Churches Developing their People

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M

MoonCresta

Guest
#1
#1
Tell me if your church is anything like mine. The same people do the same tasks in the church day after week, after month, after year. Every week, for years, the same people are on the praise team, the same people are the ushers, the same people are the secretaries and bookkeepers, etc. etc. Our church does nothing to swap people in and out of ministries, to give others a chance to use the talents that he gave them.

Does this bother anyone else? In the last 20 years, I've only heard one other person in our congregation brave enough to bring this up.

Can I say this? If you've done a ministry or task in the church for 5 years or over, does it ever strike you that you may be keeping others from exercising their talents? Think about it. Give someone else a chance!
 
T

TheIndianGirl

Guest
#2
#2
MoonCresta said:
Tell me if your church is anything like mine. The same people do the same tasks in the church day after week, after month, after year. Every week, for years, the same people are on the praise team, the same people are the ushers, the same people are the secretaries and bookkeepers, etc. etc. Our church does nothing to swap people in and out of ministries, to give others a chance to use the talents that he gave them.

Does this bother anyone else? In the last 20 years, I've only heard one other person in our congregation brave enough to bring this up.

Can I say this? If you've done a ministry or task in the church for 5 years or over, does it ever strike you that you may be keeping others from exercising their talents? Think about it. Give someone else a chance!
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My church is pretty eager for volunteers including deacons and is accepting of people to volunteer in a variety of ways. I've been volunteering in multimedia/slides for years, but I also like new volunteers who want to do this as it lessens the load in the long run (even though it is a bit of work up front to train them). I like doing this as it fits my personality and I'm not too excited about the other volunteer positions as they either do not fit my personality or may be too time consuming (teller, budget/finance, bread ministry, nursery, greeter, etc.). My church has terms for the higher up positions like treasurer, etc. However, once a person's term is over someone else can fill that position. We only have one secretary who is paid, however if they are any people who want to volunteer as secretaries my church will be happy.
 
Roughsoul1991

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
#3
Sep 17, 2016
8,904
4,557
113
#3
MoonCresta said:
Tell me if your church is anything like mine. The same people do the same tasks in the church day after week, after month, after year. Every week, for years, the same people are on the praise team, the same people are the ushers, the same people are the secretaries and bookkeepers, etc. etc. Our church does nothing to swap people in and out of ministries, to give others a chance to use the talents that he gave them.

Does this bother anyone else? In the last 20 years, I've only heard one other person in our congregation brave enough to bring this up.

Can I say this? If you've done a ministry or task in the church for 5 years or over, does it ever strike you that you may be keeping others from exercising their talents? Think about it. Give someone else a chance!
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Either push the issue or find a new church. Many churches are hungry for volunteers. Especially the small churches.
 
M

MoonCresta

Guest
#4
#4
Roughsoul1991 said:
Either push the issue or find a new church. Many churches are hungry for volunteers. Especially the small churches.
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I would've changed churches long ago, but my wife really loves it.
 
H

Hungry

Banned
#6
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
1,050
113
#6
How would you like to serve?
 
Lanolin

Lanolin

Well-known member
#7
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#7
I would say that does bother me, I think every 2 years it should change or at least have the elder ones training up the younger ones!
 
J

jb

Senior Member
#8
Feb 27, 2010
4,940
592
113
#8
MoonCresta said:
Tell me if your church is anything like mine. The same people do the same tasks in the church day after week, after month, after year. Every week, for years, the same people are on the praise team, the same people are the ushers, the same people are the secretaries and bookkeepers, etc. etc. Our church does nothing to swap people in and out of ministries, to give others a chance to use the talents that he gave them.

Does this bother anyone else? In the last 20 years, I've only heard one other person in our congregation brave enough to bring this up.

Can I say this? If you've done a ministry or task in the church for 5 years or over, does it ever strike you that you may be keeping others from exercising their talents? Think about it. Give someone else a chance!
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The MOST important ministry a believer can have in the Body of Christ is...PRAYER! Matt 6v6

Every believer should be living in such an attitude all the time! 1Thess 5v17,18.

Other "supposed ministries" as mentioned above are mostly non-scriptural man made "distractions."

Try it and see (the early Church did)...IT WORKS! Mark 11v22-24, Acts 1v14, 2v42, 4v31.
 
R

Runningman

Banned
#9
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#9
MoonCresta said:
Tell me if your church is anything like mine. The same people do the same tasks in the church day after week, after month, after year. Every week, for years, the same people are on the praise team, the same people are the ushers, the same people are the secretaries and bookkeepers, etc. etc. Our church does nothing to swap people in and out of ministries, to give others a chance to use the talents that he gave them.

Does this bother anyone else? In the last 20 years, I've only heard one other person in our congregation brave enough to bring this up.

Can I say this? If you've done a ministry or task in the church for 5 years or over, does it ever strike you that you may be keeping others from exercising their talents? Think about it. Give someone else a chance!
Click to expand...
When we assemble together, we should stir one another up to love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Our primary objective is to praise and worship God, even outside the doors of the congregation. Part of worshipping God is doing good for others (Hebrews 13:15-16)

Not making excuses for anyone, but I think people just get in a mindset of just getting the church to function so they may feel more inclined to stick with the first reliable people they find without considering who else can contribute.

