Transition to a more *liberal* church??

[Josh]

If you put your children through this kind of transition, don't be surprised if they continue to transition to even more "liberal" churches as they grow up, or transition to no church attendance at all.

[Sunbeam]

I would really encourage you to not focus so much on what the church standard is or isn't, but what Biblical directives would require and what Biblical principles would suggest you do, and what the Spirit of God might be saying...Do that out loud in your family. Encourage your children to do the same. Ask your children what they think God would have you do. Ask them to ask God to give you as their parents wisdom, if they are younger. Or to ask God for wisdom and insight for their own lives if they are already redeemed children of the King.

The trap of just sliding to more liberal and liberal places is, in general, the fate of those whose focus becomes what the church forbids or allows....it is the primary risk of being part of a church with standards, as useful as they may be...a mentality of primarily relating to and answering to the church, instead of to the word and Spirit of God.

I do think it is wise to find a place to go where our children do not feel like oddballs if we can. But every child must learn to be able to make God-focused choices, regardless what others may be doing. The first line of thinking must be, "What does God want me to do here?".

[steve-in-kville]

I should clarify that we are not desiring more freedoms... the standards we had were fine with us. What we are after is less emphasis on legalism and man-made rules, but where individual spiritual growth is a priority to the leadership.

[Judas Maccabeus]

I should clarify that we are not desiring more freedoms... the standards we had were fine with us. What we are after is less emphasis on legalism and man-made rules, but where individual spiritual growth is a priority to the leadership.

Maybe the distance may be worth it. My pastor drives almost an hour.....I am glad I don't have to do it. Have you ever considered the gas a burnt offering?

J.M.

[silentreader]

I should clarify that we are not desiring more freedoms... the standards we had were fine with us. What we are after is less emphasis on legalism and man-made rules, but where individual spiritual growth is a priority to the leadership.

Maybe the distance may be worth it. My pastor drives almost an hour.....I am glad I don't have to do it. Have you ever considered the gas a burnt offering?

J.M.

Wouldn't that be more so if you paid for the pastor's gas?

[Judas Maccabeus]

I should clarify that we are not desiring more freedoms... the standards we had were fine with us. What we are after is less emphasis on legalism and man-made rules, but where individual spiritual growth is a priority to the leadership.

Maybe the distance may be worth it. My pastor drives almost an hour.....I am glad I don't have to do it. Have you ever considered the gas a burnt offering?

J.M.

Wouldn't that be more so if you paid for the pastor's gas?

Yes, I see the point. But actually I was talking to Steve, since one of the possible solutions is a long drive. I don't pay for his gas, but I am the second furthest. I am 30 mins, on a good day. There are not too many conservative churches in my neck of the woods.

J.M.

[cmbl]

I don't know your situation. These two statements, one right after the other, leave me scratching my head.

I should clarify that we are not desiring more freedoms... the standards we had were fine with us.

What we are after is less emphasis on legalism and man-made rules, but where individual spiritual growth is a priority to the leadership.

[steve-in-kville]

I don't know your situation. These two statements, one right after the other, leave me scratching my head.

I should clarify that we are not desiring more freedoms... the standards we had were fine with us.

What we are after is less emphasis on legalism and man-made rules, but where individual spiritual growth is a priority to the leadership.

I'm not sure what you are asking??

[Neto]

I don't know your situation. These two statements, one right after the other, leave me scratching my head.

I should clarify that we are not desiring more freedoms... the standards we had were fine with us.

What we are after is less emphasis on legalism and man-made rules, but where individual spiritual growth is a priority to the leadership.

I think I can identify with those statements. My own desire is to see people move away from depending on someone else to tell them what they cannot do (top-down standards), and develop the spiritual life that will lead them to set standards themselves, as a group (like a covenant agreement, where the statement of conduct for the congregation says things like "We believe that..." instead of "Members will not ...", or "... is not approved.").

[Disclaimer: I have not read the rest of this thread. I have been, and continue to be, almost unrighteously busy with business obligations. I just thought I'd let you all know I'm still alive, and respond to this subject, which has been much on my mind in recent months.]

[temporal1]

I would really encourage you to not focus so much on what the church standard is or isn't, but what Biblical directives would require and what Biblical principles would suggest you do, and what the Spirit of God might be saying...
Do that out loud in your family. Encourage your children to do the same.
Ask your children what they think God would have you do.
Ask them to ask God to give you as their parents wisdom, if they are younger.
Or to ask God for wisdom and insight for their own lives if they are already redeemed children of the King.

The trap of just sliding to more liberal and liberal places is, in general, the fate of those whose focus becomes what the church forbids or allows....it is the primary risk of being part of a church with standards, as useful as they may be...a mentality of primarily relating to and answering to the church, instead of to the word and Spirit of God.

I do think it is wise to find a place to go where our children do not feel like oddballs if we can.
But every child must learn to be able to make God-focused choices, regardless what others may be doing.
The first line of thinking must be, "What does God want me to do here?".

i appreciate all of this; i think of it as praying for direction from the Holy Spirit.

then, messages to children about the importance of being willing to be different, for God, for godly choices.
the beauty and rewards of doing so!
the world ignores such messages, they are not present; they are largely not allowed to be present.
there will be a not-distant-future price for such omissions.

important messages for children, but, not just for children!