because according to the article that i wrote about back in february, only churches that are new are really growing. churches that are older tend to only add a few people a year and therefore are considered ineffective. (in fact, in a discussion on facebook yesterday, someone said exactly that to me. -- The comment was, "The hard thing is there are churches banding together for the sake of doctrinal flawlessness [into non-denominational networks], and churches that do nothing, for the most part, seeing 1 or 2 professions of faith each year." and the implication is that if you've been around awhile, and your long-suffering, perseverance and learning to love and forgive each other over a long period of time isn't loud and in your face and observable, then you're doing nothing. So now-a-days churches are abandoning denominations in favor of networks with other new and cool churches that are growing by leaps and bounds because they're full of energy and they're "really doing things.")
it's similar to that article about how the younger folks know more than the older folks. young people don't want to go to older churches that have older people in them who don't do anything and don't know anything. (how could they? they're old!) they want to go to young churches full of young people who "get it" and who "are doing things."
ok, I've come back to this having just read through that conversation you referred to on fb, and I still find all I can say is: I hear your pain.
I think we so often judge different churches/denominations/congregations/movements within the church/etc in a way that is unloving and in a way that just isn't true. We look at one particular angle and don't see the whole picture. We see they don't do things our way and we mock their way without bothering to find out what the value is that they find in doing things the way they do. (And I say "we", knowing full well that I've been guilty of this too.) We need to have more real and loving dialogue instead of huddling together with "our kind" and building walls within the body. (That's part of what I think is really valuable about discussions on the internet.)
oops. I'm sure I had something else to say but it's gone now. oh dear :(
new and full of energy? "full of energy" scares me off immediately. as for "new" - why???
ReplyDeletebecause according to the article that i wrote about back in february, only churches that are new are really growing. churches that are older tend to only add a few people a year and therefore are considered ineffective. (in fact, in a discussion on facebook yesterday, someone said exactly that to me. -- The comment was, "The hard thing is there are churches banding together for the sake of doctrinal flawlessness [into non-denominational networks], and churches that do nothing, for the most part, seeing 1 or 2 professions of faith each year." and the implication is that if you've been around awhile, and your long-suffering, perseverance and learning to love and forgive each other over a long period of time isn't loud and in your face and observable, then you're doing nothing. So now-a-days churches are abandoning denominations in favor of networks with other new and cool churches that are growing by leaps and bounds because they're full of energy and they're "really doing things.")
ReplyDeleteit's similar to that article about how the younger folks know more than the older folks. young people don't want to go to older churches that have older people in them who don't do anything and don't know anything. (how could they? they're old!) they want to go to young churches full of young people who "get it" and who "are doing things."
(rats. you can't really see links when everything's in white. i need to fiddle with this theme. i meant to ages ago but didn't. *sigh*)
ReplyDeletegot to come back to this and read it properly later, but for now I just want to say loudly: I hear your pain!
ReplyDeleteok, I've come back to this having just read through that conversation you referred to on fb, and I still find all I can say is: I hear your pain.
ReplyDeleteI think we so often judge different churches/denominations/congregations/movements within the church/etc in a way that is unloving and in a way that just isn't true. We look at one particular angle and don't see the whole picture. We see they don't do things our way and we mock their way without bothering to find out what the value is that they find in doing things the way they do. (And I say "we", knowing full well that I've been guilty of this too.) We need to have more real and loving dialogue instead of huddling together with "our kind" and building walls within the body. (That's part of what I think is really valuable about discussions on the internet.)
oops. I'm sure I had something else to say but it's gone now. oh dear :(