Yesterday I basically ended the blog series of why people leave the church. I'm going to continue on in the same like theme, from my experiences in church life, in hopes of making a difference. That is the whole point of this. I believe that being a Christian is about being in relationship with Christ. I also believe that belonging to a church body is essential to the growth of Christ in our lives. That is in the Word. Hebrews 10:25.... not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. What a shame it would be if 20 years from now, no one attends church.
I am now speaking from my experience in being in church leadership at 2 particular church's. I worked in the office at one for 3.5 years, and while there, was part of many, if not all ministries. I was in the nursery every week for years. I taught 4th grade, and teen Sunday School at different times. I desperately tried to keep a floundering youth group together, when a youth pastor was not available. We had fun. I even took them to Youth convention by myself, that was fun, except for when they closed me up in the bed that comes out of the wall, actually, that was fun too. I digress... I would pick up senior adults that could not drive, to make sure that they got to whatever breakfast or lunch fellowship we had going for them. Did I have a passion of any of these activities? Not so much, there was a need, so I tried to fill it. Did I do it with excellence? Nope. As a church secretary, if I knew someone was sick, or in a funk about something, and not attending, I would call or send a card. I am told, even recently that it mattered. Am I boasting? No. I am just saying, things can be done by people with a heart for helping, that don't have to be done in 'excellence'. You just do it. It matters. People matter.
It's pretty big in the church world to link ministries up with peoples gift's. We are all about taking surveys and tests to figure out what we are gifted in. We spend alot of time planning great and wonderful outreaches, things that will get the world's attention. And most of the time, they are wonderful , and they do get peoples attention. Do we have the genuine sincerity to stay the journey with them? I think most Pastors want to. That it is the plan. But the follow through needs work.
I am going to relate this to what I know. Waitressing. Even if you have never been a server in a restaurant, chances are you have sat at a table in one. I remember being in the "weeds". A term used when there is a line out the door, every table in your section is filled and you can't seem to keep up. I learned early on in my 13 year stint in the business, that people just want to be noticed, to feel important, not be ignored. Real time 5 minutes, sitting at a table will seem like 30 minutes if there is no eye contact. Not acknowledging the customers is not going to catch you up. If you take 3o seconds and bring them water, look them in the eye, and tell them that you will be there as soon as you get food out to others while it is still hot, it will buy you alot of 'grace'. You can change the whole direction your short term relationship with that 'party', just by giving them a few seconds. Sorta of like Pastoring, right?
People had told me that even when they had been on the prayer list for weeks, even months, due to an illness or surgery, they did not once recieve a visit or even a call from the pastor of their church. If that Pastor had stopped by the hospital, or made a home visit, brought them the gift of concern, prayer, and 'Living Water' it would have made all the difference in the world.
The result, people leave and they leave hurt. Some are now involved in other church's. And they are guarded. The don't want to invest too much of themselves, because they don't want to be hurt again. Other's stopped attending church altogether....Just Saying.
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