| Spirit-Filled / Charismatic The forum for all charismatic churches and movements. |
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4th June 2007, 07:06 PM
|  | Baruch ata hashem Adonai, Hallelujah!
34     
 | | Join Date: 28th October 2004 Location: Scotland
Posts: 16,215
Blessings: 17,408,157 My Mood 
Reps: 795,074,081,220,177,024 (power: 795,074,081,220,202) | | Originally Posted by Questioning Christian  How come the church is supposed to be all about family, but they're always coming up with new ideas to keep you from enjoying family time????????? 
Yea, church is family.
The bible says that God sets the lonely in families. Setting them in churches would not help the lonely, or indeed help the church. 
__________________
From the lone shieling of the misty island
Mountains divide us, and the waste of seas;
Yet still the blood is strong, the heart is Highland,
And we, in dreams, behold the Hebrides.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (James 1:22) |
4th June 2007, 08:03 PM
|  | has left the building
| | Join Date: 8th June 2006
Posts: 280
Blessings: 90,422
Reps: 1,527,014,519 (power: 1,527,021) | | Originally Posted by From Glory to Glory Hi everyone,
I have a dilemma at church. Our church is less than a year old and my husband and I are on the leadership team (although the Pastor never contacts my husband and he does not really have any duties--he would love to, though). I am also on the prayer team that meets once a week.
Here's the dilemma...we just got an email from the pastor and I will paste it here:
From the Pastor,s desk, I am asking that those who are in leadership start
attending bible study on a regular basis. I know this might be an
inconvience because of such busy schedual,s and other things that are more
important than advancing the kingdom of God and it might come under the
heading of sacrifice but something just might be said that would or change
our lives forever. In service with him (JESUS CHRIST) to serve humanity.
Now, I just don't know what to think of this...I dearly love our pastor, but this email comes across as being sarcastic and unreasonable. I have a night job and my husband, being a school administrator, has various night duties. As a member of our intercessory prayer team, I am already gone one night a week for that and I work 2 evenings a week, including Thursdays, which I cannot switch. Also, in the fall, I will begin taking night classes. We also have 3 small kids, so it's not like being away from home at night is an easy thing.
I emailed him back that we will not be able to attend Thursday night Bible study at the present time. I just hope that he does not get upset with me. I respect him tremendously and feel that we have a good relationship with him. I really don't want to leave this church...we left a church of 10 years and joined this one. I don't want to be a church hopper. But, honestly, we are beginning to feel a bit forced.
Any words of advice?
Thanks!
Pam
Be gracious and soft-spoken. Don't give in to the manipulation but don't attack him for it either. Could be he's just having a frustrating week or something, and is acting out-of-character during a low point.
If this is normal (or the "new" normal) in your church, then pray like crazy that he'll get free of whatever is causing this, but be prepared (as a last resort, of course) to find another church if he turns on people who don't do as he (sarcastically) says.
Just guard your own heart and tongue. That was always my biggest challenge, anyway!  |
4th June 2007, 08:14 PM
|  | Held by grace Angels Team
46   
| | Join Date: 6th February 2007
Posts: 62,572
Blessings: 5,332,219,899
Reps: 3,034,786,959,142,629,888 (power: 3,034,786,959,142,699) | | | I don't know your pastor, so I cannot judge his motivation.
However - a practical point which may help - we have been in the same position with leadership commitments and small children. We resolved this by having the leadership team meetimgs in our hom, so that babysitting is not an issue.
Obviously, this depends on the size of group - and how many others have small children.
Praying for you, your family and your pastor
God bless you.
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4th June 2007, 08:21 PM
| | Veteran
39   
| | Join Date: 12th August 2006
Posts: 1,357
Blessings: 64,295
Reps: 349,695 (power: 357) | | Originally Posted by From Glory to Glory Hi everyone,
I have a dilemma at church. Our church is less than a year old and my husband and I are on the leadership team (although the Pastor never contacts my husband and he does not really have any duties--he would love to, though). I am also on the prayer team that meets once a week.