I volunteer my time to an online ministry and it's difficult to find people who want to contribute their time. Maybe 1 out of every 50 people want to help even though help is requested. Definitely pray about it because ultimately the church is God's ministry. He can make the necessary changes.

Start by just finding ways to show love to everyone, provoke them to love, and do some good works. There are so many ways to do this and you don't need church leadership's permission to do good and love.
 
M

MoonCresta

Guest
#10
#10
Runningman said:
When we assemble together, we should stir one another up to love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Our primary objective is to praise and worship God, even outside the doors of the congregation. Part of worshipping God is doing good for others (Hebrews 13:15-16)

Not making excuses for anyone, but I think people just get in a mindset of just getting the church to function so they may feel more inclined to stick with the first reliable people they find without considering who else can contribute.

I volunteer my time to an online ministry and it's difficult to find people who want to contribute their time. Maybe 1 out of every 50 people want to help even though help is requested. Definitely pray about it because ultimately the church is God's ministry. He can make the necessary changes.

Start by just finding ways to show love to everyone, provoke them to love, and do some good works. There are so many ways to do this and you don't need church leadership's permission to do good and love.
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You're absolutely right. I do try hard to find ways I can help - that's how I made my entire career (retired now) - by finding out what no one else wanted to do and to do them well. I joined our prayer group and have thrown myself into it wholeheartedly. I will work with our nursing home ministry (once the homes start up again). Now that I'm retired, I join the work groups when the church throws a work group Saturday, you know, when they decide they have enough small chores built up around the place to warrant such a day.

I was just wondering if anyone else experienced this or was having the same feelings as I did.
 
M

MoonCresta

Guest
#11
#11
Hungry said:
How would you like to serve?
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I would like to be a member of the praise team once in a while. Actually, I'm a little conflicted on that. Way long ago, we used to have a single person directing the congregation; I liked that very much, but all of a sudden, someone found it necessary to have 4 people up front directing us (just singing in front of the congregation). Often I feel that there is a praise team clique that get up there just to be seen. But as long as we have one, why not let others join in once in a while? And yes, I can sing - have sung all my life in every other church I've belonged to.

And other groups that serve - security team, teaching (former youth and adults Sunday School teacher), bookkeeping (BBA in Finance): I'm good for just about any serving position in the church.
 
D

DWR

Guest
#12
#12
MoonCresta said:
I would like to be a member of the praise team once in a while. Actually, I'm a little conflicted on that. Way long ago, we used to have a single person directing the congregation; I liked that very much, but all of a sudden, someone found it necessary to have 4 people up front directing us (just singing in front of the congregation). Often I feel that there is a praise team clique that get up there just to be seen. But as long as we have one, why not let others join in once in a while? And yes, I can sing - have sung all my life in every other church I've belonged to.

And other groups that serve - security team, teaching (former youth and adults Sunday School teacher), bookkeeping (BBA in Finance): I'm good for just about any serving position in the church.
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Who is the someone who found it necessary?
Doesn't all the congregation have a say?
Is it only us Baptist that get to vote on everything?
Each member being equal and each having one vote.
 
M

MoonCresta

Guest
#13
#13
Yeah, I'm Baptist too (Christian first, though!) No, no vote was taken on that. I really appreciated one guy up front that led the entire congregation. Now, the praise team sings nothing but praise choruses and they stay so up to date on the latest choruses that more than half of the congregation hasn't heard of them. I mean we all move our lips during the song, but I hear very little singing around me. I miss the good hymns. Man, what I wouldn't give to be able to sing with all my fellow congregants Amazing Grace, What a Friend we have in Jesus, and the most blessed of hymns from the most blessed of songwriters, Fanny J. Crosby - Blessed Assurance! Wow - wouldn't that be great!

Yes, I know I'm off topic - I'll shut up now!
 
Lanolin

Lanolin

Well-known member
#14
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#14
I never really got how some churches choose their songs...in some churches it seemed like they had to have a fast song and a slow song and then repeat the song again. And also assume that everyone knew it, but it was more like kareoke than singing together.

I mean nothing wrong with kareoke but we never made up a song spontaenously, like you now how you start jamming and create something new.
 
D

DWR

Guest
#15
#15
MoonCresta said:
Yeah, I'm Baptist too (Christian first, though!) No, no vote was taken on that. I really appreciated one guy up front that led the entire congregation. Now, the praise team sings nothing but praise choruses and they stay so up to date on the latest choruses that more than half of the congregation hasn't heard of them. I mean we all move our lips during the song, but I hear very little singing around me. I miss the good hymns. Man, what I wouldn't give to be able to sing with all my fellow congregants Amazing Grace, What a Friend we have in Jesus, and the most blessed of hymns from the most blessed of songwriters, Fanny J. Crosby - Blessed Assurance! Wow - wouldn't that be great!

Yes, I know I'm off topic - I'll shut up now!
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It is sad how many "Baptist" have strayed from the truth and decided to go the way of the world.
Not just in the way they conduct their service, but in what they teach.
There was a time when one could know what was taught and practiced by the name out front but not anymore.

