Arthur Pink didn't go to church the last 15 years of his life. Just sayin'. 
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Not going to Church???
- Thread starter Salty
- Start date
I wonder how we prioritize going to church as compared to being a part of the church.
Who is being more faithful - the man who goes to church every time the doors open but merely attends or the man who can only attend once a month but is active throughout the week with that church community?
Who is being more faithful - the man who goes to church every time the doors open but merely attends or the man who can only attend once a month but is active throughout the week with that church community?
I'm trying to figure this out. What would keep a man from going to church more than once a month when he can be active throughout the week at the church?
According to Eph. 4, the primary purpose of church is to train the believers for ministry. So if you want to serve God, you should go to church to learn how.
Several things, I suppose. For me, I work shifts (swing shift, 12.5 hour shifts). So I have an opportunity to attend church twice a month.
But throughout the week I get to see members (typically youth). I also get to offer my home for activities.
Take this month...yesterday I was out if town for a funeral. I work the next two Sundays. Thankfully our congregation is a community, otherwise it would be kinda isolating.
Okay, thanks. Reminds me of a sign I have on my office door.
Attachments
Lol...
I loved a quote by (or at least attributed to) JC Penny.
"If a man's business requires so much of his time that he cannot attend the Sunday morning and evening, Wednesday prayer services of his church, then that man has more business than God intended him to have."
We only have Sunday morning services, so I get a pass on Wednesday.
On a more serious note, I have known pastors speak of this issue in that God intended us to set aside a day (typically Sunday) and we should not work but gather as a congregation.
The problem is those same pastors counted Wednesday night (they took off that morning) and Sunday as work days. Then they would take off two days during the week.
That seemed a bit hypocritical to me. Sunday and Wednesday are not work days for pastors. Those are days they gather (per their recommendations to others) to function as a member of the congregation exercising their gifts. Some would say "but on dome days off I visit members in the hospital". But don't we all?
In other words, many pastors by their standard do not join the congregation in worship as much as they do the job they are hired to do.
Anyway, your sign kinda reminded me of keeping up with my work schedule. I trust my phone to tell me when to go to work. 4 nights, three days, three nights, then 4 days.
In the winter I have seriously had to look at my phone to know if it was 6am or 6pm when getting to work. And there is nothing like finishing a shift at 6:45 am realizing you will be back that afternoon
One day I will be retired like you guys.
Church politics and not being discipled
I would say that one primary purpose (I do not know if it is more important than uplifting one another, bearing one anothers burdens, etc....but certainly equipping the saints is a primary purpose).
I guess I look at it as gathering as a church rather than going to church. We meet as a congregation once a week at a middle school. But we are active as a church during the week as well.
My house is used often because it is large enough, and a few years ago I bought a ridiculously big sectional to accommodate the youth and college groups. I never know who is in my house (I kinda like that part).
So often rather than going to church my church comes to me. Down side is we end up cooking for small armies with young appetites.
Ben1445
Well-Known Member
So the pastor should cut his grass on Sunday like everybody else?Lol...
I loved a quote by (or at least attributed to) JC Penny.
"If a man's business requires so much of his time that he cannot attend the Sunday morning and evening, Wednesday prayer services of his church, then that man has more business than God intended him to have."
We only have Sunday morning services, so I get a pass on Wednesday.
On a more serious note, I have known pastors speak of this issue in that God intended us to set aside a day (typically Sunday) and we should not work but gather as a congregation.
The problem is those same pastors counted Wednesday night (they took off that morning) and Sunday as work days. Then they would take off two days during the week.
That seemed a bit hypocritical to me. Sunday and Wednesday are not work days for pastors. Those are days they gather (per their recommendations to others) to function as a member of the congregation exercising their gifts. Some would say "but on dome days off I visit members in the hospital". But don't we all?
In other words, many pastors by their standard do not join the congregation in worship as much as they do the job they are hired to do.
Anyway, your sign kinda reminded me of keeping up with my work schedule. I trust my phone to tell me when to go to work. 4 nights, three days, three nights, then 4 days.
In the winter I have seriously had to look at my phone to know if it was 6am or 6pm when getting to work. And there is nothing like finishing a shift at 6:45 am realizing you will be back that afternoon
One day I will be retired like you guys.
Between services or after the evening?
It is a bit of a facetious way of putting it. But the point is that pastors are also people who have houses and responsibilities to those houses. If weekends are spent ministering to people while the people are not on the clock, is it unreasonable for them to have a time to care for their own homes? A day of preaching is not really a day of rest, especially for people who would tend to have more of a stress level increase while standing in front of people.
Does your pastor actually take Wednesday morning off?
But let’s be reasonable. Does your pastor have one day of rest? That would be biblical. If he punched a clock, is he putting in more than 40 hours?
One other point to consider. Is it worth being the guy who runs around being the accuser of the brethren saying that the pastor doesn’t need a day off because he doesn’t do anything?
I do think that the pastor should put in 40+hours, especially if he expects the people to do it and then put time in the church.