Here's the dilemma...we just got an email from the pastor and I will paste it here:
From the Pastor,s desk, I am asking that those who are in leadership start
attending bible study on a regular basis. I know this might be an
inconvience because of such busy schedual,s and other things that are more
important than advancing the kingdom of God and it might come under the
heading of sacrifice but something just might be said that would or change
our lives forever. In service with him (JESUS CHRIST) to serve humanity.
Now, I just don't know what to think of this...I dearly love our pastor, but this email comes across as being sarcastic and unreasonable. I have a night job and my husband, being a school administrator, has various night duties. As a member of our intercessory prayer team, I am already gone one night a week for that and I work 2 evenings a week, including Thursdays, which I cannot switch. Also, in the fall, I will begin taking night classes. We also have 3 small kids, so it's not like being away from home at night is an easy thing.
I emailed him back that we will not be able to attend Thursday night Bible study at the present time. I just hope that he does not get upset with me. I respect him tremendously and feel that we have a good relationship with him. I really don't want to leave this church...we left a church of 10 years and joined this one. I don't want to be a church hopper. But, honestly, we are beginning to feel a bit forced.
Any words of advice?
Thanks!
Pam
God first.
Family second.
Church third. |
4th June 2007, 08:28 PM
| | Contributor
| | Join Date: 26th June 2004 Location: Elizabethtown , PA , usa
Posts: 10,954
Blessings: 11,127,015
Reps: 1,563,692,594,550,078,464 (power: 1,563,692,594,550,097) | | Originally Posted by From Glory to Glory Hi everyone,
I have a dilemma at church. Our church is less than a year old and my husband and I are on the leadership team (although the Pastor never contacts my husband and he does not really have any duties--he would love to, though). I am also on the prayer team that meets once a week.
Here's the dilemma...we just got an email from the pastor and I will paste it here:
From the Pastor,s desk, I am asking that those who are in leadership start
attending bible study on a regular basis. I know this might be an
inconvience because of such busy schedual,s and other things that are more
important than advancing the kingdom of God and it might come under the
heading of sacrifice but something just might be said that would or change
our lives forever. In service with him (JESUS CHRIST) to serve humanity.
Now, I just don't know what to think of this...I dearly love our pastor, but this email comes across as being sarcastic and unreasonable. I have a night job and my husband, being a school administrator, has various night duties. As a member of our intercessory prayer team, I am already gone one night a week for that and I work 2 evenings a week, including Thursdays, which I cannot switch. Also, in the fall, I will begin taking night classes. We also have 3 small kids, so it's not like being away from home at night is an easy thing.
I emailed him back that we will not be able to attend Thursday night Bible study at the present time. I just hope that he does not get upset with me. I respect him tremendously and feel that we have a good relationship with him. I really don't want to leave this church...we left a church of 10 years and joined this one. I don't want to be a church hopper. But, honestly, we are beginning to feel a bit forced.
Any words of advice?
Thanks!
Pam
Looks like this "bible" study is a requirement for salvation . I don't see anything respectable about that email . But , it is your choice . Be prepared for a Sunday sermon mentioning how people in your group ( ie *you* ) look at advancing the kingdom of god as insignificant .
By the way ... who leads this bible study ? They must be something special to be able to advance the kingdom of god through a small thing like that .
Feelng a bit forced ? It is only the beginning . Advice ? Get out now . You have no idea how far this can get when heaven and hell are equated with a bible study . If they are able to manipulate you in this , they will get more meetings and events that are life and death . |
4th June 2007, 08:35 PM
| | Contributor
| | Join Date: 26th June 2004 Location: Elizabethtown , PA , usa
Posts: 10,954
Blessings: 11,127,015
Reps: 1,563,692,594,550,078,464 (power: 1,563,692,594,550,097) | | Originally Posted by From Glory to Glory Thank you, everyone, for your help. Someone from our church spoke with him today about the tone of his email and he said that he had wanted it to sound that way in order to get people's attentions.
