successful if a mature believer is involved!<br /><br />So staying or leaving for most of us boils down to what is being taught and whether or not it is supported by Scripture. Granted, it is a much bigger problem today than it was just a few decades ago. But that is just another reason to be discerning and committed to the Truth of God's word and not modern secular thoughts we so often fall prey too.<br /><br />I am willing to concede that God leads mature Christians in their efforts to "change" a Church but I do not believe that is His will in the majority of cases.<br /><br />Perhaps taking the time to plant a church is a more reasonable alternative. It eliminates any possibility of the perception that by being a member of a church with less than a Biblical doctrine taught, is some how an endorsement of their false teachings.<br /><br />Jesus never compromised His message and actually got right "testy" with those who looked for some kind of compromise to the truth. Christians today have become cowards when confronted with defending the truth. We have allowed God to be kicked out of our schools and our lives in general. God has left this country to it's own desires and we wonder what the reasons are that we suffer!<br />Gates Collinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06944472916347003756noreply@blogger.com