Posted on 08/29/2013 11:06:02 AM PDT by Gamecock
WINSTON-SALEM — Julie and Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church in July asking them to “participate in the life of the church” — or worship elsewhere.
“They basically called us freeloaders,” says Julie.
“We were freeloaders,” says Bob.
In a trend that may signal rough times for wallflower Christians, bellwether mega-church Faith Community of Winston-Salem has asked “non-participating members” to stop attending.
“No more Mr. Nice Church,” says the executive pastor, newly hired from Cingular Wireless. “Bigger is not always better. Providing free services indefinitely to complacent Christians is not our mission.”
“Freeloading” Christians were straining the church’s nursery and facility resources and harming the church’s ability to reach the lost, says the pastor.
“When your bottom line is saving souls, you get impatient with people who interfere with that goal,” he says.
Faith Community sent polite but firm letters to families who attend church services and “freebie events” but never volunteer, never tithe and do not belong to a small group or other ministry. The church estimates that of its 8,000 regular attendees, only half have volunteered in the past 3 years, and a third have never given to the church.
“Before now, we made people feel comfortable and welcome, and tried to coax them to give a little something in return,” says a staff member. “That’s changed. We’re done being the community nanny.”
Surprisingly, the move to dis-invite people has drawn positive response from men in the community who like the idea of an in-your-face church.
“I thought, ‘A church that doesn’t allow wussies — that rocks,’” says Bob Clark, who admires the church more since they told him to get lost.
He and Julie are now tithing and volunteering. “We’ve taken our place in church life,” he says.
I’ll save you the time. This is satire.
The irony in this is your tagline.
Old Irish saying “Big church often have small devotions”
Old Irish saying “Big churches often have small devotions”
This is satire, I hope.
Mega-church downsizes
reminds me of the Pacifica Radio station in NYC that expanded its staff and on-air “talent” with the belief that liberal New York would deliver.
All the hawking tote bags and begging for cash turned off their audience and cost them public funding too. They had to fire ALL their “news department” and on-air talent
I agree with metmom. That is the ugly church that I’ve ever seen. Our Catholic friends on the design board better check out the incense in the candles they’re lighting. :O)
OTOH....my parents use to send us to the church down the street just to get us out of the house for a bit. We never gave anything but got involved in Sunday School, sung in the choir, went to vacation bible school, etc. The things I learned through these programs played a part later in my life with my coming to know Christ. My parents never attended and my mother died with a harden heart.
One should never sell short the message of God or how God works. Freely have we receive. Freely should we give.
So true. My father took himself to the church down the street when he was in Jr High. His parents never attended. He spent his life serving the Lord. He would have never found His message at home with dueling parents and an unhappy home life. God does move in mysterious ways!
Not satire...
I fully agree. I don’t fault the children. None at all. We treat those kids the same as all our church kids. You can only hope what they hear there sticks. I am hopeful for them. It is the parents that need to repent.
See my response posted at #90.
See my response at #90.
Those things are found elsewhere.
SLC Mormonism teaches that if you do NOT have a Temple Recommend card that you will Not be spending eternity in the presence of GOD the Father.
We ain't no CULT!!!
We's the ONLY church that follows ALL of GODs laws!
--MormonDude(When would be a good time for a couple of our clean cut young folks to stop by your home and more fully explain the Restored Gospel® to you and your loving family?)
It that located in Madagascar?
“When your bottom line is saving souls, you get impatient with people who interfere with that goal,” he says.
Funny, I thought Jesus saved souls, not the church.
AMEN!
Actually, the Methodist Church actually does this type of thing but only to non-attending members.
My daughter when to church with friends down the street.
I am SURE that hers prayers were answered for her mommy and daddy.
Took a while, for me to get back on track and her mom to get on track, but we are all in church today - three separate ones, but still in “GOD’s house” somewhere.
I don’t have a problem with that one. If you never attend, why be on the membership roster?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.