Another Holocaust?
Volunteer Holocaust…a term that Chris Moncus coined (and graciously let me use in my blog before he used it in his own…thanks Chris!), but a concept that I have been ranting about for nearly 3 years now.
We were having a discussion about how you have to come to the point where you must accept things, and people, for how they are, and focus on the things you can change, and let go of the things you can’t (for you people who read these blogs in order, this concept will sound familiar…). For both of us, one of the things that we must make ourselves move away from, is our home churches back in Georgia. We, for a short period of time, went to the same church, but most of our time was spent at two separate churches. Those two churches however, shared similar denomination, relative church size, ideas, politics, and lack of vision.
Here are my own thoughts…these ideas are not endorsed by any other church or business or organization; they are purely my own observation. I have been in the church since birth nearly. As I have gotten older, I have worked with DOZENS of churches for various reasons, one of which I work at now. Growing up in Georgia (which is the heart of the Bible belt), going to church is what you do, period. It doesn’t matter why, it doesn’t matter what you do when you get there, it doesn’t matter what you did the night before you went there…It is engrained into the southern way of life…On Sunday’s, you go to church before lunch…and that’s how it is. I think it is that mentality, which has created the downfall of the East Coast churches. It affects everybody….church members don’t feel pressured to step out of their comfort zone, church staff live comfortably with the lack of motivation in their church….church members don’t get involved in ministry…and church staff complain about how little they are getting in tithes. Life has always been this way for them…they don’t know any better…..they don’t know it doesn’t have to be that way….and sadly….that don’t even realize that it SHOULDN’T be that way.
The churches where Chris and I came from were very focused on what I call, “playing church”. It reminds me of being a kid, and moving my spinach around on the plate, just to make it look like I was doing something…like I was making some sort of progress. That’s what our churches did…and continue to do. They aren’t making much headway…they are simply moving pieces around, causing enough of a stir to look like they are doing something, so they can feel better about themselves. They start a fundraiser, but come in several thousand dollars short, because of the lack of vision. They want a projection system, but don’t believe it’s worth the money, and refuse to do it right. They are considering selling their land right now, to move out to a different part of the city…they have contacted some cheap architect, who is more concerned about decorations, and giving the church a cookie-cutter building, instead of finding someone who is right for them, and who will design a building that is functional, and will give them what they need.
I could spend the next two hours going through COUNTLESS things that both of our churches make terrible, COSTLY decisions with, but that’s not the point. The point is that these churches have TONS of potential…it’s nearly dead at this point, like a tumor on the body of Christ, the unused potential is actually weighing them down, instead of lifting them up.
Those churches have several hundred members each, and each of those members having SOME type of gift, skill, or talent to offer. But both of our old churches, for whatever reason, refuse to listen to, or utilize those people. Instead, they continue to do their own thing, because they (the leadership) think it’s a good idea…or in an even worse case scenario, they listen to the wrong people, and follow their lead. They are slowly squashing out every serving opportunity available inside the church. They are annihilating the environment for people to connect through serving, therefore annihilating the number of people who serve, THEREFORE pushing people away from the church, and leaving all of the serving opportunities to a select few…which is how church dictatorships start. At my old church, there is a lady there who nobody likes really, and 90% would agree that she has her hands in too many things….but nobody will say anything. I would be willing to bet, that it’s because they don’t want to fill her shoes.
Serving is a vital and NECESSARY part of a person’s spiritual growth. For a church to not provide that opportunity, they are setting a double standard, because they preach how people should get closer to God, but they don’t allow that chance. I know my old church has created an atmosphere, where you serve because you have to, or they pressure you into doing something. I know someone there who always uses the “I deserve_____, I have taught Sunday School for 10 years”. Do yourself and everyone else a favor….Quit teaching today. You aren’t teaching for the church….you aren’t teaching for the people in your class…..you are teaching for you….because you have been called to do it. If you think that you deserve a reserved parking space because of it, get over yourself. The second you expect something in return is the second you are wrong. Shame on you for carrying that thought around, and shame on the church for letting you harbor it. I know others that serve because they feel obligated to, because they are “filling a hole”. Again, serving is not about what you are doing, or the task at hand; the task at hand is about allowing the opportunity to serve. Again, shame on the church for putting the focus on the task. It’s not about that.
So, in the defense of the church, maybe they just haven’t been told what is right, or better to do. Maybe, if someone with experience or something to offer that they NEED were to come to them, they would accept the help…because it’s all about advancing the Kingdom, right? Wrong. I have nearly 15 years of technical experience inside the church; Chris has several years to offer his church as well. For years now, we have been trying to get them to listen….we ARE the people they are trying to reach…and we are offering to give them the keys to reaching our generation of people. Yet, they refuse. It’s not what they have always done. It’s not conventional. It’s not comfortable. It’s not what THEY think is right, so it must not be. Despite the experience we may be able to offer them, they refuse it.
Volunteer Holocaust was the term that started this thought process in me…and it’s right on the money…the churches are annihilating and alienating their members, and their abilities….these churches are killing themselves.
As you can imagine, it’s hard for us to swallow sometimes. Churches that we spent COUNTLESS hours in, trying to make it the best we could, with what we had to offer. To leave, and see that they have trampled over what little mark we may have had, and they aren’t looking back….and refuse to look forward….is sad. They are stuck in their ways, and there is nothing Chris or I can do about it. So what do we do? We look at the resources and potential that Canyon Ridge has, and we are immediately blessed and thankful to be out of the misery of our old stagnant churches. Canyon Ridge treats their volunteers LIGHT YEARS better than our old churches….and better than that….they are always looking at how to do it better. What a place to be. If only other churches could get a glimpse of how it is supposed to be….
I very purposely do not ever mention specific church names or denominations, just because I am not interested in slamming peoples name….but I’ve gotta get this out…
Southern Baptist Churches (specifically the ones I was involved with), you guys have MISSED THE BOAT. You are focusing on the wrong things. Nobody cares about your green carpet….they would rather see and hear better. They don’t care that the pulpit is solid Oak….they just don’t care. They don’t want to be preached to, they want to be taught. Doing it halfway IS NOT better than not doing it at all. Serving isn’t about you making yourself feel good. Having your seat every week in your pew is selfish. The church is about being relevant. As Mitch, my boss has said, “the church as a whole is about seeking the lost, NOT pacifying the saved”. We as the church leadership aren’t here to make the saved people happy, and sing 16th Century songs until we are blue in the face….we are here to connect to the 21st Century in 21st Century ways. Churches!! Get over yourselves, and stop the Annihilation…it’s making the body of Christ look bad, and it’s killing us all….
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Adam, I read you blog, or mess, whichever you want to call it. Sounds like you are a bitter,brainwashed young man.
Sounds like since you are not at your old church to know what is acutually going on, that someone who is always in the
same pew is feeding you some bad information.
With all the years of experience you claim to have and all the work you accomplished in such a short life, that you
would have already forgotten about such a hick town as Brunswick.
Wish you well and will add you to our prayer list, sounds like you need prayer.
God Bless you in all your excellence
Bob Amerson
Comment by Bob Amerson — September 24, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
Are you kidding me?
Was that a joke?
Comment by Adam — September 27, 2008 @ 3:16 pm