Some of this convicted me. Lord help me, Thor Carden, not to be a Selfish Church Member! 10 Symptoms of a Selfish Church Member Christians can sometimes act just like demanding children who want things their way. Temper tantrums in churches may not include church members lying on the floor kicking and screaming, but some come close. Even Jesus’ disciples had a tendency to fight with one another. On one occasion the Twelve were arguing about who was the greatest. Can you imagine that? The closest followers of Jesus were having a me first fight. The Bible says that Jesus stopped and sat down and called these grown men together. Sitting down, He called the Twelve and said to them, If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35). Ouch. A research team recently conducted a survey of churches that were inwardly focused and found ten dominant behavior patterns of members in these churches. See if you recognize any: 1. Worship wars. One or more factions in the church want the music just the way they like it. Any deviation is met with anger and demands for change. The order of service must remain constant. Certain instrumentation is required while others are prohibited. 2. Prolonged minutia meetings. The church spends an inordinate amount of time in different meetings. Most of the meetings deal with the most inconsequential items, while the Great Commission and Great Commandment are rarely the topics of discussion. 3. Facility focus. The church facilities develop iconic status. One of the highest priorities in the church is the protection and preservation of rooms, furniture, and other visible parts of the churchs buildings and grounds. 4. Program driven. Every church has programs even if they dont admit it. When we start doing a ministry a certain way, it takes on programmatic status. The problem is not with programs. The problem develops when the program becomes an end instead of a means to greater ministry. 5. Inwardly focused budget. A disproportionate share of the budget is used to meet the needs and comforts of the members instead of reaching beyond the walls of the church. 6. Inordinate demands for pastoral care. All church members deserve care and concern, especially in times of need and crisis. Problems develop, however, when church members have unreasonable expectations for even minor matters. Some members expect the pastoral staff to visit them regularly merely because they have membership status. 7. Attitudes of entitlement. This issue could be a catch-all for many of the points named here. The overarching attitude is one of demanding and having a sense of deserving special treatment. 8. Greater concern about change than the gospel. Almost any noticeable changes in the church evoke the ire of many; but those same passions are not evident about participating in the work of the gospel to change lives. 9. Anger & hostility. Members are consistently angry. They regularly express hostility toward the church staff and other members. 10. Evangelistic apathy. Very few members share their faith on a regular basis. More are concerned about their own needs rather than the greatest eternal needs of the world and community in which they live. In almost every behavior above, church members were looking out for their own needs and preferences. I want the music my way. I want the building my way. I am upset because the pastor didnt visit me. I dont want to change anything in my church. You get the picture. I. Me. Myself. Church membership from a biblical perspective, however, is about servanthood. Its about giving. Its about putting others first.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 17:25:59 +0000
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