Are church members obligated?

Gina,

We have the same problem in our church. Folks do not care about the responsibilities of church membership. Why? Because, in my opinion, churches generally make requirements for membership very easy. When we make it easy, then you have an influx of people that really don't care. All they want is just a place to have a "church home" and enough "religion" to make them feel good.

A few years ago, a proposal was made in our church to strengthen membership requirements. It was proposed that visitors must take a four week "new members" class and agree to a church covenant before they could become members. The proposal failed because opponents said the requirements would turn away visitors and they would never come back. Well, what's now resulted is the visitors become members under the "easy" requirements and then they never come back.

I understand your discouragement. However, you are blessed when you do His work.

--Jeff

 

Well you just pushed a button with me girl! Last night we had 6 families not at AWANA's because of a concert put on by some American Idol loser (?) I don't know what his name is but these moms promised their daughters to take them and then found out it was a Wednesday night concert. The moms are AWANA teachers too!

My 2 workers were both out. One has a very sickly child and the other has over extended herself and just needs to resign. She's missed more than she's attended. So, we grab a mom out of the hall to help me with 13 kids. Tough night! I worked all day and then was there until almost 8:30 because one of my non-churched bus kids was not picked up by mom until one of our pastor's called their home.

Diane

 

Sounds like a normal church to me, everone shows up for meals and special stuff and only 2% of the people do all the work.

 

People will give to what they value. It's that simple. They wil also give according to what we expect.

What would happen if you didn't show up for work when a concert was in town? What would your employer say if you decided to do something else other than show up for work? What would happen if the preacher didn't show up for church because he didn't feel like it. Sometime that should be arranged by the deacons and see what the people in the congregation would say if the preacher didn't show. I'll bet that would get the people's attention.

Why should we expect anything less from leaders in the church than an employer would? So often we do and the church pays a price for that kind of negligent beavior and attitude.

 

I am in that position so many times. Sunday morning with a dozen kids, and my "helper" decides to stay home, along with her teenagers, who would also help, if they were there. I often wonder why, after agreeing to help, and seeing the need when she is there, she thinks coming regularly is optional? This is without even a phone call to say she's not coming, and could I find someone else. It would be more honest to quit, or not take the job in the first place.

Not being of that mindset, I cannot imagine what goes through the heads of these folk. I've never called her out on it, though, since she really is a great help when she's there, and the kids like her.

Practically speaking, what can we all do?

 

About 80% of the people in our church work. Everyone has something differnt they do, some more then one. We have clean up days for the entire building, make repairs and all.

 

I am currently attending a large church that I may decide to join in the near future. I've worked in other churches, did the whole nursery rotation, clean up, Christmas kids choir etc. The church I'm in now is HUGE!! Where do I even begin to find where I can help?? Everything seems perfect and in place...any suggestions or ideas??

Kathy
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In another thread I mentioned that we pay too much attention to what the world is doing wrong and not enough attention to what Christians should be doing to enhance their worship of the Lord. Well, I was jumped on that one, but I stand firm in this assessment. It has to do with commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.

If the commitment is there, then we will realize the importance of our presence. The church family becomes our focal point and we see the value of tending to the Lord's work without fail. Nothing becomes more important.

These are the sermons we, as preachers, must dwell on until the knowledge sinks a foot lower to the heart and soul of the people.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Gina is right! I have yet to ask the Pastor OR the Pastor's wife if there was anything I could do to be of service that I didn't get a handful!

§ue

 

Kathy, insurance regulations for large churches is just about to change. Our Minister of Education told me that we won't be able to use NEW members until after a specific amount of time in any of our children's areas and anyone with any 'child' contact will have to have a criminal background check. (Our church has been doing that for 3 years already).

Since you aren't a member yet, keep this ruling in mind so you'll understand if there's a problem with you working in the church right away.

However, visitation, card writing, cake baking, offering to fold the bulletins (most large churches have a machine that does this), labeling, etc.... there's plenty of work to go around!

God bless you!
Diane

 

Are church members obligated?

No....

EVERY Christian is

This is one of my pet complaints. I'm a big fan of 1 Peter 2:9, and not just because of the name of the book For all being members of a "royal priesthood" we certainly have funny ways of showing it sometimes.

I am not a member at Church, but teach Sunday school, play guitar now and then, and generally fall in to whatever is going. If a crazy cabbie can do it, the rest should!

 

GinaL, I think most Christians do these things out of love for their Savior and in a way, yes, they are obligated. As a church grows, there is always a need for more workers.

Kathy, our church has a questionnaire for new members. The new member can list all the things that they feel qualified to do in the church or areas where they have worked in their previous church.

In my current church, I observed for a few months to see the areas in which I could work.

They were asking for choir members. So I joined the choir.

I didn't realize it at first but the organist resigned about the time I joined the church. I waited a month or two to see if someone else was going to volunteer for the position. When no one did, I volunteered to temporarily play, but temporary became permanent after the first Sunday that I played.

It seems that the Lord opens doors for us to serve Him.

Jim, thank you for reminding us the importance of worshiping our Lord.

 

Christians only need to do what the Lord leads them to do in harmony with the Bible. However, I believe we are obligated when we make a promise to do something. As Jesus said, let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no. We all make mistakes, but I've run into too many professing Christians who think promises are optional. I've had non-belivers treat me better with their word.

 

Our church has always had a paid custodian. She is great and does not appreciate people doing things other than her methods. Suits me. Years ago my kids would get sick in a church that was not cleaned to those standards. Things like one bed, one baby, with the sheets washed in mild detergent a couple times a week.

It is too sweeping to say that there is always a shortage. My church to my knowledge has always had plenty of workers. There is an official nominating committee to help keep posts full. And people can and do always volunteer by contacting the church office. Right now, we have an extreme number of volunteers. A number of people have taken early retirement from their jobs. They're all OVER the place.

SOMETIMES, in a church,there can be reasons other than nonwillingness to serve. Needs are not made clearly known, some people stake out their turf while complaining they get no help, programs which need to be closed down continue, new programs that should be started aren't.
Sometimes people quit quietly rather than make a scene.
I quit an activity quietly long ago. The chairman delegated to me a job that could be done a number of ways. When I was starting, she called me to say she had rethought. Her husband had told her how it should be done. So, I quit because I thought we had an unworkable relationship. From a number of things that seemed developing, I would constantly have to please an autocratic shadow chairman. So I went on to something else.
Oh yes. SOMETIMES churches don't respect the time of their members enough. A meeting will be held, say at 7:00. It starts late, runs down rabbit trails, and finally wanders out the door at 8:47. Then you still have to drive home. There was effectively no family time other than throwing down some food, and your kid flunks the next day because he needed your help with his homework. The pastor wasn't at the meeting because he needs to have his time respected.

No, this doesn't always happen. My church is very good about not having extraneous meetings. They have to struggle not to. It would be very easy for our pastor, otherwise, to get two full days off per week while many a member would have Sunday as hectic a day as the rest. If a church is ALWAYS having trouble getting workers, maybe it needs to examine the dynamics it actually has going on.

Karen