It's not Easter, but let's talk about hopping.

I came across a post by a pastor in North Carolina regarding church hopping.  As a board, this issue comes up periodically.   You can read the post in it's entirety here, but here is a quick summary...with my additions  in burgundy from me (I couldn't resist).

First, church isn't about you.  Sorry, but it's not.  It isn't one of many stores in a mall that exists to serve your spiritual shopping list.  Church is a gathered community of believers who are pooling their time, talent and resources to further the Great Commission.  Rick Warren said it well in the very first sentence of his best selling book: "It's not about you."

Second, the very nature of authentic community is found in the "one anothers".  Love one another, serve one another, encourage one another; this cannot happen apart from doing life with people.  Romans, 1 Corinthians and the Epistles have a ton of "one another" references.

Third, the absence of a ministry you desire may be God's call on your life to start it, rather than leave to find a church that has it.  Remember, every member is a minister, and has been given at least one spiritual gift for service in the life and mission of the church.  Pastors are often told what kind of ministry their church needs.  Meanwhile, there are plenty of "holes" (i.e. volunteers needed) in existing programs.  Please get involved.

Fourth, you aren't going to agree with every decision the leadership of any church makes, regardless of its structure or decision-making process.  You either feel you can trust the character of the leadership, or you can't.  Leadership isn't perfect.  But we do pray,  discuss and send lots of emails before we make a decision.  Are they always right.  Of course not.

And being able to trust that leadership doesn't mean they will always do things the way you think they should.  In other words, don't hop every time you disagree.  That's immature.

(And for goodness sake, don't stay and pout either.  Either get on board once the decision is made, if it was one that didn't breach doctrine or ethics, or find a place where you can.

Fifth, don't worry about being fed as much as learning to feed yourself.  Even more, concern yourself with taking what you already know and applying it to your life, and then helping others who are new to the faith!  Let me quote from Mark Batterson's blog.  I saved this from years ago.  It's good.  "My kids learned to feed themselves when they were toddlers.  If you're not being fed, that's your fault.  I'm afraid we've unintentionally fostered a subtle form of spiritual codependency in our churches.  It is so easy to let others take responsibility for what should be our responsibility."

Finally, spiritual depth isn't fostered by satiating your sense of felt needs.  It's receiving a balanced diet of teaching and challenge, investing in service and mission, living in community and diversity that you probably would not select for yourself.  Not long ago we watched the Olympics.  All of those well-tuned athletes, while they focused on their sport, cross-trained so that all their muscles got a workout.  While maybe not fun, it made them a better athlete.

I thought he had some good thoughts and challenges.  Certainly worth our consideration.