When will they "get it"...

[OldEnt]

A few weeks ago we heard from a reliable source that the pastors at our former abusive church were calling for a day of prayer and fasting due to the "declining church"... Today we heard that another long time family has left.....

Yet to talk to people still there, "Things are changing..." Well, in truth they ARE changing because people are leaving!!!! But that's not what those still there mean when they say that. When you ask them to give specific examples of how things are changing, they are at a loss for words... or the "changes" are because all the "trouble makers" or "uncommited" people have left......

They just don't "get it"!

but then it took me a while before I "got it".....

they're building a new meeting place...but for what? a shrinking congregation.... in a "normal" church all the pastors or at least some of them would have been shown the door long before now... but not in this church or in the movement it is a part of. Incompetent pastors stay, the people vote with their feet by leaving.....

The just don't "get it"..... Even when it gets to the point where they have to close their doors, those pastors will stand there and scratch thier heads wondering "why".... I doubt even then that they will really "get it".....

Judgement begins in the house of the Lord.......

In His mercy, old ent

[MCM (Mary)]

Hi, Old Ent. This week I used the "get it" phrase with a friend, as in, "These people get it!" (Amazing & wonderful.) She understands what that means spiritually. One time I heard a pastor talk of it in terms of dancing. Some people can make their feet move, but that isn't dancing. In religion it's the same way.

Churches tend to not ever change in their basic outlook. Sad but true.

Some people just aren't ready to lay it on the line, to be rock solid honest before God. We always want to hedge a bit.

Not sure about the concept of a normal church anymore, at least in terms of being synonymous with healthy.

You certainly raise good points!! Mary

[Oopsie Daisey]

You know my heart is saddened when this kind of thing happens and as you were sharing about the church building another building, I was actually glad you shared that because that is what my ex-church is doing. It just seems like that is all part of the ploy keep themselves and others in deceit. I wished more families would walk out of my ex church. So far the ones that have wouldn't make waves and it has been mostly singles that walked out.

It really wreaks when the truth stares them right in the face and they ignore it.

The labels that have been given to most of us as you described are all the ones I have wore.
That will get old when one of more of their core people walk out and they still use that line.


Melanie

[Jubileesong]

Hey there, Old Ent...

This is Hannah. It's been a while since I've been here. It struck me in your note when you spoke of your ex-church building a new building. For the group I was in, it seemed an almost past-time for them. We were ALWAYS "building a new building" and I wondered if it wasn't just to keep us busy and away from "the world" - where we might get it in our head to ask questions.

In our group, WE actually built the building. How many times was I out pulling nails out of old wood or doing some other kind of construction task - painting, taping, cleaning, sanding...you name it. Did you all do that in your group?

I think there are two sides of the fence when it comes to new buildings...maybe more as I think about it. People feel weird these days meeting in someone's home only - or so it seems to me. So, having a building for the church seems a necessity...at least in some form. Feels more "public" I think. But, there are those who have a building with what they NEED and there are those who keep searching for bigger and better...and I'm not sure how necessary that is. Really irritates my husband. He thinks church money could be better spent.

What do you think about new buildings? Do you think there is EVER a reason to look for one or build one (other than population growth of the church)?

Hannah

[Jerry]

A little Church"Busting at the seams",,,,is better than a "Large Church" half full :D

[OldEnt]

Well now things are getting more interesting....

We heard from a reliable source that our former abusive church had to
scale down their building plans due to the increased price of steel...
they'll have to do without some of the extras they were planning on,
and may have to take out a mortgage instead of being debt free... (long
story behind that but will spare you...)

An agreement to sell the old building was signed 4 years ago just before
the explosion that has led to this churches decline. The plans were to
build in anticipation of growth but the not only are they not growing,
membership continues to decline....

They are also well below their budget expectations for this year.
... and there may well be some other families on the verge of
leaving, not because they really want to, but because the elders
who run things just don't "get it"...

The chickens are coming home to roost.... It's really sad.... but
given the failure to "get it"... not surprising... I'm not writing this to
gloat over them or rub it in... the whole thing from beginning to wnd
is just plain tragic... stay tuned....

By His mercy, Old Ent