My parents witnessed a traumatic church split when I was a baby (half the congregation walked out mid-service).
After that, my dad paid a lot more attention to the Spirit and left situations before they got to that point.
I have done the same, recognizing that the church I was going to was no longer the same place I started at.
For someone who is fiercely loyal, I’m grateful that I’ve learned from my parents and left when the church was no longer where we belonged.
But how do I know it’s time to go? How can I discern between frustrations to fight through and problems that are roadblocks?
Here is what I feel about my current church, and how I feel people should feel about the church where they choose to put down roots.
- I feel connected (I know I need to do my part, but in past churches that still didn’t guarantee I felt that connection)
- I agree with the direction my church is going.
- The way the church interprets the scriptures resonates with me.
- Thinking about church fills my heart with joy.
- The leadership is strong but not unbending. (I don’t want to feel like the pastor is bowing to the whims of society, but there is a scary control that some pastors can obtain)
- The church values faith over fear. The pandemic has made this abundantly clear.
I’d love to hear your thoughts! charla@charmboxstudios.com or comment on Facebook. And feel free to subscribe by going here and signing up! I blog about once a month (or as inspiration strikes), and I will never EVER do anything with your email address.
