Yesterday a friend told me how he recently went to church on a Sunday night and heard the preacher, bring an inspiring message about being the church. While pulling into the parking lot, before the “service” began, he noticed that his tire was flat. So immediately following the “service” he returned to the parking lot and started setting up to change his tire. All the while people flowed out of the church service, walking right past him, as he continued to work to remove the flat tire. Of the few hundred people that came out the door of his church, NO ONE stopped to offer assistance. NOT ONE PERSON!
This brings me to my rant for today. The ministry philosophies of most protestant churches in America are hampering the spiritual development of the Christian’s in their congregation. These types of churches preach that the church is not a building, but the “hands and feet of Jesus”; however, most of the weekly ministry of the chruch is about what happens inside their buildings. Many churches would say that their goal is to reach younger families; however upon reaching these new members the expectations begin. A young family with two children may be encouraged and expected to do some of the following;
- Sundays: Husband teaches a youth small group while his wife works in the children’s ministry alongside their 18 month old baby. 5 yr old son meets in a class away from the rest of the family.
- Back on Sunday night for committee meetings, and another worship service. The baby is left in child care.
- Mondays: After work, Dad goes back to “church” to coach their 5-year old son’s church sponsored sports team. This is a practice night.
- Tues: This Tuesday happens to be “girl’s night” out. Husband and wife spend another night apart. (This could also be “guy’s night out” same thing occurs)
- Wednesday: After making it through half of a tough week at work, the family is back to church for Wednesday night supper and Discipleship classes. Oh don’t forget they are starting another Beth Moore Study this month, you don’t won’t to miss it!
- Thursdays: Finally a night at home with the family. Dad dreams of hunting, fishing, anything to get him off the merry-go-round of life/church. During the day the wife takes meals to shut-ins or friends who have a new born baby. She stays on the phone most of the day with different people who are upset about a variety of things at church.
- Friday: If the older kids are involved in school activities; maybe a trip to a school sponsored event, but hopefully some rest. (This is where the wise parents get a baby sitter and work on building their relationship)
- Saturday: Back to the church to for “Game day” for the church sponsored programs. Not uncommon to also have a community outreach event across town. Need to get in bed early because it all starts over tomorrow.
The ministries of the local church are killing the families they are called to disciple. Church ministries are competing with each other and pulling our families apart in the name of “needing workers”. It’s all too much. Someone may say, but these families don’t have to do it all. They should just pick and choose. The problem is that most of these young families are also young in their faith. They don’t know it’s not a sin if they miss something or say “no” when asked to serve in an area. They need the ministries of the church to disciple them, not setup events for them to come to and call that discipleship. These families are not aware they don’t have to do it all, because when they talk to the pastor of each of these ministries they hear the passion and the excitement of what their ministry will accomplish and the families “feel” that if they don’t do it then they aren’t walking with God.
I’m not blaming the ministers who are working with all their heart to do what God has put in their heart to do. The problem comes when lead pastors and administrative pastors add new programs/ministries to the church without stopping the old ones. The church becomes small tribes of ministries that compete against each other instead of working with each other. These churches need STRONG LEADERS to stand up and slay sacred cows of ministry in order for their local church to get back to accomplishing what Jesus commissioned us to do, make disciples.
So what should we do? More about this in part two.
A freind of mine sent me this email concerning this post. He’s at a church in another state.
Amen. The guys at our new church are trying to find out why I keep skipping their Wed night study. We only have Girls Night Out, cottage prayer groups, MOPS, Sunday worship, Sunday School and monthly fellowships to schedule around and that’s the ones I can remember. Can’t a man stay home with the family after 10 hours of work/day?
don’t you know Jesus said thou shalt have brotherhood breakfast onest a month at 7 am to extend the day of “Worship” to 14 hours.
Back when Rebecca worked retail, we would both usually have 2 days off a week, hers on a weekday and Sunday, and me on Saturday and kinda Sunday. That meant the only day we had together as a couple was Sunday, which we spent doing church “stuff.” We finally began to realize that Sunday absolutely exhausted us, not to mention took our focus off of each other on our only day together.
Good thoughts
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