Be a fanatic or be gone, he said.
[In most churches, 80 percent of the work is being carried out by 20 percent or less of the people.]
This is true of virtually any organization.
We’ve become a church of spectators and the pastoral staff is getting burned out.
If they want to get "burned out" they should try teaching or being a police officer.
Might as well quit them. “Churches” have become the latest weapon being used against America by the DNC. Even Schmucky Schumer has recently admitted that he is colluding with someone he calls “God” to bring down President Trump. It’s a mixed up, wild and wacky world out there. Insanity now rules.
“y’all go ahead ‘n’ go where you are led, son, ‘n’ I will read the reports”
Stated by “one of the members” of a 1988 Pentecostal church I used to frequent.
The problem is long-toothed, well-rooted, and has been the norm for a long time.
Send them our way. We like to get folks that have never heard good preaching and good exegesis. It’s nice watching pew sitters develop into leaders over a long term.
As for not doing anything, sometimes they are overwhelmed and just need to be asked.
As for the writer, I agree. People should leave his church.
He needs to read, “So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore.” by Wayne Jacobsen......really gets to the heart of the matter.
Then Wayne’s sequel, “Finding Church.”
As a pastor, I would say most churches are worth quitting. Find a bible-believing church where the pastor is not afraid to preach the truth of the bible.
That said, even in good churches people go through cycles of excitement to serve the Lord and valleys that are tough. A church is made up of imperfect individuals growing together and awaiting the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
With THAT said, I think the author wants people to quit playing church and get involved, which I agree with wholeheartedly.
Thanks for the nerve. In my "church" almost exactly the same is true...it is VERY sad. People have gone with the world. I am considered a radical. Oh, something is going to change alright, but folks are going to be extremely surprised and horrified by the changes that will occur. Wait until a person like one the most rabid critics of Trump becomes President someday (i.e Hillary, Kimmel, Maddow, Morning Joe or Mika, Elijah Cummins, Schumer, etc.). To use the old phrase, "You ain't seen nothin' yet."
When the church becomes truly persecuted in the US the way it is in China, North Korea, Yemen, or Iran, 80% of the membership will leave, and the remainder will be the faithful who are the faithful now. May God grant that I do not deny Him on that day.
Drive the luke warm bodies out or turn up the heat!
Act 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Try to find a Godly Methodist church.....not possible.
Studies have shown it is more like 7% than 20% that do all the work
“...80 percent of the work is being carried out by 20 percent or less of the people....”
That is true in most places.
There is some NT scripture about Christians and churches being “lukewarm”. God says he we “spew them out of his mouth”. Seems to me that process is well underway.
I go to a small country church with about 120 active members. I am an elder, the treasurer and the choir director. We would be in pretty good shape if a full 20% pulled their weight.
Lots of people opt for larger churches simply so they can “get lost” in the numbers and not serve. Reminds me of the Mohatma Ghandi quote: “I could have been a Christian had I not met one first.” We Christians really, really need to work on our delivery.
>> 80 percent of the work is being carried out by 20 percent or less of the people <<
That’s approximately true for any organization that I’ve ever been a part of. It’s simply the way humans will always behave in a social setting. Get over it.
We met and became friends with many really great people. That was the reward.
The down side was we both worked full time elsewhere and raised three offspring along the way. It was likely the kids that got us involved in church activities in the beginning.
We both burned out and finally withdrew within a few years of the kids moving out.
While I feel we both "paid our dues" and have no energy for that kind of involvement these days, I still encourage younger people to take a run at it. It carries its own reward.
As for Chris Sonksen, he might be in the wrong line of work, or he no longer bases his faith on the Good News. I never worried that much that only 20% (if that many) of us pushed the ball forward. On the other hand, I preferred a grain of insipid salt over the "suggestions" of those unwilling to join us.
Volunteers usually welcome any help that comes their way. It seems if you are an altruist with a Judeo-Christian foundation, enthusiastic volunteers should rejoice in them...the helpers, that is.
I guess I worry less about the 80% than I do about diminishing faith in society in general. I also worry that too many "leaders" who should know better applaud diminishing faith.
They say societal attitudes swing on a pendulum. Here's hoping the pendulum starts to swing back.
A few thoughts:
1) This is from the media with a agenda
2) Read the whole article, not the headline
3) Take a look at the site. Agree or disagree?
4) What does God say on the matter?
Zec 4:6 Then he said to me, “This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
The Church isn’t what most “Christians” have been led to believe it is. Hint: it’s not a building, denomination, nor is it a weekly gathering on Sunday.
If or when we stray from the example of the New Testament church given us in the book of Acts we err. We must live out our faith openly and unashamedly in love for the lost and infellowship with fellow believers. If this leads to persecution ( it will) did not our Lord Jesus tell us the world hated ( still hates) Him and the world will hate us also?
It is this aspect where our churches fail, America was founded as a safe haven for Christian people, free from persecution from the state. This ‘safe haven’ made us restful and lazy. This is no longer the case. Satan is STILL roaming to and fro seeking whom he can devour. He cannot devour the saved but he can steal your witness by making one think out of fear for the body, pride, acceptance in the local community. God tells us to fear the one who can kill the spirit. We are spiritual beings living in earthly vessels, when we learn to fear God (who loves us and died for us) we will live as those in the book of Acts, in the hope of Christ’s promises and in faith through the Holy Spirit.
This living in the spirit will make us one with the Father through Jesus the Christ and we will see revival in our land and our churches will blossom and grow in love and fellowship bringing glory to God. Amen.