A very heartfelt and sincere quesiton was asked at our last Life Church Michigan informational gathering. The question was:
How do you go about transitioning to being a part of this new church when attending another church on Sunday mornings?
I had the opportunity to add to Jonathan's wisdom on this, but came up empty in the moment. I have had a chance to really process this the last few days. Here are my thoughts...
First of all, I whole-heartedly agree with what Jonathan stated in answering. It's ok to attend another church on Sunday mornings right now. Our family is attending a church on Sundays. It is important especially with children to provide a church experience. We are not having services right now. We don't have children or student ministries set up. An informational meeting is not a church worship service so we would expect and hope that people are attending church!
That said, a time will come when Life Church Michigan does have an engaging, gospel-centered, life-giving worship service and ministries which provide the best hour in your kids' week! It is in that moment, that a person needs to pray and seek the Lord as to where He is calling them. It is not ok to straddle the fence and provide half-hearted commitments to more than one church. So, how does one go about making this decision?
I think the hardest part of leaving a church when you sense God calling you to do so, is how it affects your relationships. Hopefully you have connected with the church and have some meaningful relationships built up from the experience. Leaving a church often means accepting that those relationships will look different and change. The purpose of the church, however, is not to provide you with a social life. If the only reason you are staying at a particular church is because of the social life and friends it provides you, I would humbly say you are missing the point. Don't get me wrong - friendships should develop in the church and they are great. They are not the purpose though. The funny thing is that when you focus on the mission of Jesus, He naturally brings those meaningful relationships alongside you.
The purpose of the church is to equip the saints. Committing to a local body of believers is establishing a covenant with them. When considering this, Stephen Mansfield says one should ask questions such as
How do they view God?
What do they think He has called them to do?
Who is in charge and what authority do they have?
What have they set out themselves to do in the world?
What do they expect of their members?
Are you and your family called in the same way, to the same purposes that these people sense for themselves?
The next thing to consider is whether a particular pastor is a fit for you and your family. The Bible says that your pastor is a gift from God. His primary purpose is to teach and train the people to do the works of God. Your pastor should have authority in your life. This authority is not to make you feel scolded or guilty, it should be authority that makes you feel built up and encouraged. So the second question to consider is:
Can this pastor train you and build you up to fulfill your destiny in the body of Christ?
The last question to consider is regarding how God has gifted and wired you. He has a purpose and wants to use you to minister in the local body of Christ. Stephen Mansfield says, "you are choosing a portion of the body of Christ to serve with your gifts." So the question to wrestle with is:
Does this church provide me with the opportunity to fully serve in the way God has gifted and wired me?
I hope this helps as people pray through what church God is calling them to be a part of.
Should God call you to leave your church, please do so in a God-honoring way! Be honest. Confess sins where need be. Pray for the church and bless them on your way out.
*thanks to Stephen Mansfield's book ReChurch chapter 7 for spurring me on with this topic
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