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Church is an important part of my life. Considering all that the Lord does for me, I don't consider it asking too much of me to attend services on Sunday. But then, I enjoy my time at the church. I sing in the choir, and the choir is like family to me. Since retirement, I spend three or four hours at the church each week doing maintenance chores. I get great satisfaction in doing that.
C
I'm not going to that church anymore since i have to go back to my hometown due to some circumstances 
I still talking to some of the members but they mostly already moving to another city as well after graduate from college.. some stay on that city and work there but they're not into youth anymore they move into professional one or family one
My church has several services: for kids, student (teen), youth (college), young professional (work) and family
but majority youth
we have cell group each saturday and we also have some mentor where we can talk to and ask for a prayer..
For me.. they are like my second family
we also have live streaming for those who cant attend church
I found that having fellowship with our bro/sist in Christ especially church group to be like this.. where we can support each other encourage and praying
[video=youtube;CLSXLW3cYvE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLSXLW3cYvE[/video]
I still talking to some of the members but they mostly already moving to another city as well after graduate from college.. some stay on that city and work there but they're not into youth anymore
they move into professional one or family one My church has several services: for kids, student (teen), youth (college), young professional (work) and family
but majority youth
we have cell group each saturday and we also have some mentor where we can talk to and ask for a prayer..
For me.. they are like my second family
we also have live streaming for those who cant attend church
I found that having fellowship with our bro/sist in Christ especially church group to be like this.. where we can support each other encourage and praying
[video=youtube;CLSXLW3cYvE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLSXLW3cYvE[/video]
I've been a member of my church for 11 years now. I've seen a lot of changes during that time. There was a few years during the time we had a particular Pastor that I wasn't sure what the churches future would be like. He's moved on and I see Gods hand in that.
We now have a Pastor that seems to be a really good fit and a great leader. What I've also learned over the years is, if you don't step up and help then you shouldn't complain. I've been a Deacon now for a few years and when there was a vacancy for a children's Sunday school teacher that no one wanted to fill I stepped in. I feel both positions have helped me grow in a positive way.
We now have a Pastor that seems to be a really good fit and a great leader. What I've also learned over the years is, if you don't step up and help then you shouldn't complain. I've been a Deacon now for a few years and when there was a vacancy for a children's Sunday school teacher that no one wanted to fill I stepped in. I feel both positions have helped me grow in a positive way.
C
There is a part of this that interests me the most where you say there's was a time a paticular Pastor had you to question the future of your church. (At that time, of coarse, you had no idea of Gods plan to send you another) What was your attitude about your church while you "doubted" its future.? When you went to service and listened to this particular Pastor, could you be inspired by his sermon? Would you have doubts of what he was saying and STILL be inspired enough to go to church to listen to him? Did you ever trust him enough to discuss the issues your doubts were based on face to face.?
C
I've never thought there were WALLS strong enough to ward off Satan, but it seemed to me that God's presence within the church , provided safe haven for us sinners, even if only for the duration of a service whilst we prayed for forgiveness, prayed for one another, listened to Holy Scripture and raised our voices and hands in song of praise to Heavenly Father. Its almost like you FEEL His presence and for me anyway, its always felt like the safest time during the duration of that 1 to 2 hour service.
I never told him about my doubts. He came after a Pastor that had been there for 30 some years retired. I actually liked his sermons, it was some of his behavior that I saw outside of his preaching that had me question if I was in the right place. I got a long with him fine but his unwillingness to reach out to the home bound and his refusal to visit people in the hospital because he didn't know what to say. He openly said one time, I'm a Pastor not a counselor, that raised some flags around the church.
He wasn't an awful person just maybe in the wrong line of work. I felt God urging me to stick it out so I did and I'm glad I listened.
C
Thank you. That says a lot. I've seen some of this business of what seems to me anyway, of Pastors "shrugging " responsibilities and focusing MORE on church entertainment. Some don't keep their doors open any longer than they absolutely have to and parishoners keep silent so as to not bother them. I love that God urged you to "stick it out". Many, in your spot, would have looked instead for another church. But you DID have years invested there in that church too, and you see it as family too. Thats always a blessing to BELONG that firmly in the body of Christ.
And, now you know better. God is not in the building, He is within the hearts of the people, and it is their union there that you sense. Truly, God is not sitting up in the clouds, waiting until enough people gather, or the mood and music reach a crescendo that motivates Him to decide to enter the building they happen to be in.
"My fellow followers of Christ, ask not what your church can do for you, ask what you can do for your Church." Hmmm, Right?! God is love so if I love people or God - success in that is a matter of commitment to loving not a commitment to understand whether its working well or not. Jesus is the Head of our churches, so I let Him worry about the details outside of what He puts in my heart to clearly do. Yes, I believe in the body of christ meeting together in a Church format; a facility to meet in.. I am not concerned with the facilities per-sa, for if you remember the days of "The Way" ministries, which is the first church experiences, which started in homes, so Jesus is not concerned with us micro-managing His work by analyzing the details of His church. Now that doesn't mean we aren't to manage it as we live in His Spirit, but the growth and decline of a church will fall under Gods assigned people within the Church to do His will. And He will rebuke and correct them thru His Word. And not on a public spectacle examination of men.
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:245-25).
"Bring the whole tithe into the Storehouse......"
So, Yes! God's Church, or the body of Christ is a body that needs to meet together under one roof. Now what that roof looks like is under God's criteria to judge and maintain. And the members of that church are accountable to God to run and manage it based on living in the Spirt-filled born again life. Jesus will take care of the rest, one way or another. We can't judge the will of God based on the attendance of a church, we can only go and be the light and salt of this earth.... He may be letting that attendance suffer to mold the character of that church, so we need to get our heads out of human reasoning and into complete submission with the Spirit of God.
Yes I go to a local church facility. and am committed to serving my local church; I am totally serving not only that Church but from that church we are committed to serving our community with physical and practical presents in a regular routine of going to the world to be Ambassadors of Christ Jesus. I have a strong conviction that I should serve the Lord in this capacity. And one large reason is because I see a lot of strong biblical support for it.
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:245-25).
"Bring the whole tithe into the Storehouse......"
So, Yes! God's Church, or the body of Christ is a body that needs to meet together under one roof. Now what that roof looks like is under God's criteria to judge and maintain. And the members of that church are accountable to God to run and manage it based on living in the Spirt-filled born again life. Jesus will take care of the rest, one way or another. We can't judge the will of God based on the attendance of a church, we can only go and be the light and salt of this earth.... He may be letting that attendance suffer to mold the character of that church, so we need to get our heads out of human reasoning and into complete submission with the Spirit of God.
Yes I go to a local church facility. and am committed to serving my local church; I am totally serving not only that Church but from that church we are committed to serving our community with physical and practical presents in a regular routine of going to the world to be Ambassadors of Christ Jesus. I have a strong conviction that I should serve the Lord in this capacity. And one large reason is because I see a lot of strong biblical support for it.
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