Last night my wife and I had dinner with a former student of hers. She is now married to a youth minister in Iowa. That makes me feel old.
On the way to dinner my wife and I had a "discussion" about working at a church. There have been a couple of instances of interest from other churches that have definately whetted my appetite for ministry again. I'd say I miss about 90% of working at a church.
So we went to BW3's or as most of the world calls it Buffalo Wild Wings (I'm not sure where the 'West' went to...). I ordered my usual non-tuesday special of buffalitos. This time I wasn't feeling too saucy so I went for the mild instead of my usual medium sauce. Bad choice.
Anywho, we got to talking about the ministry they were doing in Iowa. It sounds like it's really taught them a lot and they are doing some good things there. There were two issues that she brought up that I thought I would blog about.
First, she said they are dealing with a situation where there is a youth sponsor who wants to help out in their youth ministry, but doesn't attend their church on Sunday mornings. I guess the church they are at has a rule that you can't be a youth sponsor unless you are a 'member' of their church. Her husband even went so far as to say to the sponsor, "you know, you have a real gift for ministry. It's up to you if you are going to use it or not." Some how implying that if he doesn't become a member, he's going to be a bad steward of God's talents.
Wow! Maybe I missed that class in college. You know the one where it explains that each church is seperate and independant of each other. Oh wait, that's right, we aren't! Last I researched there was one body of Jesus. There was one church. So what if one worships on this mountain and one worships in Jerusalem. We are all children of God right?
This leads to the second point. I asked why they wouldn't want to attend their church. Then she made a comment that made my skin crawl. She said she wouldn't attend their church either if her husband wasn't employed by it.
Double wow! You know, a prostitute wouldn't have sex with her johns if they weren't paying her either. I'm not sure if that says says something about the church or about the minister. Now, I understand missionaries. I understand going to a third world country and not being a part of the culture or community, but ministering to them out of love. Maybe that's what this is. Maybe.
But I doubt it.
This is America. You're telling me that there is such a surplus of ministers in this country that the wanting are left to the scraps. Or better yet, there is such a surplus of Christians in communities you would rather live in that you had to move to the boonies to reach the non-christians?
I don't have a problem getting paid to do ministry. I have a problem being a ministry whore. Going where the good money is. Going where the good ministry is. How about going to the people you love? How about going to the city you love? How about going to the neighbors you love? How about not moving every 2-3 years in search of the latest and greatest. Or how about changing what you don't like at your church so that you would attend there.
I could write a book about how youth ministry has become a sub-church of the church instead a part of the whole. How do church leaders expect the church to reach the people of the area, if the ministers wouldn't even go to the church. Do you think they are just going to come because the youth minister is cool or has his program planned out for six months for their kids? Even if they do, do you expect their kids to actually want to attend church once they have a choice, just because it's the right thing to do?
I'm sure I'm way off base here. I'm sure I've just been burned to bad to see a good thing for a good thing. But that's the 10%. That's what I can't get past.
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4 comments:
i don't have much to say. i think i would echo your sentiments. why go to a place you don't like? for the money?? find a new career. as far as the whole church membership thing, the only requirement we have at the harbor is...they have to be an immersed believer. there are certain expectations...i.e. they will be called upon to serve. God church is universal and i think that if you are an immersed believer in Christ than you are a part of the Church. i don't know why we can't all share each others talents. i think it is weird for me to think about someone going to one church and also serving at another church. i think that is the traditional side of me. i think God wants and always intended for there to be one church, but we have made many churches w/many different beliefs. i think there are certain core values of the universal church and then there are certain areas God has left open for us to believe. if we would follow the core values God has set forth i believe we could all exist together as one church. instead of dying churches we would have vibrant alive churches all across the U.S. think about every believer in your city coming together and not necessarily worshipping at the exact same place...find a place close to home, but just knowing everyone is all part of the same family. we can share people, resources, etc...since when did the church become a competition about size and domination of an area. so what if a Christian wants to worship at one church in the morning and help with the youth in the evening. is he less Christian b/c he goes to another church in the morning? God's church is universal. it is founded on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. it doesn't matter the name on the building you go into on Sunday...it's God's church if Jesus is the Christ of that church. Jake, here is a question for you...how old and experienced is the youth minister that said those comments to the youth sponsor? well, i got a little long...sorry. peace!!
ha ha...joey said he didn't have much to say and then wrote a novel. ha ha. well, i have a lot to say. so buckle up...here we go:
i agree with you both in everything you said. and jake you really should write that book. cause its the 10% that we all struggle with and the 10% that needs to be brought to light. and you are as qualified as any to write it.
whew. sorry to get long-winded.
I got to thinking a little bit about the whole church membership thing. Maybe we have membership as a way to protect the flock. There are a lot of "crazy" people out there.
I think that's a good point. As pastors, we are called to do what is best for the church. But I think we are looking at that too narrowly. The church is much bigger than the gathering of what's inside your building. Paul told the believers to greet one another with a holy kiss. Not give them the shaft.
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