I Am A Member Of The NCCC

Continued from "Touch Down Jesus" post.

Good stewardship of the church's money is a reflection of the hearts in the church members.   If money is carelessly wasted, extravagantly spent, or squirreled away, there is a good chance that those in authority over the money live similar lifestyles.   The truth is, those that have the authority usually have their own agenda; albeit, in the name of the Lord's work.   We proudly spout about seeking the Lord's will, but secretly, in the depths of our hearts desire our own way more.   This is the nature of man.   I know this to be true because I have experienced it myself and so have many others with who I have spoken regarding this topic.  The difference?   I am willing to say it aloud.   It is safe to say I am Not a Cookie-Cutter Christian and my writing this will not make me popular, but I've decided I need to be real.  If a church decides to borrow, say $2,000,000, to add on to their already beautiful facility that has not reached full capacity, under the pretense of  "the space is needed in order to grow the church" (or, if we build it, they will come syndrome), in my humble opinion, it is a safe bet the decision was man made and not God ordained.  

I grow weary of the number game churches play.   The church will not admit to this being true, but it is.   If it were not true, why would we be promoting High Attendance Day or Bring A Guest To Church Day?  The church will say it is to reach more people for Christ and that may well be the case in the hearts of some.  My experience; however, has taught me "let's get the numbers on the role so that our reports will be up for the quarter" is the more likely reason.   What church doesn't like to boast about it being so crowded "we had to bring in extra chairs?"     Just because a church is growing in numbers, doesn't mean it is a healthy church.  It is very easy to grow in numbers and not grow spiritually.  Unfortunately, I see this happening more and more.   So much time is required to accomplish the myriad activities of the church, that very little time is left to cultivate families and strengthen a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

And so, I stepped away from church attendance for a while.   To be continued....