New Pastor New Things

[LadyKay]

I don't mean to criticize the way a pastor does things but I am not sure about all of this. Let me run it pass you all and see how you feel about it. So this past year our church got a new pastor. Over all things are well and I do feel the Holy Spirit in the service. But for the past few Sunday's the service has been different. The pastor instead of preaching a sermon, has all of us form small groups with each other and pray together with one another in our small group. He then walks around and calls out what we should pray about. Something like " I want you to give prayers of thankfulness. Or I want you to pray for healing for someone you know needs healing." That sort of thing. I am a bit of an introvert and I don like grouping up with people. I mostly just sit there not really talking to anyone just let everyone else talk. I don't feel I get a lot out of it. But I was okay with it for one Sunday. I mean doing something different from time to time is okay. But the pastor has been doing this for the past three Sundays. This morning when I went, they skipped the "praise and worship singing" (which is my favorite part of the service) and went right into "lets all split into groups". Like I said I am okay with doing something different from time to time but not for three Sundays in a roll. I want sing the praise and worship songs and then I want to listen to a sermon while I follow alone with the reading of the scripture in my Bible. Another thing that I am not so sure about is that once in a while. the pastor has his wife do the sermon. The pastor was voted in to be the pastor I feel he should be the one doing to sermons not his wife. This is not an issue about women preaching as I do not have an issue with that. It is about well, his wife is not a pastor. And I feel that the pastor should be the one giving the sermon. It is fine if his wife has something to share and is given time to do so. I have no issue with that. But to do the whole sermon? I am not so sure about that. I mean if she can do a sermon once in a while why can't I do one? I have stuff to say. Well you get my meaning. Of course I fully understand that I may very well be out of line here and it could be that the Lord has told him he should do these things. If that is the case then I should not stand in the way of the Lord's leading. But anyway, I just wanted to talk about this to get some feed back one what other's think about this. If I am in the wrong here do not be afraid to tell me so. Sorry this went on for so long. Thank You.

 

[thesunisout]

Does your church have a board of deacons or elders? I would speak to someone on the church leadership team about the issues you are having. Pray and ask the Lord for wisdom to know how to broach the subject.

 

[Kit Sigmon]

For us to grow up in the faith, that means learning to do something we
ain't comfort with for some it's prayer or praying aloud, for others it's
stuff like: witnessing, forgiving someone, showing agape to they enemy etc.
We're to move out of comfort zones, like they did in the Bible...
Moses was slow of tongue/stuttered... he was like, God send someone else,
I'm slow of tongue. For a bit God OK with Aaron speaking instead of Moses.
Then there comes the times Moses do the speaking.

Gideon was called to do something for the Lord and he was like, not me,
my tribe is the smallest and I'm the least in my family.
Gideon did the fleece test a couple of times and it came up just as he'd asked.
He go and do what the Lord called him to do.

As for the other matter talk to the minister, or church elder or someone be part
of the leadership team at the church you attend.

 

[Francis Drake]

I don't mean to criticize the way a pastor does things but I am not sure about all of this. Let me run it pass you all and see how you feel about it. So this past year our church got a new pastor. Over all things are well and I do feel the Holy Spirit in the service. But for the past few Sunday's the service has been different. The pastor instead of preaching a sermon, has all of us form small groups with each other and pray together with one another in our small group. He then walks around and calls out what we should pray about. Something like " I want you to give prayers of thankfulness. Or I want you to pray for healing for someone you know needs healing." That sort of thing. I am a bit of an introvert and I don like grouping up with people. I mostly just sit there not really talking to anyone just let everyone else talk. I don't feel I get a lot out of it. But I was okay with it for one Sunday. I mean doing something different from time to time is okay. But the pastor has been doing this for the past three Sundays. This morning when I went, they skipped the "praise and worship singing" (which is my favorite part of the service) and went right into "lets all split into groups". Like I said I am okay with doing something different from time to time but not for three Sundays in a roll. I want sing the praise and worship songs and then I want to listen to a sermon while I follow alone with the reading of the scripture in my Bible. Another thing that I am not so sure about is that once in a while. the pastor has his wife do the sermon. The pastor was voted in to be the pastor I feel he should be the one doing to sermons not his wife. This is not an issue about women preaching as I do not have an issue with that. It is about well, his wife is not a pastor. And I feel that the pastor should be the one giving the sermon. It is fine if his wife has something to share and is given time to do so. I have no issue with that. But to do the whole sermon? I am not so sure about that. I mean if she can do a sermon once in a while why can't I do one? I have stuff to say. Well you get my meaning. Of course I fully understand that I may very well be out of line here and it could be that the Lord has told him he should do these things. If that is the case then I should not stand in the way of the Lord's leading. But anyway, I just wanted to talk about this to get some feed back one what other's think about this. If I am in the wrong here do not be afraid to tell me so. Sorry this went on for so long. Thank You.

