People Sitting In The Pew

[Bonairos]

If you were in the position (senior pastor/overseer) to change anything at church (i.e. how it is conducted, its’ focus, programs, music, leaders, anything!), What would it be? And why?

This is addressed to Christians, Non-Christians, and Backsliders alike.

If you honestly believe there’s nothing to change or do different because your church is perfect as it is, please PM me with the directions and service times.


Be blessed, Stay blessed!

 

[handy]

I would change the hymns we sing somewhat...

Our pastor truly loves preaching and teaching and tends to want to tie everything from Sunday School, to his sermons, to what the kids are doing around the theme of what the Bible readings are...which is great, I love it.

The only thing is, he also likes to tie the hymns we sing into it at well...which sounds great at first.

But...many times the hymns with the best doctrinal lyrics are well over 400 years old and translated from German into English, many of them penned by Luther himself. This means that they aren't always all that...singable!? Combine this with the fact that our usual organist tends to like a slow measured meter...sometimes the hymns can come off sounding like Oktoberfest on barbiturates.

I mean, don't get me wrong...I think it's great that we sing hymns that bring out biblical truth...but it's much nicer when we sing some of the more modern ones, especially if one of the other organists is playing with a more upbeat tempo.

 

[Alabaster]

If you were in the position (senior pastor/overseer) to change anything at church (i.e. how it is conducted, its’ focus, programs, music, leaders, anything!), What would it be? And why?

This is addressed to Christians, Non-Christians, and Backsliders alike.

If you honestly believe there’s nothing to change or do different because your church is perfect as it is, please PM me with the directions and service times.


Be blessed, Stay blessed!

I wouldn't change a thing---really, really, really! We have salvations every week and people get plugged in and grow. It is a great place with great worship, wonderful teaching/shepherding, and most of all, we all feel like family and that's an important thing to say about a church of between 800 and 900.

You'd have to move to Canada, Bonairos, but there are churches like ours in almost every city. Ask God to take you there, which is what I did, and He will, because He loves you and He loves it when we ask Him to lead us and are willing to wait on Him.

 

[Igor]

More importance would be given to our young peoples' spiritual development. This used to be an important area, but has been largely abandoned now, and this will cause serious problems in the future. The majority of those in charge don't seem to be to concerned about it.

 

[Riverwolf]

Free donuts!

 

[Mike]

But...many times the hymns with the best doctrinal lyrics are well over 400 years old and translated from German into English, many of them penned by Luther himself. This means that they aren't always all that...singable!? Combine this with the fact that our usual organist tends to like a slow measured meter...sometimes the hymns can come off sounding like Oktoberfest on barbiturates.

Oh, it would be funny if we could find an audio clip of some of these traditional Lutheran hymns! There's no melodic flow to them. It's like they are just rambling on with no rhyme or reason! We don't use them much, but when we do, I don't sing along. It's painful!

More importance would be given to our young peoples' spiritual development. This used to be an important area, but has been largely abandoned now, and this will cause serious problems in the future. The majority of those in charge don't seem to be to concerned about it.

I would say the opposite of my church. I'd like our pastors to stop preaching to the lowest common denominator and get in the weeds of scripture more. We have a large, young congregation with a school attached, so I understand what they're trying to do, but they shouldn't neglect the members who need and are able to dig deeper. I'd like them to take a section, break down the circumstances that lead to where the writer was at, give their understanding of the point, and tell how this is significant in 2011. Typically, they will take scripture and give a message on our current lives, not really spending time to thoroughly break down the Word.

 

[Bonairos]

I wouldn't change a thing---really, really, really! We have salvations every week and people get plugged in and grow.

Really nothing to change? If so, that's great! And I praise God for it. Great things happen in church, no argument there.

Maybe I should have been clearer in the OP. I do not mean to get feedback in the form of criticism or knocking one's church, but rather as a means to get another perspective from those in the pew and not in the pulpit.