I love those old hymns. That is all we sing. We still have a "song leader" not a "praise team".
 
M

MoonCresta

Guest
#16
#16
DWR said:
It is sad how many "Baptist" have strayed from the truth and decided to go the way of the world.
Not just in the way they conduct their service, but in what they teach.
There was a time when one could know what was taught and practiced by the name out front but not anymore.

I love those old hymns. That is all we sing. We still have a "song leader" not a "praise team".
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"I love those old hymns. That is all we sing." You are so lucky!
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#17
Aug 13, 2014
27,822
9,732
113
#17
MoonCresta said:
Tell me if your church is anything like mine. The same people do the same tasks in the church day after week, after month, after year. Every week, for years, the same people are on the praise team, the same people are the ushers, the same people are the secretaries and bookkeepers, etc. etc. Our church does nothing to swap people in and out of ministries, to give others a chance to use the talents that he gave them.

Does this bother anyone else? In the last 20 years, I've only heard one other person in our congregation brave enough to bring this up.

Can I say this? If you've done a ministry or task in the church for 5 years or over, does it ever strike you that you may be keeping others from exercising their talents? Think about it. Give someone else a chance!
Click to expand...
Personally I like it because I like to know what I'm doing, be good at it and be confident in what I should do. I like stability and routine more than change, unless there's a concrete reason why we should change.

I'm in the praise team, collect the sunday school offering and attendance, drive the church bus, vacuum when it is our week to clean the church and do random tech support when it is needed. Nobody has ever expressed any desire to take over anything I do except singing, and the praise team takes anybody who is willing and can stay on key. If you know anybody who wants to take over vacuuming the church, send him down here to southwest TN, stat! It's a big, beautiful sanctuary, but it sure looks a lot bigger when you look at it from behind a vacuum cleaner. :p

About music specifically:
Our church does it all - old hymns, new CCM and everything in between. We have all age ranges so we try to cover music everybody will like.

Is your church mostly young people? The music leader might be trying to bias the music toward what is deemed most effective for most of the congregation. Me, I like everything from the oldest hymns to the newest christian metal... but I know MOSTLY elderly people like old hymns and MOSTLY young people like modern christian music. If you have primarily younger people and you did primarily old hymns, it might not go over very well.

Maybe the music director should use a ratio method - if 30% of the congregation is likely to prefer old hymns, sing old hymns 30% of the time. What percentage of your church do you think would like hymns better?

Have you asked the person in charge of music if you could sing a "special" now and then? A lot of churches I know have a slot in the service for one person to get up and sing a solo. That would be efficient for the music director too - those who prefer hymns would have their older music, and the younger people wouldn't get their shorts in a twist because the "official" praise team was singing older songs.
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#18
Aug 13, 2014
27,822
9,732
113
#18
If you want to find a place to serve, ask if the sound man needs a break now and then. Learning the sound board is not very difficult - it's basically a grid of inputs and outputs - and the sound man might want to be just part of the congregation now and then.

Helping in the nursery is also almost always well received.

If you can't do what you want, find something you can do that IS needed. ;)
 
Lanolin

Lanolin

Well-known member
#19
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#19
to a new believer, everything is new, even the 'old hymns' so I dont think that should stop anyone from singing them.
 
M

MoonCresta

Guest
#20
#20
Lynx said:
Personally I like it because I like to know what I'm doing, be good at it and be confident in what I should do. I like stability and routine more than change, unless there's a concrete reason why we should change.

I'm in the praise team, collect the sunday school offering and attendance, drive the church bus, vacuum when it is our week to clean the church and do random tech support when it is needed. Nobody has ever expressed any desire to take over anything I do except singing, and the praise team takes anybody who is willing and can stay on key. If you know anybody who wants to take over vacuuming the church, send him down here to southwest TN, stat! It's a big, beautiful sanctuary, but it sure looks a lot bigger when you look at it from behind a vacuum cleaner. :p

About music specifically:
Our church does it all - old hymns, new CCM and everything in between. We have all age ranges so we try to cover music everybody will like.

Is your church mostly young people? The music leader might be trying to bias the music toward what is deemed most effective for most of the congregation. Me, I like everything from the oldest hymns to the newest christian metal... but I know MOSTLY elderly people like old hymns and MOSTLY young people like modern christian music. If you have primarily younger people and you did primarily old hymns, it might not go over very well.

Maybe the music director should use a ratio method - if 30% of the congregation is likely to prefer old hymns, sing old hymns 30% of the time. What percentage of your church do you think would like hymns better?

Have you asked the person in charge of music if you could sing a "special" now and then? A lot of churches I know have a slot in the service for one person to get up and sing a solo. That would be efficient for the music director too - those who prefer hymns would have their older music, and the younger people wouldn't get their shorts in a twist because the "official" praise team was singing older songs.
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All I'm saying is that it's not that way in my church, and it's wrong. I'm glad to hear it's not that way all over! Churches should work to develop everyone's talents. Isn't it the best way to develop dedicated parishoners - to get them involved?? I think so.
 
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