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To: JamesP81
The thing that concerns me about this is you still have problems getting one on one pastoral care. < snip > ... the Church as God created it: that fact is that the buck stops somewhere, and that somewhere is with the pastor.

Oh, but the church "as God created it" was started by Jesus, who appointed disciples to go out and make more disciples. We (the church) were "created" to go out and preach the Gospel, make disciples (so that they can go out and preach the gospel), and serve the lost and dying world with Christ's love.

Our pastor just did an excellent 'sermon' on the model of todays institutional churches vs the biblical model for the church.

In many churches today, church leadership is busy 'serving' the congregation, trying to make them happy, etc.. and the congregation is busy being served, and the world is forgotten. A congregation that is constantly being 'served' instead of 'serving' doesn't mature.

The biblical model is for leadership to, well, LEAD .. and the congregation can mature and then SERVE. Who does the congregation serve? The world.

Isn't this what we are supposed to be doing .. reaching the lost and dying world for Jesus?

True, ultimately, the buck stops with the pastor .. and he is accountable to God. This is why it is so important for him to lead and disciple his congregation so that they can go out and serve, not only the world, but those coming into the fold.

When the disciples ministered to people, I wonder how many missed their blessing or healing because they wanted to get to the "big guy" instead?

Having said that, I'm not speaking out against your need to seek one on one pastoral care. ONly pointing out that in a large body, there is more than one person who can give you that care, and many times, better than the pastor. (For they are called into that ministry.)

God Bless.

17 posted on 09/01/2006 11:13:32 AM PDT by proud_2_B_texasgal
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To: proud_2_B_texasgal
ONly pointing out that in a large body, there is more than one person who can give you that care, and many times, better than the pastor. (For they are called into that ministry.)

Or, you can get some well meaning soul for whom it's more about their need to help you than it is whether you are ultimately helped or not.

Then there's the trap of asking for help and being told you need to get busy and help somebody else. Only later do you realize sometimes you need to minister, sometimes to receive it.

23 posted on 09/05/2006 2:04:31 PM PDT by ichabod1 (Freedom of religion means freedom to practice IslamĀ®)
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