Having been in the pulpit myself, I know we'd like to think we're doing everything we're aware of to be effective in our purpose and mission.

However, having also been in the pew, I know there may be some areas of improvements (or need of greater focus) that those in the position of change are not aware of; and people in the pew rarely voice.

I guess what I'm saying is, "Hey, we are all an integral part of the Church, let's talk about it. After all, lives are at stake."


Be blessed, Stay blessed!

 

[Igor]

...I would say the opposite of my church. I'd like our pastors to stop preaching to the lowest common denominator and get in the weeds of scripture more. We have a large, young congregation with a school attached, so I understand what they're trying to do, but they shouldn't neglect the members who need and are able to dig deeper. I'd like them to take a section, break down the circumstances that lead to where the writer was at, give their understanding of the point, and tell how this is significant in 2011. Typically, they will take scripture and give a message on our current lives, not really spending time to thoroughly break down the Word.

Yeah, there is a lot to be said for hitting the right balance. With any aspect of church it seems there are always those that go to far to one side or the other, and someone suffers for it! Maybe I should change my post to say that I wish they would just hit that right balance.

 

[Alabaster]

Really nothing to change? If so, that's great! And I praise God for it. Great things happen in church, no argument there.

Maybe I should have been clearer in the OP. I do not mean to get feedback in the form of criticism or knocking one's church, but rather as a means to get another perspective from those in the pew and not in the pulpit.

Having been in the pulpit myself, I know we'd like to think we're doing everything we're aware of to be effective in our purpose and mission.

However, having also been in the pew, I know there may be some areas of improvements (or need of greater focus) that those in the position of change are not aware of; and people in the pew rarely voice.

I guess what I'm saying is, "Hey, we are all an integral part of the Church, let's talk about it. After all, lives are at stake."


Be blessed, Stay blessed!

Our church is a cell church. We are MORE THAN encouraged to not be pew warmers! As cell members, we are instructed in the ways of gathering, learning how to be outward-focused. Do we have pew warmers amongst us? Yes, we do have people who like the status quo in life and don't want to go all out for God. They are welcome but they are not the majority.

Our pastors are not the only leaders in the church. We have about 50 cell leaders, who are really lay pastors, and everyone in the cells are encouraged to take their role as salt and light seriously. That is why we have so many salvations. We go out there and gather! We bring them to cell, they make a commitment to Jesus and we bring them to church to make confession with their mouth. Immediate grounding and discipling is done and while the typical falling off does occur with new believers as the enemy tries to steal their faith, I see many new Christians sticking around and plugging in and growing in Christ and finding ministry for themselves.

I guess my point is that in a healthy vibrant church, the pastor is not the one who does all the work. We share his load.

If we want to walk on water, we have to get out of the boat.

 

[reba]

Well guys it is like this..... Because of where i live (this is a clue it is 3 hours to the nearest Walmart) This site is my church..... now what would i like to change?

I fully enjoy the differences of opinions here the freedom to speak ones heart/mind.

More to the point of the thread

Balance is a good thing i would like the 'praise team' to understand the difference between a Jesus pep rally and worship. Both are good but they are not the same.. A pleasant blend of really old, old and new in the hymns.

Like Sundays to be sorta for the guests and wed nite to be bible study good bible study

 

[westtexas]

(this is a clue it is 3 hours to the nearest Walmart)

You must live out in the woods somewhere! I thought everywhere with a population of more than 10 had a Wal-Mart
Westtexas

 

[Alabaster]

As I said...out of the boat...

 

[tim-from-pa]

If you were in the position (senior pastor/overseer) to change anything at church (i.e. how it is conducted, its’ focus, programs, music, leaders, anything!), What would it be? And why?

This is addressed to Christians, Non-Christians, and Backsliders alike.

If you honestly believe there’s nothing to change or do different because your church is perfect as it is, please PM me with the directions and service times.


Be blessed, Stay blessed!