Enough said . He wants to manipulate . Get out now . It is only the beginning . |
4th June 2007, 09:09 PM
| | Blue Chicken Gives You Horns
39  
| | Join Date: 6th May 2005 Location: Texas
Posts: 7,191
Blessings: 83,259
Reps: 203,531,632,159,319,808 (power: 203,531,632,159,335) | | | It's hard to determine the "tone" of the email. But if you think he's being snarky, maybe he is being snarky.
I do have a question though, for any church and any leadership team etc.
Is it a bad thing to ask that members of the leadership team set aside a time to study, pray and worship together?
And that if you CANNOT participate in a set aside time of leadership team group study, prayer and worship that maybe you're just too busy at this season of your life to commit to church leadership?
I'm not trying to offend and I don't know your personal situation, this is more a general question because every church I've ever belonged to strong requested that leadership set aside time to do this together.
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4th June 2007, 11:36 PM
| | Veteran
42
| | Join Date: 13th May 2005
Posts: 1,153
Blessings: 74,820
Reps: 4,434,174,374,731,901 (power: 4,434,174,374,741) | | | Hi guys,
You have all posted some wonderful messages here. I have thought about how maybe we are just not able to be in leadership right now. However, I did not really sign up to be on the prayer team...he kind of justd appointed me. And he asked my husband to be on the board, but he has not really had anything to do yet so it has not been a problem yet. We are going to wait and see exactly what kind of committments this is going to entail and especially since my husband will start his new job as principal of a middle school in July, if it turns out that our plates are just too full, we will step down as leaders. That would not be easy to do, though, and would create many hurt feelings. I just hate confrontation and upheavel! I am so sad and depressed tonight about this!
Thank you so much for all your insight and prayers. We will just have to see where this leads.
God bless,
Pam |
5th June 2007, 12:11 AM
|  | זכריה
25  
| | Join Date: 18th June 2004
Posts: 4,373
Blessings: 1,466,999
Reps: 23,608,977,212,946,244 (power: 23,608,977,212,959) | | Originally Posted by From Glory to Glory Hi guys,
You have all posted some wonderful messages here. I have thought about how maybe we are just not able to be in leadership right now. However, I did not really sign up to be on the prayer team...he kind of justd appointed me. And he asked my husband to be on the board, but he has not really had anything to do yet so it has not been a problem yet. We are going to wait and see exactly what kind of committments this is going to entail and especially since my husband will start his new job as principal of a middle school in July, if it turns out that our plates are just too full, we will step down as leaders. That would not be easy to do, though, and would create many hurt feelings. I just hate confrontation and upheavel! I am so sad and depressed tonight about this!
Thank you so much for all your insight and prayers. We will just have to see where this leads.
God bless,
Pam
I've has into many bad pastors at churches that I've belonged to.  Just remember to keep your eyes on Jesus!
James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Be blessed!
Brent
__________________ In Christ,
Zechariah (زكريا - זכריה - Ζαχαρίας) Abba [St] Anthony [the Great] said, 'A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, "You are mad, you are not like us."' |
5th June 2007, 01:11 AM
| | Regular Member
| | Join Date: 22nd May 2007
Posts: 318
Blessings: 106,889
Reps: 21,240 (power: 27) | | Originally Posted by Trish1947 Personally I thought it a bit judgemental the way it was worded. I'm sure he didn't mean it the way it sounded, that whatever a person may have to do in this life to raise their families would be less than furthering the kingdom of God in some way?
I think he meant exactly what he said.
Bible study + regual church service + prayer group. That's really asking a bit much out of a working person.
How much time can you really devote to studying the word when you are constantly attending church functions?
Your family and time to be in the word is far more important that his bible study or church service. | | |
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