What Would You Do if This Was You?

[chseeads]

Originally Posted by Bryan

it's not??

I haven't found it to be.

How do you get one of these people to come and assist, help, etc.?

[berkeley]

Originally Posted by chseeads

I haven't found it to be.

How do you get one of these people to come and assist, help, etc.?

hmm. That's a hard one. I know of several who are equipperd, but have no desire to leave where theyre at. too bad

[chseeads]

Originally Posted by Bryan

hmm. That's a hard one. I know of several who are equipperd, but have no desire to leave where theyre at. too bad

Exactly.

[berkeley]

Originally Posted by chseeads

Exactly.

do you need an assistant?

a lot of things ppl have to consider...
dont want to uproot family
job climate
etc

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

No disrespect, but the analogy breaks down when comparing it to a family.
You can't "breed" a church.
It sounds like a lot of well meaning people are stuck in a rut. What is usually required in these situations is some sort of shake up. Another person starting a similar church in the same town will often get things going. Two or more churches are often greater than the sum of their parts -or members.

Bro. RandyWayne,

The apostle Paul asked a question in 1Timothy 3:5,
(If anyone does not know how to manage his own house, how can he take
care of God's house?)
There are similarities between the natural (which is first) and the spiritual
(which is afterward).

If you want to grow something you have to sow something! No sow, no
grow, family or church.
No, you can't "breed" a church, that's what you do with dogs. when you
want to raise dogs. You could tell us all a lot about that perhaps.

But we're speaking of a growing a church! How can you grow a church when
you haven't grown a family. Very similiar. One is natural and the other is
spiritual. You sow the seed of man to make a family. You sow the Seed of
God to make spiritual babies.
Every man cannot make babies for various reasons. If a man does not have
the Seed (Word of God) in him, he won't be making spiritual babies either.

I have been around children all my life. 10 siblings. We have children. Raised
children. Carried and birthed children and have 20 grandchildren. So, I know a
lot about children. I have been there, done that and have the proof. Our
natural children are now spiritual children. Likewise our grandchildren, that
are mature enough.
I don't think you could really understand where I'm coming from because you
haven't been where I've been in life.
Neither could I identify with the places in life you've been that I haven't.

I worked beside my pastor father and my mother in pastoring the church
they founded 50 yrs. ago. They are gone but we remain. I have been here
the whole time. Have seen the process of growing a family as they taught
by example. Have with my husband of (will be 50 yrs this July), raised our
children, all adults with children. I have seen the similiarites in raising a
natural family and a church.

My parents didn't take a pastorate that someone had already pioneered
and done the hard part. No, they built it from the "ground up". GOD was
our refuge and strength, a very present help. To Him be the glory for the
natual and the spiritual heritage. We have a goodly heritage.

I trust I haven't been offensive in my way of explaining this. It certainly
wasn't intended to be so.

Blessings,

Falla39

[Kay B]

Originally Posted by Bryan

do you need an assistant?

a lot of things ppl have to consider...
dont want to uproot family
job climateetc

Amen! Especially to a remote villiage of about 600 in S.E. Alaska.

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by ChTatum

Noah only convinced seven other people. Was he a failure?

If God has not lifted the burden, keep on keeping on......no telling what God has in the future!

Bro. ChTatum,

I believe it was 120 yrs. Noah spent building an ark for a flood
when he had never seen rain.
Then as you mentioned, he only convinced seven other people.
But that was HIS family. He built an ark to the saving of his OWN
house.
The Bible says that every man shall bear his own burden.
What is a man's own burden! Could it mean that he is responsible
for what he birthed. If he birthed it, it's his baby! His responsibility
to see that it is trained up in the way it should go. So that when
that child is grown (mature), he will not depart from the right path.

Just some thoughts!

Falla39

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by ChTatum

Noah only convinced seven other people. Was he a failure?

If God has not lifted the burden, keep on keeping on......no telling what God has in the future!

Brother,

I watched my parents struggle for many years, and worked alongside them
as long as they lived. The church grew in the years after they were gone,
but after 50 yrs., today my husband and I sit together with three generations
of our own family that remain from those humble beginnings. How I thank God
that they did keep on keeping on, until God called them Home.
Dad not only built a place of safety for his own house, but for mine also!
And many others!

Falla39

[Scott Hutchinson]

If it was me I would pray and seek God for a answer.Of course if God has planted you there and He isn't finished with you there,then one must be content and do the best they can with what they have to work with.
Little works need sheperds too.

[scotty]

I would say he needs to seek God for change. Something needs to change.

If your not where you think you should be in your life with God then its time to change what your doing. Reminds me of Hannah. God closed her womb.

7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.
8 Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"
9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple.
10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.
11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."
12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.
13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk
14 and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."

It says year after year she done the same thing. Hannah finally done something different, she changed how she approched God, changed her whole attitude, change her worship to HIM, so much so that Eli thought she was drunk. (in other words Hannah may have been the first Apostolic in worship, ..lol)

If what your doing ain't working then its time to change, its time to approach God a different way with a different offering. Its time to change.