If we are to truly to believe that New Zealand is to be won to Jesus Christ we must be prepared to consider radical changes to what we are doing and how we are outworking our faith. I love the quote “If you continue to do what you’re doing, you will get what you’re getting”
As a minister of a church I have been very dismissive of congregation members who continually change churches or who drop out altogether. They have been labelled as people who will not accept authority, have ‘problems’ or who have lost their faith. As leaders in the church we have made sweeping judgements on these people who are struggling to connect with church or who have just opted out. However the large numbers of people who are in this position must challenge our presuppositions. Tens of thousands of committed Christians are opting out of the New Zealand church. Tony Collis states that in the Wellington region alone that there are approximately seven thousand Christians meeting in informal groups in halls, homes, marae's etc. Several years ago Bill Subritzeky stated that he believed that there were around twenty thousand Aucklanders drifting from church to church, surely they can not be all bitter negative people?![]()
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- www.nicepeeps.org.uk
- 18/05/2005 @ 05:00:39
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- www.nicepeeps.org.uk
- 18/05/2005 @ 05:01:52
Correction: "Cleanse your hearts people of the Lord before you come into His presence".
MrChawky

As an ex minister who has opted out, and as one who has been in touch with so many who have opted out of church the principle reason is not that we have lost faith but that we have gone deeper into Christ and have frequently spiritually outgrown the churches we have been in. We see the hollowness of traditional churchianity, we also see the excesses of charismania.
We are looking for spiritual reality, no triumphalism and no fatalism - but a spiritually living active family to express our individuality and giftings without being subjected to heavy shepherding, being ignored or patronised.
I want a church where the pastor/teacher can turn round and say on a Sunday meeting "God hasnt given me anything to share so lets just worship". Equally where the worship leader can say "Cleanse your people of the Lord before you come into His presence".
We either live in spiritual reality or we continue performing. For me if I cannot enjoy reality then I would rather opt out of the circus.
love in Him
Terry