Church Growth (2)

Before you read this article, I ask that you read yesterday's article. As evidenced by the (2) in the title above, this is a series of articles on the issue of church growth.

When I mention the term "church-hopping" please understand that I'm not talking about the whole church getting outside and literally hopping in unison. It isn't a game or sport, although perhaps an inventive Christian could come up with something. Church-hopping is the idea of leaving one church for another church and then leaving that church for yet another church. Church-hoppers usually spend just a short time at a particular congregation before they find something there, or someone, that bothers them in some small way. Upon discovering that church's flaw (and every church has flaws, right?), they leave for another church, usually without even saying goodbye to the good brethren they worshipped with for so many weeks or months. This doesn't sound right...does it?

But sometimes I think churches are hypocrital in this area. In their desire for growth, too many churches simply accept these church-hoppers when they decide to join their church. Perhaps you've been there before...perhaps you've been guilty of this hypocrisy. Some Christians show up at church on Sunday. You recognize them...you know that they've been members at another local church for quite a while; you've seen them at area gospel meetings and you know them to be faithful brethren. They attend with your church for a few weeks and you're overjoyed when they choose to place membership. "YAY, new members! The church is growing! We must be doing something right! Maybe more will come and be with us!"

Let me ask you this, though: how do you feel when fellow church-members leave your church and hop on over to another? If you're part of a bigger congregation numbering in the 100s, you may not even notice, but in small churches, we notice. And it doesn't feel good. In fact, we feel cheated and abandoned, sometimes even disappointed with those who left.

Maybe we need to reconsider how we view church-hopping and those who engage in it. Is it right or wrong to leave your church for another? If it's wrong, then how should we react when Christians leave another church and hop over to ours? Let's look at this.

The local church is described as being a body in places like 1 Corinthians 12. As members of the body, we all perform our own function and contribute something special to the church of which we are part. In a fully-functioning body, the members are closely-knit...so much so that when "one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it" (1 Cor. 12:26). Paul says in Ephesians 4:16 that "the whole body...joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working, by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."

Specifically, the Bible speaks of how we are to "bear one another's burdens" (Gal. 6:1-2) and how we help one another with spiritual/physical struggles (Jas. 5:13-16). We truly are "members of one another" (Eph. 4:25). As members of the same church, we come to know one another intimately. We develop a familial-type relationship...or at least we should. As we assemble each week, we "consider one another in order to stir up love and good works" (Heb. 10:24).

With these things in mind, how can we justify leaving one church for another merely because someone angered us, or we don't like the singing, or the sermons aren't as dynamic as I think they should be...or some other flimsy reason??? I'll tell you what it is. It's a mindset of selfishness and self-centeredness, as we've come to view the church as something that is ONLY there to serve ME and make ME feel good. Like immature children, we get our feelings hurt and instead of resolving our problems, we run away; instead of striving to improve the church, we lazily and inconsiderately leave in search of a new victim.

I'm sure you've heard lessons on Matthew 18:15-17, or at least you've read it. This is the passage where Jesus tells us how to handle problems that we may have with one abother. If someone sins against you, what do you do? Do you run away from the problem? Do you ignore it? Do you punish the rest of your local brethren by leaving the church for another? Of course not! The Bible gives us specific instructions as to how we're to handle personal disputes and offenses. We go to that brother privately in an effort to bring about reconciliation. If they're unwilling to work it out, we take one or two more with us for a second visit. Then, if the brother still refuses our efforts, we take it before the church. I wonder...which response is more common in churches today? The biblical response as outlined in Matthew 18, or the self-centered, immature response I alluded to earlier in the paragraph?

I can't tell you how many times I've seen it happen. Some Christian is offended by some other member of the church, or something doesn't go their way, or the worship isn't all that it should be, or something is said with which they disagree...and they leave. Dear reader, the local church is a BODY, a UNIT, a FAMILY. We can't just up and leave in search of greener grass.

Now, let me clarify something. I'm not saying that it's always wrong to leave one church for another. If you and your family are not receiving the encouragement that you so desperately need...and you know that you can get that encouragement at another local church, then perhaps you should make the transitation and switch membership. But here's the thing: did you first talk with the church's leadership and convey your concerns and your dissatisfaction? Did you give them an opportunity to improve? And despite the failures of your brethren, have you at least been contributing to the church and doing your best?

Or perhaps the preacher is teaching error on some issue...or at least he said something in one of his sermons with which you disagreed. I'm here to tell you that it's not right to just leave without saying a word to him about it. Yes, doctrinal error is a serious issue, and I don't want you to think that I'm being lackadaisical about it, but again, it's your obligation to at least make your concerns known to your brethren. As a preacher myself, I can say that this is one thing that especially bothers me. When you speak for 30-45 minutes every week publicly (some preachers give two sermons on Sunday), and when you are obligated to teach some class twice a week, you're bound to occasionally misspeak, or get something wrong. If someone left the church everytime I messed up in the pulpit, there'd soon be no one left. I tell the church all the time, "If I say something that you disagree with, COME TO ME, and let's talk about it."

You know, we're fighting in a spiritual WAR, and sometimes there are skirmishes that take place within the walls of the church building itself. Soldier, what are you going to do when error is taught from the pulpit? Are you going to desert your fellow soldiers and leave them to fight the battle themselves? That's a serious offense in our military...I think it's called desertion. Likewise, it's reprehensible when it happens in the church, and we need to view it as such.

So yes, there may be extreme cases where you are justified in leaving one church for another, but I think I'm quite safe in saying that the vast majority of "church-hoppers" are absolutely, positively SINNING when they engage in such weak, immature behavior.

The local church is not required to accept without question every person that attempts to place membership. This is clear in Acts 9:26. When Paul tried to join the church in Jerusalem, the brethren there were hesitant, and I personally think that they had the right to be hesitant. It took Barnabas' hearty recommendation to sway the prudent church. In similar fashion, when some Christian comes to join our church, we'd better sit down with them and ask a few questions...

Where did you attend before?

Why did you leave that church?

If you left that church over something so trivial, how long will it be before you abandon us?

And maybe, just maybe we need to refuse membership in such cases. Just a thought.

Listen, I'm all about church growth, but I want good, healthy growth. I'm not willing to lay aside my convictions regarding the scriptures simply because I want "greater numbers."

What do you think?