Day 126: That Church

I remember as a kid going to the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel Sports Show when it was back at the old Mecca in downtown Milwaukee. It used to be awesome and spanned something like three buildings. One year in particular I recall hearing Mr. Sound Effects at the tank show. Me being only a young kid can still re-call a famous line of his, "if you are going to make a scene...be seen." I think this is a great way to live.

I was thinking about church life here in Waupaca. As you look through the newspapers and see promos on WinTV I am soon realizing..."EVERYONE IS SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE!" Perhaps this is why the church scene in the city is kind of stagnant. The church climate here is that only church growth happening is from transfers or people disgruntled at their church so they leave and move on. Please understand that I am totally okay with someone leaving because they are not being fed or been burned and want to worship in freedom. I get that and am okay with it personally. The ones that I have a hard time with are the ones who use a church to get things and when the well dries up...they leave. Let's just say it is easy to spot them. They may make round two or three at some churches but not Radiant Fellowship, I make sure of it. The others that get to me are the ones who don't get their way in decision making or don't like the way something looks so they leave. To them I would say, "please by all means....go." I used to say, "they can be a blessing somewhere else." But I think I will say from now on..."Maybe they can find salvation somewhere else."

Waupaca County and the U.S. is bloated with "seasoned" Christians that have turned away so many new converts or potential new converts to Christ that to call these people "Christians" would be a joke and an insult to the true definition of the word. These are the ones that pull political moves in their own churches that their pastor/leader can no longer hear from God or the Holy Spirit because brother so and so and sister senile are threatening to pull their membership or giving if they don't get their way. In return they are making the pastor nothing more than a puppet and they are the puppet masters. It is some of the board members that make the pastor and staff wonder why they ever went into ministry. It might even be the person that is a head of a ministry in a church and is acting and murmuring on how they would run things if they were in charge. These are the types of people that keep the church climate at a low.

It continues to be the time for the churches with freedom to set a new standard. It is okay for a church to speak a different language and try new things! I love Radiant Fellowship because we are past the "don't offend anyone" stage. We are past the "what will so and so think" stage. We want to see new people and are not afraid to try new things. I am so excited for the future and awesome things coming up as we go into the fall and winter. Through all of our ideas...it is my desire to see new people coming to church unpolluted in their faith journey so they can truly enjoy a new walk with Christ!

I want to be that church in the city much like the kid or kids on the playground. You know...when the majority are nicely playing the on swings...there are those one or two kids who have to wear crash helmets because they are trying to run up the walls and do other things. I want to be that....different.

btw...the picture is of Mike Myers on Saturday Night Live playing "that kid". Awesome skit.