DO BELIEVERS OUTGROW THEIR NEED FOR CHURCH?

Maybe there are times or intervals at which churches are no longer able to nourish some peoples' faith.

Why say something like that?

We know that people leave church for assorted reasons. Some leave church A to go to church B. That's not the theme of this piece. I know people who have stopped going to a church in a building, anywhere. They are people who have been in church for years and for whom the traditions have been important. Yes we can talk about solidarity and church being a family and small groups being where the growth truly happens. The people I refer to must not be faulted, because their reasons for departure are not chiefly because the preaching or the music or the programs have changed or because of church politics or petty squabbles as well as escalated rows. Those factors may have influenced their choices, but primarily they have a deep longing for more of God or more with God.

Do you think that some believers outgrow their need for church?

When a person believes that Jesus is divine and places exclusive faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, it is an experience of enlightenment and inner peace and recognition of who God is. There is an immediate intellectual and spiritual hunger for information and instruction in living the life of a disciple. The outcome of this transformation is the desire to help, to serve, and to live a productive life for God. Much of this frequently occurs within the context of church. Most churches and their staffs devote their energies to these stages of Christian development, bringing people to faith and then to maturity.

That's why pastors feel hurt when people leave. That explains why some pastors resign. Sure there are capricious, discontented, erring churchgoers. That's part of the territory of rescuing sinners and shepherding flocks. So there is a sense in which I say to pastors, "Get over it," followed quickly by "Let's try to understand further." There are also believers who have grown spiritually, taught others, demonstrated fruit and gifts of the Spirit, who at some point say, "this is not working for me at my church. I love my friends and my pastor, but …." 

What is contained in the rest of that abbreviated sentence? That Christian would go on to say, "I am so hungry for something inward, richer. I desire more. I long for a deeper relationship with God." When I was a pastor, I enjoyed the luxury of taking off to be alone at a retreat centre, a cottage, a lodge for days at a time. I could read, and walk, and pray, and sing, and rest, and meditate, and then do it all over again. Not all believers can do that, but some might long for that.

But can't spiritually mature people seek that out, make that happen even while they remain at their church? Perhaps, but maybe not. Perhaps their spiritual aspiration is so consuming that organized church seems routine and uninteresting. Maybe for the short term, and who knows, maybe for a prolonged period, the church is no longer able to nourish some peoples' faith.  Now, it shouldn't be that way, and it doesn't need to be that way if the local church can overcome the weakness to which my article points. Can pastoral staff and fellow believers understand without becoming judgmental, that some disciples are at a stage of life with God where solitude and reflection and opportunity to re-examine beliefs and faith are essential, rather than expectations to usher, to teach, to cook, to sweep, to attend functions three nights of the week. Maybe, or better yet, yes, absolutely, I think churches should concentrate on people who have been following Jesus for years and who are now reexamining their beliefs, and wanting to experience more of the operations God's Spirit, and having confidence that Christ's Lordship extends to every area of life, and enjoying the peace of God.