Is the church really good at meeting needs of its people?

[blessedwife318]

Everything seems to be the fault of the seeker sensitive church. I am going to have to blame my sons ball game getting rained out on the seeker sensitive church.

Are you denying the fact that "felt needs" is a seeker sensitive model mainstay? I"m not blaming anything on them, just stating that fact. The fact that you have a problem with that fact should really tell you something. If anything I'm blaming American Consumerism for people not understanding what real needs are.

 

[annsni]

The needs it met in the book of Acts. The particular one I have in mind here is financial. Financial seemed to be the context of the scripture in James I quoted.

So let's just say that two different people come to you with a financial need:

Person A - Has not lived a great life in the past but is working to get on the right path. They have been working a decent job and have a second job on the weekend helping a friend in construction. They have hurt their back at the second job and now can't work either job for a few weeks until they are healed enough to be able to get back to job #1. They may not be able to ever get back to job #2 because it is manual labor and they need to be careful with their back. They need some help to pay the rent for the month and to get some groceries.

Person B - Has lived on the "straight and narrow" but have had some medical bills from the past that they are still paying. They have all of the newest and greatest toys and they continue to purchase them despite the fact that they are in debt already. They continue to go into debt with these new purchases. They had 2 jobs but decided the second job got in the way of their relaxation time and their hobby so they quit. They now can't pay their car payment on their new car that they got last year. They ask for the church's help.

Which one does the church have an obligation to help? I'll give a third scenario:

Person C - A single mom with health issues works as many jobs as she can. She can make ends meet and keep her beater car on the road. Her kids are clothed and fed and they are doing OK. Her stove breaks and she decides that she can't afford to replace it so she uses what she has - a crockpot, a toaster oven and a single electric burner. Then her furnace breaks in October and she approaches the church for some help. Do we help her?

These are each real scenarios. Is the church obligated to help in all of these situations? I don't think so. I think in some they are. In others they are not.

 

[Reynolds]

Are you denying the fact that "felt needs" is a seeker sensitive model mainstay? I"m not blaming anything on them, just stating that fact. The fact that you have a problem with that fact should really tell you something. If anything I'm blaming American Consumerism for people not understanding what real needs are.

Felt needs were around long before the seeker sensitive church.

 

[blessedwife318]

Felt needs were around long before the seeker sensitive church.

I never said that they invented the idea of "felt needs" I just pointed out the fact that it is a huge part of the seeker sensitive model. I don't know why that fact bothers you so much.

 

[Reynolds]

So let's just say that two different people come to you with a financial need:

Person A - Has not lived a great life in the past but is working to get on the right path. They have been working a decent job and have a second job on the weekend helping a friend in construction. They have hurt their back at the second job and now can't work either job for a few weeks until they are healed enough to be able to get back to job #1. They may not be able to ever get back to job #2 because it is manual labor and they need to be careful with their back. They need some help to pay the rent for the month and to get some groceries.

Person B - Has lived on the "straight and narrow" but have had some medical bills from the past that they are still paying. They have all of the newest and greatest toys and they continue to purchase them despite the fact that they are in debt already. They continue to go into debt with these new purchases. They had 2 jobs but decided the second job got in the way of their relaxation time and their hobby so they quit. They now can't pay their car payment on their new car that they got last year. They ask for the church's help.

Which one does the church have an obligation to help? I'll give a third scenario:

Person C - A single mom with health issues works as many jobs as she can. She can make ends meet and keep her beater car on the road. Her kids are clothed and fed and they are doing OK. Her stove breaks and she decides that she can't afford to replace it so she uses what she has - a crockpot, a toaster oven and a single electric burner. Then her furnace breaks in October and she approaches the church for some help. Do we help her?

These are each real scenarios. Is the church obligated to help in all of these situations? I don't think so. I think in some they are. In others they are not.

We as a church should determine who has a need and respond appropriately. The appropriate response might be to send them to a Dave Ramsey class. I have two major gripes:
1. A church identifies a legitimate financial need and provides no real help. They provide a token.
2. The church has evangelists and missionaries in their church that they poorly fund.

 

[Reynolds]

I never said that they invented the idea of "felt needs" I just pointed out the fact that it is a huge part of the seeker sensitive model. I don't know why that fact bothers you so much.

The fact it bothers me is because for the last 6 years "don't want to act like that seeker sensitive church up the road" is the excuse for not doing anything differently from how it was done 100 years ago. Our church has lost over 3/4th our members due to his stubbornness. I am not talking about compromising doctrine, simply changing style and approach.

 

[blessedwife318]

The fact it bothers me is because for the last 6 years "don't want to act like that seeker sensitive church up the road" is the excuse for not doing anything differently from how it was done 100 years ago. Our church has lost over 3/4th our members due to his stubbornness. I am not talking about compromising doctrine, simply changing style and approach.

Sounds like you should be discussing that with your church leaders instead of jumping on a poster for pointing out a simple fact.

 

[Reynolds]

Sounds like you should be discussing that with your church leaders instead of jumping on a poster for pointing out a simple fact.

I didn't jump on you. I am one of the church leaders. The pastor has an unbreakable hold over enough old women in the church that nothing can change.

 

[blessedwife318]

I didn't jump on you. I am one of the church leaders. The pastor has an unbreakable hold over enough old women in the church that nothing can change.

There is nothing I can do about that.

 

[TC]

The churches that I'm familiar with in my area do a decent job of trying to help people going through tough times. Some people's problems are self inflicted. Can spend ten to twenty dollars a day on cigarettes, but can't buy food or pay rent. Churches have to exercise discernment in this because of the professional moochers that go from church to church to church to ask for money.

Sent from my SM-S120VL using Tapatalk

 

[evangelist6589]

In my situation I say my church is just not good at meeting the needs of its people in my experience. They are excellent in doctrine and teaching depth however.

 

[Salty]

In my situation I say my church is just not good at meeting the needs of its people in my experience. They are excellent in doctrine and teaching depth however.

That sounds like a contradicting statement.

 

[Don]

In my situation I say my church is just not good at meeting the needs of its people in my experience. They are excellent in doctrine and teaching depth however.

So - spiritual needs, yes. Physical needs, not so much. Is that correct?

Do you have an example?

 

[evangelist6589]

So - spiritual needs, yes. Physical needs, not so much. Is that correct?

Do you have an example?

Myself

 

[Don]

May I ask what physical need you're looking for assistance with? Don't need details, just looking for more clarification.

 

[Salty]

May I ask what physical need you're looking for assistance with? Don't need details, just looking for more clarification.

He has mention that many times in other posts/threads . Sounds like Example # B in post # 22

However, he does need assistance in answering questions that are hard for him to give justification.

 

[annsni]

In my situation I say my church is just not good at meeting the needs of its people in my experience. They are excellent in doctrine and teaching depth however.

What needs are they not meeting?

 

[evangelist6589]

What needs are they not meeting?

I am looking for a new place to live and have requested assistance from them but have not heard back. CraigsList is very competitive I am finding out in the Denver housing market.

 

[evangelist6589]

What needs are they not meeting?

Answered that question in another thread.

 

[Don]

I am looking for a new place to live and have requested assistance from them but have not heard back. CraigsList is very competitive I am finding out in the Denver housing market.

If I may ask - what's the maximum your budget will allow? And are you okay with a one-bedroom?