I noticed our church is really two churches. One is what the world sees, i.e. the worship service with lots of biblical crumbs to feed the people with, and then social hour where everyone eats those cookies and drinks the coffee --- and maybe other meetings related to the two (and prayer for those who have excessive cancer going around these days)

Then there is the church for odd-balls like me, that's church class after the worship service where we dig deep into the word, and Tuesday night bible study with the pastor and people that really want to learn the bible.

Most of our people go to the first church, I and the rest go to the second church, and it's possible that BOTH can use the same building and totally miss each other. :biglol

As for what to change --- I would not change anything. Many are called, few are chosen. Why bother each other's world? People settle where they are cut out to be and they are what they are. Nothing changes---- I tried already.

 

[Bonairos]

I guess my point is that in a healthy vibrant church, the pastor is not the one who does all the work. We share his load.

I agree and appreciate your passion for your home church. If everyone felt that way we could accomplish even more towards the Great Commission.

I too am familiar with the cell-church concept. Yet even in that model there exists a combined worship service where everyone gathers at one time or another aside from their cell-group, home-church meetings.

However, the point of this thread is not to give props to our church (and there’s nothing wrong with that!). Perhaps, we can start another thread, “WHAT I LIKE ABOUT CHURCH†(Hmmmm, not a bad idea! Anybody want to start it?) and take it from there.

Rather the intent was to give a platform to those (cell members included) who have ideas yet say nothing at all; ideas worth pondering for those in a position to make changes (yes, even in a cell-based church there are people who hold these positions of authority).

Would I be far off the mark (based on your reply) to say one area worth (further) concentrating on (and this is to take nothing away from all the good that happens) is the "new believers who fall away because the enemy tries to steal their faith?" Or maybe the minority "pew warmers who like the status quo?" Not just your church but the Church as a whole. Maybe not. Things may be are perfect as they are, no changes necessary.

Again, this thread is meant to produce further effectiveness in how we conduct ’church’. Sometimes it’s fruitful to hear the other side.


Be blessed, Stay blessed!

 

[Alabaster]

We do all we can for new believers. We love them, and offer them much hospitality and comfort, and we try to establish friendship, and discipleship, but as the word tells us in Luke 13:20-21 NLT...
<sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-23535">20</sup> The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-23536">21</sup> But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.

We are encouraged to be diligent, yet we cannot control. And yes, Bonairos, many of us can learn to do it better, so the enemy doesn't get a leg up on these folk.

 

[jasoncran]

I noticed our church is really two churches. One is what the world sees, i.e. the worship service with lots of biblical crumbs to feed the people with, and then social hour where everyone eats those cookies and drinks the coffee --- and maybe other meetings related to the two (and prayer for those who have excessive cancer going around these days)

Then there is the church for odd-balls like me, that's church class after the worship service where we dig deep into the word, and Tuesday night bible study with the pastor and people that really want to learn the bible.

Most of our people go to the first church, I and the rest go to the second church, and it's possible that BOTH can use the same building and totally miss each other. :biglol

As for what to change --- I would not change anything. Many are called, few are chosen. Why bother each other's world? People settle where they are cut out to be and they are what they are. Nothing changes---- I tried already.

i dont agree with you on everything, but sadly i find this the case at times. but if you really want to look there are some that dig deep and want to see what the bible says.

 

[Danny63]

What would I change if it was in my power?

The time limit!!! I tell you sometimes we have things needing to be talked about or the pastor is on a good role with a topic he is teaching, and yes he will go over the "allotted 40 min" (set by the church board) and you see people start to look at their watches. How sad to put a time limit on Sunday service I wonder how God truly feels about that?

I think at times people are more interested in getting home to their pot roast in the slow cooker, or getting to lunch with a group of peers then they are in hearing God's word.

SO I would change the time limit. If I was a pastor most of my congregation would find a new church he he because I would not put a limit on hearing God's word. I know we have to have a balance and not go on forever but 10 or 15 min over and the whole congregation is complaining about how long winded the preacher was instead of discussing the blessed sermon they just heard.