Church asks Freeloading Christians to attend elsewhere.

  • Thread starter Thread starter danschance
  • Start date Start date
  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
danschance said:
I can understand how frustrating it can be for a church during tough times, but it also seems wrong to tell a person to leave the church. This seems wrong to me. I can't imagine Jesus ever saying "No miracles unless you pay".

Mega-church downsizes, cuts non-essential members - LarkNews.com - A Good Source for Christian News
Click to expand...
Its not a church, its a corporation, a 501c3 corporation, not at all a New Testament Church. Almost all churches are corporations now with the State as their head, not the Lord Jesus Christ, do some research on the evils of the 501c3 contract the Hirelings are brainwashed into signing.
 
yes yes yes kjv we understand you hate most churches and most bibles unless they fit your tiny tiny worldview
 
A church is a family. In a family everyone must do their part. Therefore church members must "spur one another towards love and good deeds" (Heb 10:24).

Having said that, responsible family members must also support and sustain other dependent members till these members are able to overcome their struggles and participate. You just can't tell the dependent family members to leave. Similarly, in my opinion, a church cannot ask their members to leave on any other grounds apart from stubborn sexual immorality (1 Cor 5:2). There will always be weak or complacent members in a church. Scripture encourages us to give special attention to the weak (1 Cor 12: 22-26) and to pray for them.

...and I'm convinced that money must never be an issue in a church. Church members must never be forced to give money, or they must never be excommunicated because they do not give their tithes. Rather, they must be taught, instructed, encouraged and inspired to do so.

There are one too many churches where leaders are over aggressive and try to control the congregation. Leaders are called to be servants. Yes, as responsible overseers, they must deal with complacent or divisive members, but only after they have done everything to help them. They cannot tell them to leave for reasons not permitted by scripture.

In conclusion, Christ is building his Church, so we must let him be the head.
 
I don't see anything wrong here. The Church could be a little more gracious with it's choice of words, but Bob and Julie are doing something now. :p
 
Perhaps more "Churches" should follow this example, will soon see who are the serious Christians and the Sunday Christians.
 
Many people are "consumer" Christians. They shop for a church whose doctrine fits their beliefs, they take advantage of freebees, and tithe inconsistently. Not being part of the community is clearly against scripture. We're supposed to be involved in ministry, in tithing, in bible study (personal and group), and have general Christian fellowship on top of that. I see nothing wrong with being highly involved in church. Not that you have to be at the church every time the doors open, but we're called to be servants to the Body.
 
non-essential members.....how marxist can you get. in james if you don't work you don't eat but that was communes too. Jesus feeds us spiritual food and drink.........oh boy
 
If it's a good church, you have to cut the freeloaders out - those who do nothing but consume - i have been at churches where they have not physically kicked people out, but say - if your just hear to warm the bench, you can find a lot of other churches that will welcome you
 
Sometimes people experience personal tragedies (death of a loved one, divorce, illness...) and they are not able to participate fully. They are not able to volunteer or help out because they are trying to work through their issues. Some people recover more quickly than others and are able to participate again. Shouldn't the people in Christian churches show grace and be there for people in crisis? :cool:
 
  • Like
Reactions: SarahM777
UMM Did anyone ask the members that were not giving why they were not? Even in the old testament the poor and widows were not required to tithe because they had no land. They had NOTHING for the tithe. The tithe that was collected every three was set ASIDE for the poor and widows. And can anyone show me where we are to kick the poor out of the church?
 
Last edited:
Looks like a symptom of mega-church life.
Mega-churches need a larger infrastructure to function and support everything, and run.
That means more funds needed to feed the beast.

I think the symptoms of this could be cured if the mega-church lifestyle went to something simpler and smaller.

But if one is going to attend a mega-church, and use all the goodies that come along with it, then it is reasonable to expect people to pay-up, if they can pay up. Because essentially, they're taking part in much that isn't essential. And when you use something that isn't essential, you really should chip in and help it out if able.
 
danschance said:
I can understand how frustrating it can be for a church during tough times, but it also seems wrong to tell a person to leave the church. This seems wrong to me. I can't imagine Jesus ever saying "No miracles unless you pay".

