"I Love My Church" Thread

[Guest Guest]

I've seen a few topics lately of people complaining about the way some churches do things.... so I thought I'd start a positive topic! :Bleh

How many of you go to a church that you really love? I mean... your pastor is definitely Spirit-led, your church family treats each other like a real family, you don't have any complaints about the way your church does things...

For the first time in my life, I'm now at that place. Now that I'm married and serving with my husband in a church here in Ohio, I feel like I've finally found a church that I can call my "home church" without regretting it.

Some things I really love about my church:

1. The preaching is very Biblical, understandable, and the messages aren't sloppy. You can learn something at every service!
2. They sing the old hymns like they mean it!
3. There's so much opportunity to serve, and everyone works together!

There's more... but I don't have time to post it all right now. I just wanted to have a thread to talk about how much we're thankful for good churches!!!

[Kayla]

Definitely love my church there isn't a single one like it in the world.

[Marcus2Israel]

:uuhm: Heh.. Ya, love my church...

[John81]

Pastor preaches the Whole Word of God and points out how we should apply it to our lives in practical ways.

We sing a variety of hymns, not just the same half dozen over and over.

We have many outreach programs and Bible studies.

The members are accepting and friendly.

Etc.

[JerryNumbers]

I love our church. I want make much comment on the preachers preaching being as I am he.

We sing all the right hymns as far as I'm concerned and everyone loves everyone else.

I did ask them for a vote of confidence last year, they said it was unanimous and now I'm working towards my 8th year.

[Kayla]

We've had our Pastor for 22 wonderful years and we don't intend to give him up anytime soon. :Green :clap: :thumb

[OLD fashioned preacher]

I also will not comment on the pastor, that being myself. Our church is FANTASTIC!! Over 60% of our members come out to visitation; our young people help @ church work days, taking offerings, playing music, bus routes, nursing home ministry, etc; we support 1 missionary for every 1.5 members (many supported through the church by individual members, some by SS classes, others by missions budget via faith promise); those that sing specials know how to sing out, instead of thinking they need amplification, crooning, or swallowing mics; we don't have nursery schedule squabbles (no, I am neither lying nor "in the dark"); there is an evident desire to grow spiritually on the part of many (much growth is taking place ). I am not saying we are without problems, slackers, and grumblers - but the Lord is welcome, wanted, and working here!!

[kevinmiller]

I love my church, as well. :lol
It's really like a family and I will typically get at least one hug during fellowship time, the praise time is real and meaningful, I call the pastor's wife "mom" in Korean( :frog ), most of the churchmembers come here for the 5:00 am prayer service, I'm friends with everyone in the youth group, and I have had some wonderful prayer times with my friends.

[John81]

Our pastor has been here for 26 years and his son became our youth and education pastor last year. :thumb :clap:

[matie-k]

I LOVE our new church!!!!! I won't go into details about it, but it's been like water to a starving soul every week since we returned to the states after being in China for 2 1/2 years straight. It's been such a balm to be among loving brothers and sisters in Christ who's focus is to praise God, love each other, and point the world to Christ! It's sure going to be hard to leave it again in the Fall. :sad

[JerryNumbers]

[quote="matie-k"]I LOVE our new church!!!!! I won't go into details about it, but it's been like water to a starving soul every week since we returned to the states after being in China for 2 1/2 years straight. It's been such a balm to be among loving brothers and sisters in Christ who's focus is to praise God, love each other, and point the world to Christ! It's sure going to be hard to leave it again in the Fall. :sad[/quote]

Enjoy and soak it up. Nothing like a great comfortable church home with a loving church family.

I suppose the new addition to your family will be here by them.

[qwerty guy]

Can I go against the grain? Please don't misread what I'm saying.

I try and hate my church, while staying faithful.

I expect my pastor to fail.

I expect to be let down by everyone at my church.

I focus on God, and come because of God.
I'm NOT trying to be holier then thou.. I'm sharing my inner thoughts... and this is the reasoning:

My pastor isn't perfect, and if I expect him to be then he does one little stupid thing I don't like and the fall from perfect to not perfect is so huge that I may get uppity
Most church members are messed up.. it's why they are there, if I expect them to not be then I can get worn down
If I love my church too much, then when it becomes to large a labor, to large a task, I fall out of love and give up.

I'm sure others don't need this mental trick, but if I don't have it I open myself up to harm that shouldn't be. I view things though these glasses only because I can keep working for the Lord no matter what happens around me. I will admit though, with all the walls I put up about my heart, there are things that would devistate me. I love my church, and it's peoples. I vest time, effort, and money (more time) like it's going out of style. I protect my heart in the above ways, simply because I protect my investment, and nothing will tear me away from where I'm at cept God.

Why stay in a church you don't feel that way about?

[JerryNumbers]

>

Saying it that way, to me at least, is almost like saying I want him to fall.

I've never thought about it like that, I've just always realized that the pastor was a person just like me who has the same temptations to face as anyone else, that he can fall just as bad or just as far as I can.

[HappyChristian]

Our church is great. We are an organism of saved sinners who love the Lord. Our preacher preaches the Word, and preaches it straight, as do the staff who preach. We have a wonderful music program - a fantastic orchestra, singers who love the Lord and it is evident in their lives as well as in their music - singing hymns and Biblical choruses, learning new ones on a regular basis. A multitude of ministries to be involved in available to all who want to serve. We are a huge family of like-minded believers who are there to help each other in prayer and in physical ways if possible.

I understand what qwerty is saying - we all need to realize that our churches are full of people - people who fail because we are sinners, so there shouldn't be anybody on a pedestal. But thank God that He works in our lives and helps us be what He wants us to be! :thumb

[John81]

Can I go against the grain? Please don't misread what I'm saying.

I try and hate my church, while staying faithful.

I expect my pastor to fail.

I expect to be let down by everyone at my church.

I focus on God, and come because of God.
I'm NOT trying to be holier then thou.. I'm sharing my inner thoughts... and this is the reasoning:

My pastor isn't perfect, and if I expect him to be then he does one little stupid thing I don't like and the fall from perfect to not perfect is so huge that I may get uppity
Most church members are messed up.. it's why they are there, if I expect them to not be then I can get worn down
If I love my church too much, then when it becomes to large a labor, to large a task, I fall out of love and give up.

I'm sure others don't need this mental trick, but if I don't have it I open myself up to harm that shouldn't be. I view things though these glasses only because I can keep working for the Lord no matter what happens around me. I will admit though, with all the walls I put up about my heart, there are things that would devistate me. I love my church, and it's peoples. I vest time, effort, and money (more time) like it's going out of style. I protect my heart in the above ways, simply because I protect my investment, and nothing will tear me away from where I'm at cept God.

Why stay in a church you don't feel that way about?

I understand the point you are trying to make but I don't worry about these things.

Our pastor makes it clear that he's not perfect. He never tries to put up a front, as some pastors do, of being closer to perfection that someone else. He admits his faults and struggles and shares how he has dealt with past and current issues biblically.

While it's rare in my experiences, most of the folks in our current church are "real" and don't put on their "I'm very holy" outfit when they go out. We all know we are sinners saved by grace through faith and that only by abiding in Christ can we live as we should.

I've been in churches where the pastor attempts to portray himself as virtually perfect and many of the church members work hard to appear very spiritual rather than submitting their hearts to the Lord and allowing Him to make them "spiritual" from the inside out. I'm thankful most in our current church are not like this.