the life out of people. Church shouldn't be about heaping rules and regulations upon people. Shouldn't be about adding more guilt on top of people and breaking their backs.
We are building a church that is looking forward to what's ahead. We feel we have real answers for the real problems of life. We embrace the issues that everyone deals with, but you never seem to hear addressed in churches. Doesn't God have anything to say regarding our sexual practices besides "don't do this" and "don't do that"? What about our relationships? What about our constant struggle and worry over finances? What about when that loved one hears the "C" word from the doctor? "It's cancer."
Growing up I went to church almost every Sunday. Later I was on staff as a youth pastor for many years, and most Sundays I was bored out of my ever-lovin' mind! I wanted to know God better. I wanted to be able to worship Him passionately like how I felt in my heart toward Him. I wanted to be equipped to handle life with a faith that was real and relevant, but all I heard most of the time was the "should do's" and the "shouldn't do's," but never any "how's" or any thing that made me wonderfully uncomfortable and challenged me in a real way to be different; to live different.
I would love to hear your church stories.
And think about joining us sometime as we build a church that doesn't suck. :)
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Pastor Gibson shared your blog and I was raised to go to Sunday School, even if I walked home afterwards to avoid the so called boring church service. Little did they know, I wasn't asked to stay when I would have. It took a stranger to begin coming to youth service to invite me to join the group on an outing to Indian Lake amusements. He asked me to stay for service following the next Sunday and voila, I answered the alter call. Makes me kind of wonder if I would have been saved before that time if only asked to stay for the morning service.
I have to say, I would so look forward to attending your church. It sounds exactly like what I want from a church. Certainly ain't gettin it where I am. I also like how you say what you have to say. Like 'building a church that doesn't suck.' I have never heard a pastor use the word 'suck'. You don't use fancy talk, you speak the language of everyday people without fear of 'how you look.' Praise to that!! I hope someday we can come visit. Julia
thanks for sharing all! God bless you!
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