Mega-church downsizes, cuts non-essential members - LarkNews.com - A Good Source for Christian News
Click to expand...

John 21
15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
 
1still_waters said:
Looks like a symptom of mega-church life.
Mega-churches need a larger infrastructure to function and support everything, and run.
That means more funds needed to feed the beast.

I think the symptoms of this could be cured if the mega-church lifestyle went to something simpler and smaller.

But if one is going to attend a mega-church, and use all the goodies that come along with it, then it is reasonable to expect people to pay-up, if they can pay up. Because essentially, they're taking part in much that isn't essential. And when you use something that isn't essential, you really should chip in and help it out if able.
Click to expand...

The beast? just wondering if this is an encrypted phrase meaning sumthin'......... or a prophetic word......;)
 
Just a point of interest. Tithing was done once a year when the people had to take 10 percent of their first good grains and foods grown, and a big feast was held and the poor and destitute was fed. I feed my community when I can, clothe the poor when I can, give food to the needy when I can. Buy groceries for those who can't eat at all, also when I can. Then if I have some money left give it to the church. In my mind if more people were doing this, there would be less needs of people attending church as most of them would have enough clothes and food, and this also cuts back on what the church is expected to do. But hey that does cut back a bit on the pasto'rs cars.
 
SarahM777 said:
UMM Did anyone ask the members that were not giving why they were not? Even in the old testament the poor and widows were not required to tithe because they had no land. They had NOTHING for the tithe. The tithe that was collected every three was set ASIDE for the poor and widows. And can anyone show me where we are to kick the poor out of the church?
Click to expand...

That's not what the article is about, and the site it is sourced from is a Christian-centric version of The Onion. >_<
 
I read the letter again, and the following things came to my mind (this is further to my earlier post):
It looks like this new exec. pastor, who used to work at Cingular Wireless, seems to have brought with him some corporate tactics. Leading a church is different from leading a corporate body. He cannot treat the church members as he would treat employees.

If only half of its 8000 attendees are participating in church activities, I would first question the church leadership. Maybe it is the church leadership that has been complacent for the last 3 years. If the leaders were playing "community nanny," they were not doing their jobs as shepherds.

I wonder if the church leaders have personally met up with any of these "freeloading" members in order to encourage them to be active members of the family. If not, the new pastor must not try to streamline the church, as the new management of a corporate body would do. Most new pastors make this mistake.

A good shepherd lays down his life for his flock. Not one will be lost easily. A hired hand would not mind if the congregation leaves. Lost souls must be saved, but not at the cost of the sheep from the pen. It makes no sense when the pastor tells the church members to leave so that he can reach out to other people and make them members. A good shepherd strives to ensure that not even one from his flock is lost.

A hired hand cares only about performance- again a corporate mentality. Most performance-based leaders place heavy yokes on their junior leadership and on the congregation. The new converts also would feel the pressure to perform- i.e. to bring in prospective converts. We must remember that the yoke of Christ is easy.

No doubt, a church must save souls, but any act done by a church member must be fully from the heart, and not our ot coercion or out of compliance to a church policy. Deeds done out of coercion are not acceptable to God, as they lack faith. These are dead works.

I read that Julie and Bob responded positively. Most church going Christians are good hearted and would be willing to comply. Others would comply in order to avoid being confronted. Still others would comply in order to avoid the stigma of being excommunicated.

I think that the new pastor has good intentions, but he is being overzealous. He must realize that every church member has a different level of faith, and he must expect according to their faith.








 
i saw this yesterday and while i thought it was a ridiculous thing for a church to say...i wasn't offended enough by it to post a response either way...

but just now i saw this thread again...and immediately what the bible says about widows and orphans came to mind...would they be considered 'freeloaders' and asked to leave?

ugh... :mad:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back