Stay Away Christians? I'm not even sure that is a correct term to use, because according to the Bible you need the fellowship of the church to help you live right. However, an alarming number of Christians are staying home on Sunday and the trend is affecting today's church. Believers who have become "stayaway saints" are alternately worrying and exciting church leaders, pointing to what is being seen as either a serious threat to the spread of the gospel or the actual cusp of a revolution that could usher in the sort of revival many have prayed for and dreamed of for years.
A recent study by The Barna Group, a California-based Christian research organization, found that about 13 million Americans whom the researchers identified as being born again were "unchurched ... not having attended a Christian church service, other than for a holiday ... at any time in the past six months."
Revival historian and teacher Andrew Strom found painful evidence of "a worldwide phenomenon." After speaking on radio about what he has dubbed the "Out of Church Christians," and writing about them in one of his e-newsletters, he was bombarded with responses from people around the world telling him, "Me too."
Let me share some reasons why people stay away from church and my response to them:
-The church is full of hypocrites-Well so is your work place, the grocery store, maybe even your home so don't og to work, get anything to eat, and sleep in the garage.
-The church doesn't meet my needs-Where in the Bible does it say that church is about your and your needs. To the rather it says we as the church are to serve others before we even think of our selves.
-The church doesn't have programs for my children or teens that equip them for the challenges of life-Again, where in the Bible does it say that the church is supposed to do a parents job? The ministries of the church are to assist implementation of christian principles that have been instilled by godly parents, not provide the training that parents should be doing at home.
-It's too hot, too cold, the preacher preaches too long, I don't have anything to wear, etc.-Excuses are made many times when we don't want to make a commitment to doing and being what Christ expects and wants us to be.
I've had people that have stayed away from church because when my dad was a pastor in the area their parents got mad at him and the second and third generation is still carrying the grudge. Pitiful isn't it?
Staying away from the church for any reason is not the solution to your problems in life. If anything you need the fellowship and strength that people of like faith can provide in times of trouble and need. The church will never be perfect as long and people like you and me are in it because we are imperfect. However, we serve a God that can deal with our imperfections and help us to go forward in our faith together.
Don't stay away from church and take a chance that you are right with God. Support your church and your pastor. Who knows it might just be what you need after all.
A recent study by The Barna Group, a California-based Christian research organization, found that about 13 million Americans whom the researchers identified as being born again were "unchurched ... not having attended a Christian church service, other than for a holiday ... at any time in the past six months."
Revival historian and teacher Andrew Strom found painful evidence of "a worldwide phenomenon." After speaking on radio about what he has dubbed the "Out of Church Christians," and writing about them in one of his e-newsletters, he was bombarded with responses from people around the world telling him, "Me too."
Let me share some reasons why people stay away from church and my response to them:
-The church is full of hypocrites-Well so is your work place, the grocery store, maybe even your home so don't og to work, get anything to eat, and sleep in the garage.
-The church doesn't meet my needs-Where in the Bible does it say that church is about your and your needs. To the rather it says we as the church are to serve others before we even think of our selves.
-The church doesn't have programs for my children or teens that equip them for the challenges of life-Again, where in the Bible does it say that the church is supposed to do a parents job? The ministries of the church are to assist implementation of christian principles that have been instilled by godly parents, not provide the training that parents should be doing at home.
-It's too hot, too cold, the preacher preaches too long, I don't have anything to wear, etc.-Excuses are made many times when we don't want to make a commitment to doing and being what Christ expects and wants us to be.
I've had people that have stayed away from church because when my dad was a pastor in the area their parents got mad at him and the second and third generation is still carrying the grudge. Pitiful isn't it?
Staying away from the church for any reason is not the solution to your problems in life. If anything you need the fellowship and strength that people of like faith can provide in times of trouble and need. The church will never be perfect as long and people like you and me are in it because we are imperfect. However, we serve a God that can deal with our imperfections and help us to go forward in our faith together.
Don't stay away from church and take a chance that you are right with God. Support your church and your pastor. Who knows it might just be what you need after all.
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