Does everyone in your church fit it?

I think that what specific programs a church offers to divorced members (or other groups) will be really dependent on church size. A larger church with several thousand members might be better able to support a more formal program of Sunday school or discipleship classes for recently divorced members whereas a smaller church of a couple of hundred might find integrating those members into other classes a better approach.

Really it doesn't matter how it is done -- just make the members (or visitors) in question feel a part of things and minister to their needs.

 

The larger Baptist Churches in our community have many support groups that meet during the week and they welcome anyone from other churches to join them.

 

Not a problem Gina Just...ummmm...lets not make those doors too small shall we?

Pete

 

There are always people who don't fit in. That can be because they don't want to fit in or because there isn't a place for them to fit in. It can be a law of supply and demand especially in small churches. At my church for example until yesterday the kids were divided by grade more or less, there was a small new believers class that I belonged to, and then the adult class. As far as the kids went, the teenagers included people into their mid twenties.

This sunday the sunday schoool classes were rearaanged so that the kids are now in the right classes, some of them had changed classes because they didn't get along with the teacher, the teenagers are 13-17, a young adults class of 18-35, and then the adult class. This is probably a better arrangement, but still leaves some people out. One of the poeple who dosn't fit in is me. I am over the age for the young adults class, but by far the youngest in the other adult class. You see the other in my age range are all Sunday School teachers. Pastor was going to teach those of us from the new believers class, but there were only three so now at least I will sit in with the young adults. The teacher for that class is a good friend of mine and I KNOW I will learn alot from him. This was actually the Asst. Pastors idea that I go to that class. I am not sure where the other two from the new believer's class will end up.

Now that I have said all of that. No there is not a place that everyone fits exactly, but is there a place that any of us ever fit exactly. As Christians we do not fit in with the world and must make a place for ourselves. While it would be nice if we didn't have to do that at chruch I can't see how the church can make an exact fit for everyone.

Bill

 

Where does a divorced person fit in at your church, or do they? Do you have any type of program that specifically deals with issues pertaining to divorced people's lives?

Alas, being a divorced individual, this is one area that my church is lacking in. While we do have a divorce recovery support group, once you're past that stage, there's not anywhere to go. The singles group caters to a younger clientele, so unless college aged women start chasing after 37* year old divorcees, I'm pretty much out of the loop

Johnv

* oh yeah, I forgot. Saturday was my birthday. I've hit the uneventful three-seven!!!