When should you change churches? What criteria should a person or family use when deciding if it's time to leave their church?
Recently, a family left our church. This was somewhat of a blow to me personally. Since becoming pastor, our small church has added families. This was the first to go the other way. Moreover, I really appreciate this family, and the heart they brought to the fellowship.
Sadly, when talking with me, the husband refused to give any specifics for his reasons, citing only "issues" and "social dynamics." This situation plays itself out every day throughout churches in America -- people and families leaving churches over "personal" and often unspecified reasons. These families then float from church to church (or, in some cases, stop going to church altogether) without ever confronting the issues that led them to pull away.
I wish every church-going Christian in the world would bear these three facts in mind:
1) There are NO perfect churches. Period. Churches are made up of people. As such, churches are made up of imperfect sinners. As the saying goes, if you ever happen to find a perfect church, don't join it. If you do, you'll ruin it.
2) YOU bear a responsibility to your church. A church is what the people of that church make it. Spectator Christians frustrate me! If you think your church can do better....accept some responsibility for that. Pray for your church and get involved!
3) It's about Jesus! Let's be clear. Jesus is the "chief cornerstone" and "chief shepherd" of the church - a church that He has chosen to organize locally. That means that the church isn't about your personal agenda, feelings, opinions, tastes, etc. We need to be humble and obedient to God in the perspective and attitude we bring to our respective church bodies.
For more on this subject, click on this link for an article about changing churches.
