how can i go to church when....

[bobie]

all i see are bunches of hypocrites who act all nice and holy at church but outside they're evil! i mean there's this one preacher in particular who tried to hit on my sister! this man is probably on his late 50s and my sister is 21! can you believe that! that dude is sick for even thinking about it! then i saw him last night at church and he tried to shake hands like he didn't try to do something stupid! there are also these gossip group of old women who care about the hierarchy at church! i mean all they want is always to be on the front and control everything! they also care about the social status of the church members! its kinda obvious that if you don't have a status then you're nothing to them! man this is really disappointing! ive been planning to become an active church member again now that im about to graduate but how can i go there if all i see are these people! any advice?

 

[sportygirl]

I wish I knew how to help. But there will always be those types of people in churches, although in some churches it is a smaller portion of people and it takes different forms. I know the churches in my home town which is a tiny town have experienced some of those things. Not everyone is hypocrtical though, the people who are truely walking in their faith are not, you just have to seek out those people. And if it comes down to it and you feel your church isnt serving the true purpose of God than I would say find a new church, as hard as that is. There are lots of churches out there that have their priorities straight and arent hypocrtical. They still have people who are surface believers, but the church itself is strong.

 

[AliceOfLegend]

Umm simple answer to that. Find a new church. Also, just because hes 50 something doesn't mean hes a creeper, if he doesn't get the hint that she doesn't like him and he doesn't leave her alone, then try to respectfully let him know, and if he keeps persisting, you be firm. Honestly if she didn't like it then she should have spoken up about his behavior. You'll find there are many people who act holy in church and are not out side of it. You don't necessarily have to go to church to fellowship. alls it takes is two people.. well three with God, and a Bible. you don't have to stick to one church just because you checked it out, theres no "sign this contract and you have to come at least every Sunday for six months" contract.

 

[Darkies]

GO TO CHURCH AND MAKE A CHANGE DEAR, THESE THINGS HAPPEN, THEY ARE USED BY THE DEVIL. WE CANT SIT AND CRITICISE BUT WE HAVE TO STAND UP AND DO SOMETHING. LETS PRAY FOR THEM SO THAT THEY WONT BE LEFT BEHIND WHEN CHRIST COMES

 

[NightOwl]

This is a tough one. I'd like to say that I agree with Alice, but God may have called you to the church you've already been going to. That's why it's tough to say whether you should give up on them and leave or hang in there with patience and love. Have you spoken with the senior pastor about it? Maybe you can tell him what's going on. Chances are he probably already knows about it, but he needs to know that you are thinking about leaving because of it. It doesn't matter how much (or how little) money you may give to the church; pastors should know why people give up on their churches.

 

[avdl]

Ask God for direction. Talk to one of the leaders you trust and ask him/her for advice. It's a really tough situation, you should be careful. Hope everything goes well for you. God Bless!

 

[NYer23]

I agree with Sporty, there will always be these types of people. I see this many times in my church as well. Often, what I first do is remind myself of my own hypocrisies, and they are plenty. Every time I give a lesson to my High School boys, I find myself saying, "man, you really aren't the best to talk about this" lol...but that's just it Bobie...No one is. Now, I know there are times where more prominent figures in the church should clearly conduct themselves in a more appropriate manner...and if that's the case, maybe you should speak to an elder of the church like Night Owl suggested. Regardless, I don't think you should just leave...changes in communities never come about by people leaving the problem as is. Dude, your 23...you're def capable of sparking a change. Above all, like avdl said, really pray to God for guidance and wisdom in this very common but complicated matter. The church is the body of Christ, and when functional, is the most amazing thing...but when it's sick, the hand just can't tell itself that it's leaving to greener pastures. I'm confident God will reveal to you the best course of action...God Bless man.

 

[bobie]

GO TO CHURCH AND MAKE A CHANGE DEAR, THESE THINGS HAPPEN, THEY ARE USED BY THE DEVIL. WE CANT SIT AND CRITICISE BUT WE HAVE TO STAND UP AND DO SOMETHING. LETS PRAY FOR THEM SO THAT THEY WONT BE LEFT BEHIND WHEN CHRIST COMES

thanks for the prayer! this is what i need

 

[bobie]

thanks for the advice and prayers guys! its just im a little confuse right now about staying! but then again just like what NYer said, im old enough to make a difference! ill just see whats gonna happen next and follow where god leads me!

 

[Tinker]

Bobie, if I was you this is what I would do. First, I would go and find another church and see how that one plays out. I know what you mean. My church is like that to. You see, my Pastor thinks he controls everyone and everything that goes on. He has already had 13 people leave. I don't pay it no mind because God is the only one that can direct us into doing the right things. As long as you're not doing any of the things those people are doing, you are okay and will be fine. Just pray for those people and do what you need to do in order to follow christ.

 

[jwindow]

Another thing churches are never short of are people standing at the back pointing out everything that is wrong yet doing nothing (I'm not saying that is what you're doing as you've said you're becoming active again). I go to quite a large church and there are plenty of sinners there....just like me. Noone is perfect so we shouldn't expect church to be. I feel at home at my church and I have the call that God has given me there for now (I've been there 11-12 yrs), so I choose to focus on that. There are certainly worse things than gossiping old ladies who have been there longer than the furniture, I bet they will have some amazing faith and life experience that would blow you away. As someone else said pray for them, you never know, you may the change that God has brought to that church. Put your eyes on Christ and let him deal with everyone else and their issues.