Our College and Career Pastor, Leo Heppler, sent me an article about a church that sent letters to members saying they either needed to give and serve or move on to another church. I'm not sure how legitimate the article is (see the first comment by Bryan on this post), but the article did remind me of a story.
There was a woman who sat in her pew, without serving the church in any capacity, throughout the fifty five year ministry of Dr. John Gill. She did not even partake of communion.
She was in her seat when Gill (1697-1771) was called as Pastor of Horsleydown Church in London on March 22, 1720, and she was in her seat when Gill preached his last sermon as pastor of the church, 51 years later, on October 14, 1771 (the day of his death).
She was converted and baptized one month after Gill died.
I guess our church probably takes a similar position to that of Gill in believing that God works in mysterious ways, and the Holy Spirit moves in people using varous methods and different timetables.
Christians are not cut from cookie molds --- they are formed by the Hands of Sovereign God who loves variety. I kind of like it where a church is composed of different people, with varying gifts, and we don't demand everyone look the same, act the same, or even serve the same.
But maybe that's just me.
In His Grace,
Wade
24 comments:
Um... Wade, you *do* know that Lark News is pretty much The Onion for churches, right??? :)
Although, that article about a Church subsidizing Tivos has me thinking...
Brian,
I did not know. Leave it to my College and Career guy to give me this article :).
Yes, Wade, you've been taken in. It's a satire site.
However, I saw that article earlier this morning and I was going to do a post on it; I thought the premise was quite in line with Tom Ascol's failed resolution on integrity in membership, and idea whose time has come, in my opinion.
The article quotes the fictional church's newly-hired (from Cingular Wireless!) executive pastor:
"Freeloading" Christians were straining the church's nursery and facility resources and harming the church's ability to reach the lost, says the pastor.
"When your bottom line is saving souls, you get impatient with people who interfere with that goal," he says.
Wow...
You really didn't know it was satire? ;-)
Still praying for you and your church.
It may be a "satire" but it happens all the time.
In fact, I know of something recently in a local church along these very lines.
The very defination of religion is instituting rules and regulations instead of walking in the spirit.
Any of us ever "talked" anyone into taking a Sunday school class because there was a such a strong need there. I know I've done it out of duress and not out of calling.
I suggest that most of some of those "freeloading" Christians are just as I once was.. Lost! How in the world could I have participated in light, when I was in darkness.
I just think we forget our churches are full of lost people.
I have made a practice to ask people to give me their testimony. Amazing how many say, Oh, I've always gone to church, or I've always believed.
Ok I'll stop now. I'm preaching.
(But I want to hear- "Who do you say that I am"
Agape
"22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." James 1: 22-24
This is a hard verse. When I look at it, it seems to say that people just sitting in the pews are deceiving themselves. Granted, it doesn't say how; and maybe that is the beauty of it.
In the case of the lady in your post, her self deception was that she probably thought she was saved for all of those years. Though, it could possibly be different in other circumstances.
I'm about to preach a sermon series on James. I hope that people come to a greater appreciation of service in the believer's life.
We'll see.
Tim
Oh, one more thing...
There is a church in our association in which the pastor called an business meeting. He got the people there to "vote out" all the members that weren't there. He then made people rejoin the church the next Sunday, even making some of them apologize publically for being against him. As you can guess, not everyone in the church was happy with him...but, he seems to have gotten away with it.
Tim
Wes,
I overlooked the Cingular paragraph.
Hook in mouth.
wade
P.S. I agree with AlyceLee, the satire is very close to the truth.
Wade,
You would probably like Joe Myers' book The Search to Belong, Rethinking Intimacy, Community, and Small Groups. It's a very interesting read.
that was Larknews satire...
I had more than one person tell me about this article...and I laugh every time!
They pulled one on you Wade. You might also want to read in the latest edition of the charismatic pastor who will preach the very first message from outter space...that was a good one also!
I liked the Lark News story that Guy Muse referred me to about having a first class section of the children's ministry where people paid a fee each week for their kids to have better activities and get fancier snacks. Very funny.
And yet, there is truth in all satire. Don't people sometimes choose churches by how well their children are entertained and how many programs and services a church can offer?
It may be satire, but I was @ Northpoint in Alpharetta a few years ago and Andy Stanley described three type of people in their church:
1. People who are members and actively serving. He thanked God for them.
2. People who were not members but were actively serving in their church. (they allow non-members to serve in non-teaching positions). He thanked God for them too!
3. People who just sit and enjoy the services and do nothing to further the Kingdom of God. He looked at the audience and said, "We can't afford you! There are many fine churches that would love to have you." ( I was actually there, this is not heresay)
I believe a lot of churches will be downsizing if we don't:
1. Evangelize and quit church swapping.
2. Change our methods to reach the community.
3. Actually seek God's guidance for what He wants His church to be.
I am talking about this Sunday--it is called, "Imagine what would happen if....."
Thanks Wade, you just gave me a great illustration!
God became a Man and sacrificed Himself for lost mankind. Via the most horrible death we can imagine, especially since it was unearned.
He tells us that there will be folks claiming to have done wonderous things in His name, who will spend eternity in hell. I surmise that most of them would be sitting in church, this coming Sunday.
