I wish I would have blogged about this in the heat of the moment...my rant would be just a little more intense.
This past Sunday I was voted into the church leadership team - I am now an Elder. That's right. Feel free to laugh, scroff or give me a congradulations b/c that's the type of responses I am getting. When I was first nominated my reaction was "uh, no. only old married men do that" but then I got thinking about it. I think it's pretty darn cool that I have this opportunity and that there are people wanting to have someone with a "young and fresh" perspective on board. It was kinda neat 'cause after the congregation meeting one lady (Emily) came up to me and gave me a giant huge - "I'm partly responsible for bringing you here!". It's true I met Emily at a lady's fitness centre and after sometime I asked where she went to church and so she took me along. And I never stopped going to Hope Fellowship. I'm not sure what all my responsibilties will be now....having coffee with the pastor this week to chat it up and take a look at how my focus for volunteering at church will change. Farewell Praise Team?
Which brings me to the more rant of my blog...
Church membership. I was reading thru the church's annual report and was appauled by the lack of people listed as members. Only 35 members out an amount of 90 regular attendees. Why aren't ppl becoming members? What's so difficult about it?? My friend Darryl has been attending Hope for over 4 yrs so I asked him w hy aren't u a member? "I trust the church members will vote well without me, i trust them". Okay. Lame. Church membership is just to show that you are saying that you will be with the church for an unknown amount of time and you like the church...even maybe that you want to show commitment and are willing to invest time/effort/money into seeing it grow. That's not too hard is it?? Seriously. And what is required of u to become a member? Be there for at least 6 months consistantly and attend a 2.5hr class about the foundations of the church and what the church believes in. Oh and on one Sunday you have to stand at the front of the church for a few moments while the Pastor prays over you and let's the congregation know that you are now "offically" a member.
So what's the flipp'n deal?? I understand that it semi-constitutes commitment. OH! There's the problem right there. Heaven forbid anyone commits to anything anymore. GOSH. I really don't know what's wrong with most ppl my age (and even friends of mine in their late 20's) who can't seem to be mature enough and commit theirselves to something. Church membership isn't that big o deal. Just a name on a list.
Or maybe that's the problem, it's not a big enough deal.