When Christians come together before the Lord, it was never ever intended that they should be led by one man at the front. So despite the fact that it makes you feel uncomfortable, your pastor is sort of heading in the right direction.

Paul makes it clear that an assembly should be led by the Holy Spirit speaking through any and all members present. Church is not a theatre or concert were we all watch or are led by what happens at the front.

I would encourage you to put aside your feelings and traditions and read what the scriptures say about believers meeting together.

1Cor14v26What then is it, brothers? When you may come together, each has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

27If anyone speaks with a tongue, let it be by two or the most three, and in turn; and let one interpret. 28But if there is no interpreter, let him be silent in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God.

 

[Paidiske]

I don't know that I see anything that you describe that immediately raises big flags for me, except the lack of preaching at all some weeks, if I've understood your post correctly?

But that said, how a pastor introduces change, and meets the needs of the people in the congregation, is something we all struggle with. I've had big feedback for making changes much smaller than these! I think it's perfectly reasonable for you to go to your pastor and explain what you're uncomfortable with and why, and see how he responds. In many ways, how he handles feedback will probably tell you much more than just what he's changed so far, about what kind of pastor he is.

 

[Albion]

Alas, this is something that does happen in some congregations. The pastor no doubt did NOT explain, when he was being interviewed and considered for the appointment, that these were his plans. But once installed, he (like many others) was eager to try out some things he had long wanted to experiment with and figured that he had a blank canvas in front of him on which to try them out.

If all of this keeps up, speaking to a board member probably would be worth doing. I say that assuming that you probably would feel uncomfortable challenging the pastor face to face.

But there is a good chance that the pastor does not see these changes as anything that would work for the long haul. I would be surprised if he thought they actually would. So, I also think that you need to be patient for a little while longer before acting.

To tell the truth, for him to give the sermons over to any layperson, on a continual basis, strikes me as more alarming than the other changes you wrote about.

 

[Paidiske]

There's lay preaching and lay preaching. If there's someone properly authorised as a preacher, given that position with the church's formal approval through whatever process they have, that's not necessarily a problem. But just putting randoms in the pulpit on a whim is a whole other thing...

 

[Tolworth John]

But for the past few Sunday's the service has been different. The pastor instead of preaching a sermon, has all of us form small groups with each other and pray together with one another in our small group. He then walks around and calls out what we should pray about.

May I suggest you talk to the pastor and ask him why he is turning a worship service into a prayer meeting.
I would suggest that he adds this on to the end of the service, or has this before the worship service.

If he won't change, you will have to look for another church.

 

[LadyKay]

When Christians come together before the Lord, it was never ever intended that they should be led by one man at the front. So despite the fact that it makes you feel uncomfortable, your pastor is sort of heading in the right direction.

Paul makes it clear that an assembly should be led by the Holy Spirit speaking through any and all members present. Church is not a theatre or concert were we all watch or are led by what happens at the front.

I would encourage you to put aside your feelings and traditions and read what the scriptures say about believers meeting together.

1Cor14v26What then is it, brothers? When you may come together, each has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

27If anyone speaks with a tongue, let it be by two or the most three, and in turn; and let one interpret. 28But if there is no interpreter, let him be silent in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God.

Thank you Francis I appreciate your honesty and will consider what you have said. I want to live a life that is pleasing to God. Change is something I am never good at but you brought up some very good points. I have seen the Holy Spirit move in the service. People being called to share what is on their heart. Far be it for me to go against God's direction. So I will see where this new direction takes me and my church.

 

[LadyKay]

Thank you all for your input on this matter. I will consider what you all have said. Thank You.