Church Advice

[Catwe3]

hello,
So my Father has been a pastor since I was born. Our church has struggled since I was born. I am 21 and live at home with my parents while I’m in school. We started doing house church because we lost our building. I do not want to participate in our church anymore for a multitude of reasons. But I’m struggling to see if they are selfish or not. So I’ll list them out for you:

• Our family does everything in our church. I feel like we focus too much on the administrative stuff and not on the content or loving of our members.
• I can’t focus in church.
• My dad’s sermons are increasing political.
• Our service is not long enough. We have 30 minutes of worship and 30 minutes of preaching... if we start on time
• There is only 3-4 scriptures in the sermons he writes
• He preaches every 4 weeks but in the meantime, designated leaders (the people whose house we are at) “preaches.”
• The sermons seam more like a bible study
• The sermons seam “watered down.” I don’t feel challenged to change my ways
• There is no one my age.

Here are the things I do like:

• I like our worship style, it’s just not long enough.
• I like the very few people that come.
• Sometimes I really enjoy my father’s sermons.

So if you were in my shoes, how would you handle this? I have been so desperate to leave, but it would hurt my father tremendously. However I told him I would put up with the house church for now. But I had no desire to stay.

 

[Theodoric]

Finish school and get a job in a new town. Far enough away so that you aren't expected back every weekend.

That sounds a little harsh, but you have to be able to live your own life and I doubt you'll be able to do it while under your father's influence and trying to please him.

What do you have, a year left? You can do a year in your home church, support your father as best you can during that time, then find an active fellowship with a strong young singles group and live the life that you obviously desire. There's nothing wrong with what you want, and I appreciate your desire to not hurt your father.

 

[Tolworth John]

So if you were in my shoes, how would you handle this?

You've not said anything about the other preachers surmons nor about how many people attend each week.
Question, how authitarian is your Father?
How does he or your house church members get on with other Churches/Christians.

May I suggest you start listening to on line sermons.
There are famous preachers like Dr Martin Lloyd Jones in England, Billy Graham to name two as well as plenty of churches who broadcast there services on line.

Get an idea of how other biblical preachers preach and start talking to your Dad about his sermons.
If the political comment is inapropriate say so, if how he's applied a verse is, in your opinion wrong, say so.

What sort of outreach does your house church do?

If none then maybe the time has come to close it and start attending other churches.

Try asking the question why are they still meeting?