The net effect of what the article facetiously, and fictionally stated, was to tell folks "Shape up or ship out".
Wouldn't it be rich if God thought that was a good idea? Something like "Choose ye this day...."?
Tim...
Did I think I was "saved?"
I did what everyone else did. I looked like them, acted like them and yes, I believed in an intellectual
sense that Jesus was God's son, but I had no relationship with Him and I knew something was bad wrong. That was 30+ years ago, and I believe there are many just like me sitting in church today.
This is why, today, I cannot do the ABC's simple Faith programs, yada yada.
When I preach Christ to someone, I preach what Jesus preached. (The cost to the rich young ruler) Non-compromising, pure gospel.
It sickens me that we have a diluted gospel, a diluted church and we wonder why the world doesn't come running to us.
Could it be, because we look just like they do?
In counseling women the first thing I ask is for them to give me their testimony. It's amazing what they say.
I think it's time we redefine "saved" for that term, for many means nothing more than walking the isle and joining the club. And what about when someone "transfers" their letter, do we ask then? I really don't know, you pastors have to advise me about this.
I'm sure I sound very passionate about this, because you see, the church I'm talking about earlier is now dead. In fact, 30 years ago, when my husband and I started having home Bible studies with people both inside and outside our church ( they hated that part) the pastor and deacons questioned what we were doing and why we were meeting so late. (Would most pastors enjoy that problem?)
That same church is now dead. They have been through 7 pastors. Ran them all off. They have 24 people left. Oh, they still have their building, they "own" it.
In my work, I see this every week. It is so painful.
I do believe that one thing we can do is not to be afraid to ask people about their relationship with God and ask them for their testimony.
I love to give mine, doesn't offend me at all, in fact I'm just waiting for the chance to talk about the love and grace God has given me :)
Wade,
Even though this was satire, I think it brings up an important topic: maintaining balance between ministering to non-members and expecting members to minister.
I agree that where unbelievers are concerned, we should be patient. At the same time, membership in a local church ought to mean something, and regrettably, this is not the case in the vast majority of SBC churches.
In the SC church I started, it is still the general rule that if after three months they haven't seen you, have not had their calls returned when checking on you, and you are not providentially hindered from being there, you have automatically forfieted your membership. It is also still the rule (so far as I am aware) that if you are not contributing regularly and sacrificially from your finances (and the lack of giving isn't caused by a financial hardship), you are not allowed to serve as an elder, deacon, etc. The same goes for paid ministerial staff.
This all started when I was pastor, and it is introduced on the front end in our membership class.
But on another note, I've never heard of Lark News. Sounds entertaining.
Everyone knows you can't believe anything you read on the internet.
Several IMB trustees have told me so.
*tongue firmly in cheek*
Pastor Wade,....Although this is a satire, the thing that makes it a satire is because its so believable.........By the way , Does God really work in mysterious ways or are we just not understanding Him? Where did this phrase come from? Is it in the Bible?
Tim,
that is awesome! I'm gonna do that! What a creative way to discipline lazy members!
Oh wait, we're not congregational...err...I guess I just like the spirit of such a move.
"If I can be serious for a second..."
If I were planting a congregational church I'd not allow the "walk the aisle" type of thing anyway. Only tithers active in a small group and a ministry could vote.
So, as you can see, things are just easier and less messy being council/elder led.
I admire Stanley if that is what he did. Most people are either converted or too offended to hang within 6 months. So the folks left are willing to serve cause we set the bar high, not low.
And we're growing, not by attracting churched folks looking for something trendy...but through personal and cooporate evangelism. We're not some fundy mean spirited irrelevant group. Most of our folks are under 40 with kids. We're stripped down yet passionate in worship (singing, preaching, giving, communion...)There is just the assumption in our preaching and activities that believers are ministers...missionaries. THAT is what being a follower of Jesus Christ IS, that is our understanding anyway.
Jesus was not affraid to loose a crowd, why are we? What do our 5 points teach us?
David Miller,
Thanks for the laugh.
DavidinFlorida,
At least in my life God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform :)
Pastor Wade, I guess that you are right, at least it seems that way. That phrase has always made me search more for HIM and HIS WAYS...
Wade,
Did you know that gullible is not in the dictionary?
:)
At first I got a little upset that this person was not serving. But that they just came to listen and be "entertained." I tend to be more of the Andy Stanley type and say "We can't afford you! There are many fine churches that would love to have you." But then I read the story again. The lady was converted only after Gill's death. She was doing what unconverted people are suppose to do. I do agree that God works in mysterious ways(thank William Cowper for that great poem), but I don't see where pew warming fits into that. I like Spurgeon's church idea, prove yourself to have fruit then we will let you become a member.
Wade, in the example you gave at least the woman was attending. I'm not saying that pew warming is any good, but our (SBC) church's membership rolls are swelled with people who don't even attend.
Hi Wade,
The story you quoted may be fictional, but when Doug Murren, former pastor of Eastside Foursquare church in Kirkland, Washington (at that time, one of the fastest growing churches in America) told the story during a church growth conference over a decade ago, he indicated he told the church the following: "If you are not serving, giving, praying in a significant way, find another church home" - and he wasn't joking. Attendance dropped the following Sunday, but giving, serving, praying went up every Sunday that followed.
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