I must say that I don't recognize the criticisms of churches on this thread. Maybe there's a difference between churches in the UK and USA. The main difference would be in size, and I think there is a danger here. It's hard to get to know everybody is a big church, and I think some people who go to large churches choose them for that very reason. No one will ask them to do anything, because it's all being done. The kids can be shunted off into classes led by professionals. The music is slick and professional.
In a smaller church, like the one I attend, people wil very quickly be invited to contribute in various ways. Also, everyone knows everyone else, and we have a church luncheon every month so that newcomers will settle in quickly. People on their own are cared for - many were invited into homes for Christmas.
I cannot imagine not being a member of a Bible-believing church. It is the centre of my life. It's the place where I have grown in the knowledge and love of God; it's the place where I join with my dearest friends in praising God. Isaac Watts wrote this hymn as a paraphrase of Psalm 122:-
1 How pleased and blest was I,
To hear the people cry,
"Come, let us seek our God to-day!"
Yes, with a cheerful zeal,
We haste to Zion's hill,
And there our vows and honors pay.
2 Zion--thrice happy place--
Adorned with wondrous grace,
While walls of strength embrace thee round:
In thee our tribes appear,
To pray, and praise, and hear
The sacred gospel's joyful sound.
3 May peace attend thy gate,
And joy within thee wait,
To bless the soul of every guest:
The man who seeks thy peace,
And wishes thine increase,
A thousand blessings on him rest!
4 My tongue repeats her vows,
"Peace to this sacred house!"
For here my friends and kindred dwell;
And since my glorious God
Makes thee his blest abode,
My soul shall ever love thee well.
In a smaller church, like the one I attend, people wil very quickly be invited to contribute in various ways. Also, everyone knows everyone else, and we have a church luncheon every month so that newcomers will settle in quickly. People on their own are cared for - many were invited into homes for Christmas.
I cannot imagine not being a member of a Bible-believing church. It is the centre of my life. It's the place where I have grown in the knowledge and love of God; it's the place where I join with my dearest friends in praising God. Isaac Watts wrote this hymn as a paraphrase of Psalm 122:-
1 How pleased and blest was I,
To hear the people cry,
"Come, let us seek our God to-day!"
Yes, with a cheerful zeal,
We haste to Zion's hill,
And there our vows and honors pay.
2 Zion--thrice happy place--
Adorned with wondrous grace,
While walls of strength embrace thee round:
In thee our tribes appear,
To pray, and praise, and hear
The sacred gospel's joyful sound.
3 May peace attend thy gate,
And joy within thee wait,
To bless the soul of every guest:
The man who seeks thy peace,
And wishes thine increase,
A thousand blessings on him rest!
4 My tongue repeats her vows,
"Peace to this sacred house!"
For here my friends and kindred dwell;
And since my glorious God
Makes thee his blest abode,
My soul shall ever love thee well.
Oh, I should have clarified.
I am speaking of pastors who recieve a full time salary (whose primary job is pastor).
Most people work 40+ hours in order to feed their families. Additionally they study the Bible, mow the lawn, work around the house, if they teach at church they prepare lessons, they visit church members in the hospital, etc.
I am saying that Sunday should not be considered the pastor being "on the clock" but being an active member of the congregation.
I realize pastors are not hourly workers. It is a lifestyle.
I do not know what my pastor does on Wednesday morning. We do not have a church building requiring a professional staff. I know he spends a lot of time at the high schools and colleges, and meets with groups throughout the week.
My point was not that the pastor should have to work more. My point was that the pastor should not expect of others what he himself does not do when it comes to working and not being able to attend a church service.
I know several people who work 6 days a week doing a very physical job and attend church on Sunday. But if they chose to skip a Sunday every month how could a pastor condemn them?
Churches differ here. Some are professional organizations (several full time pastors, a few secretaries, custodians, etc.). Some have a pastor and secretary there all the time. Others have pastors who hold other jobs during the week.
I know one Baptist church that shares a Presbyterian church building (the Presbyterian one was about dead). They have different times to use the building.
I attend a church that considers the "church" to be the congregation. We have to since we do not have a building (we meet at a public school on Sundays). It is a blessing not to have the overhead of a building or utilities. But there is a lot of set up that goes on. And there is always the possibility we will have to find another venue in the future.
So here in the US there is not a single, or even just a handful, of models.
Well, those who promulgated the London Baptist Confession of 1689 favored imposing church discipline on persons who missed even midweek services without a sufficient excuse.
Those crazy Calvinists.
I hate to hear that. And I hear that alot.
To me, it's a church that primarily: [1] preaches the Bible in truth and in love, [2] promotes work in reaching the lost, and [3] promotes a unity in the body.
easternstar
Active Member
I don't care for large chuches. I've never been to one.
Having been in the military for many years - I have always been in small churches - as military members move every 18 - 36 months - so we are always having a turnover. And as stated before - in small churches there is a job for everyone.
You get lost in the crowd