Featured Senior Female Saints who are territorial.

Perhaps she may be right at times. Wisdom of years.

 

You can push forward----but you have to remind yourself that your little matriarch will most likely push you out!!! Just be ready for that---as God told Moses----Have the Hebrews to eat the Passover with their staff in their hand and their shoes on their feet!! Consider your situation "Eating the Passover" Worship as you go!!!

 

Years ago I read a book with the tditle, "The 7 Last Words of the Church; We've Never Done It That Way Before." Times change and if our methods do not change the church will die. The message does not change, but the methods must.

 

Be patient. Some day you will officiate her funeral...

 

Church Renewal is not easy. Especially when you have a dear old saint who is willing to take the church to the grave with her.

What you can do is research the changing Demographics. Get to know the previous demographics during "her day" and learn how they have change. This research can be acquired through your association if you do not know how to do it. The reports you get from them will give you a wife swoth of info to include conservative or liberal, religious affiliation, churched and unchurches, family homes or singles, etc. Usually you can stick to just a 5 mile radius.

Be able to show the demographics and how they have changed. Show that what worked back in her day will no longer work because of the changing of demographics and the mindsets of people that have moved in the area, say in the last 10 years. I guarantee there has been some amount of change.

Also, you need to show why the church needs to be reaching people of all ages including young families which will be where the energy comes from if the church is to continue and move forward.

It may also be necessary to use scripture to define "what works" in a church. To some of our seasoned saints "what works" can often be code word to hide behind that simply means "I'm only comfortable with this".

You do not want to be pushy to the point that you create a mess. However, at some point the church needs to decide if keeping those dear old saints are worth holding the church back.


Here is a link to some podcasts about church renewal. These are not calvinist oriented so my may have to take in what you will and spit out the bones.

http://renovateconference.org/podcast


If you truly have a heart to see your church grow you can get locked in with your association and they will help you in any way they can. Maybe you can be the catalyst for that church to move forward for God's glory. I will be in prayer for you in your endeavor.

 

What do you mean by "pushing forward?"

 

Brother-----you're a pastor just like I am----and we need to remind ourselves that churches do NOT and cannot go to the grave!!! People go to the grave!! People die!!! Churches don't! Churches can't die!! Churches are as eternal as their head!!

PEOPLE die!! PEOPLE go to the grave!! She will go to the grave one day!! You will go to the grave one day! But the church cannot die and cannot go to the grave!!

See what I mean??:thumbs::saint::saint:

 

...it's a sad state of affairs when an individual (or a family) runs the church. This is where I differ from most. Everyone wants to be nice and friendly and not hurt anyone else's feelings..., but the other party doesn't hesitate one iota to insult and upset others.

So? This woman has been in place for the past 50 years. You hear what she has to say and then move on with what has to be accomplished.

 

Change can be good or bad. Given that we live in a time of rapidly growing apostasy a natural counter inclination towards conservatism would be expected.

However, most change is resisted not because it is wrong but because it is uncomfortable.

A church should be measured against the standard of Ephesians four. Each Christian is supposed to be made to mature into the full stature of Christ. Any change towards this direction should be welcomed.

 

Your sheep have gone sterile!!!! Have the Vet(the Lord Jesus) come out for a visit to your sheep farm!!!!:thumbs::thumbs:

 

This is a great line!

You gave some fantastic advice, Rev.

 

Churches are local expressions of the Kingdom of God. If they do not serve the purposes of the Kingdom of God, they wither and die. New churches (or other churches) take their place until the return of Christ.

I believe I know what you are trying to say, but churches are not eternal. God's Kingdom is eternal, but churches will pass away. The reason the word "church" is not used after chapter 3 of Revelation (except for the closing comments in 22:16) is that the church with end. NOT because the church has been somehow taken from the earth in a secret rapture (e.g. the "Left Behind" series), but because the church is not needed since the Kingdom of God will have its full reign.