Community...
So today I'm just so frustrated with my church. It seems so fake to me. I feel like the church is more committed to fancy programs than living in community. I tried to get into a small group, but the only one that meets in my area gathers on Friday's at 6:30am. I could do that if I wasn't a single parent, but I am. Plus, when I go on the weekend services they are nice, but almost too nice. It seems like the church is so caught up in doing these programs right. Plus the leader of the satellite that I go to is so wordy. People that go there don't really seem like they really want community. People want to know their small group and that's it.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm playing the victim here. I guess I'm just so frustrated that it feels so hard to get connected.
I got a newsletter today from The Simple Way and in it Shane writes an article and mentions that the mega church is dying. When I read that tonight I seemed to agree with it. The people that are still found in a mega church are either still really connected or don't want to be known.
It's funny that in a mega church there are so many places to volunteer for the programs that are put on each week. I find that so hilarious! I mean we have all these people volunteering their time to put on a show when they could be out in the world being Jesus to somebody. They could be serving the poor somewhere or teaching their kids what it looks like to be Jesus, but they are putting in the extra long hours to put a nice show together. Just seems like such a waste of time to me. I guess the argument would be that people are putting together the nice show so that unchurched people will come to know Jesus during the weekend services. Lately, it just seems the services are for the Christians already there. I'm not sure another good program is going to do it. I like what Rob Bell had to say in his book Velvet Elvis. He mentions that his church is not into programs. I haven't been to a Mars Hill service, but I'd love to attend.
I just need some community...
posted by - Justin at Thursday, March 30, 2006
1 Comments:
Hey, I totally hear you on that one! I had a lot of the same problems when I went to that church, and the satellite in my area... forget it. I went out of my way to call and email and try to get connected, and it just wasn't happening. Which was frustrating because that is what I feel I need more than anything else right now.
So I changed churches. Their mission involves getting people rooted and established, and that happens only in community. They are awesome like that. For the first few weeks, I would get a phone call from the leader of Abigail's Sunday School, just to chat about her and what she is learning in class. Every time I went to a new adult Bible class, the people would go out of their way to learn not just my name, but what is going on with me as well. Even now, the make a point to say hello and shake my hand and invite me to one thing or another. After attending a few weeks in a row, I got a call from one of the ladies on the "Welcome Committee" or whatever it's called. She and another lady came over to my house one evening just to chat and get to know me. And now every week she asks about how school is going and says hello to Abigail.
This church is much smaller than your church. They don't have all the programs and events and things to do. But they are filled with love, and the services are about the "real" stuff, not just "hey, let me tell you about Jesus." They want people to get connected because it is all about fellowship with God and with man. It's so basic, but still so revolutionary to see this lived out.
It's a real concern; the need for community, for fellowship, for intimacy in relationship... it demands to be satisfied.
3/31/2006 6:59 AM
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