But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Respecting Our Elders In Generational Conflict
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Revmitchell, Feb 21, 2010.
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Just a personal observation:
churches that are fad driven and/or geared to teens, with children sent off to "junior church", tend to lose them when they graduate high school. (Just what we have seen. Your milage may vary.) I personally think they have been systematically taught adults don't matter/are a drag on church, and so when they become adults they naturally leave.
I also think that churches that reject any change out of hand just because it is change miss the boat.
But I think churches where the old folks, middle aged, and adults are what church is geared for, with the kiddoes and teens brought in to learn how to do church, and where folks prayerfully consider change keep the young adults. Just saying "no I don't like that" is not a valid reason to refuse change. However, just saying "because I like it" is not a valid reason for change.
Someone brought up music. Just accepting what is on the current ccm playlist is bad. So is rejecting all of it. Considering each song--lyrics, music, style, the whole ball of wax, and accepting or rejecting on a case by case basis is wiser in my opinion.
There might be a valid reason for one church to have a praise band. There might also be a valid reason to reject them and stick with the piano and organ.
What isn't valid is assuming "we have to do things the old fashioned way" OR "we have to do this because all the young folks want it." -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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we had a pastor opnce, on his last sermon it was titled, words that kill a church,, 'we've never done it that way before' and ' we've always done it that way.'
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And I've served on a personnel committee sifting resumes. It was surprising how many both fresh out of seminary and older pastors sent them out basically saying they knew nothing of how our church did anything, but if we hired them plan to change everything.
We tossed those resumes in file 13.
If you don't know what we do, how do you know it is wrong? Or not working?
I think they assumed an empty pulpit = either a fed up pastor or an ineffective and fired one. Truth was we had an older man retiring. -
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
This is an example of the attitude I spoke of in the op. If we put as much energy into understanding them as we do the lost culture we may have more functional churches. But simply assuming the worst about our elders just because they oppose the current agenda is just wrong. -
"The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." Matthew 20:28THE DETERMINATION TO SERVE
Paul's idea of service is the same as Our Lord's: "I am among you as He that serveth;" "ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." We have the idea that a man called to the ministry is called to be a different kind of being from other men. According to Jesus Christ, he is called to be the "door-mat" of other men; their spiritual leader, but never their superior. "I know how to be abased," says Paul. This is Paul's idea of service - "I will spend myself to the last ebb for you; you may give me praise or give me blame, it will make no difference." So long as there is a human being who does not know Jesus Christ, I am his debtor to serve him until he does. The mainspring of Paul's service is not love for men, but love for Jesus Christ. If we are devoted to the cause of humanity, we shall soon be crushed and broken-hearted, for we shall often meet with more ingratitude from men than we would from a dog; but if our motive is love to God, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving our fellow men.
Paul's realization of how Jesus Christ had dealt with him is the secret of his determination to serve others. "I was before a perjurer, a blasphemer, an injurious person" - no matter how men may treat me, they will never treat me with the spite and hatred with which I treated Jesus Christ. When we realize that Jesus Christ has served us to the end of our meanness, our selfishness, and sin, nothing that we meet with from others can exhaust our determination to serve men for His sake.
Source: http://www.myutmost.org/02/0223.html -
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Opposing the agenda is not the subject of the op. snipping half sentences out of context only proves your inability to get it. I wrote I know what the subject of the op is. How thick can anyone be? Good grief -
Think how you must, but outside the context of change, the OP is meaningless. See ya. :type:
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