Hey Neicey,
As you are not very far away from where I live. ( If I remeber right your from Maryland and I'm from Chesapeake VA. ) I feel that we've got a little regional familiararity in common. I attend a PCUSA church, however I do have many Methodist friends through Emmaus. So I'm familiar with the denomination. So I would like to share a little of my own church experiances.
1. I've been apart and involved with many ministries and the leadership of my church for a while now. Currently I'm a deacon, involved in a small group and an adult Sunday school teacher. I'm also on the prayer chain and my wife is very involved with Presbyterian Women "PW" and her womans circle. So hopefully, Lord willing, I can contribute here.
I'm on my lunch break, so you will have to excuse me. I am not really going to the bible with this. I'm just sharing my own personal experiances. I also have to be a little brief.
First I've have done alot of growing in the last couple of years. I believe that the Lord has blessed me so much in spuring me on to grow more in Christ. One of the things I have really been coming to a clearer understanding of, especially through my reformed faith is the power of sin. In being a firm believer in covanent theology, I really come back to the fact that we're all fallen and effected by sin. We must keep in mind that this is happening with everyone, there is no exception. So even though we're trying to be careful to prevent or correct error, we also must keep in mind that we're all in the same boat. Correction and Rebuking is often a very delicate matter. As from what I'm seeing here by your expressions. You have every right to be nervous. Often times, it takes determination and guts to stand up for God and His Glory. Trying to lead a rightous life in the light isn't easy. Because of the effects of sin.
I've been involved with warfare in my church for awhile now and it's tough. It often seems like I might be the one that's wrong because there are so few who share my views. But after my devotionals and praying and being in the word, I understand what God want's from us and He continues to strengthen me and empower me for my ministry.
But the trick is how to be effective I believe. People DO NOT WANT TO BE CONFRONTED WITH THERE SIN!!!!! This is very very very hard for people. In my church, it seems, being a serious Christian is someone who has decided to join a small group or goes to a bible study or helps in a ministry, in other words anyone who does somthing more then just come to Sunday service. Peole are happy to be surface Christians and they're happy to be friendly and polite with you as long as you stay on the serface. But God forbid if you try to go deeper then that. So I've found that once you start to really talk about tough issues and relate it to God's wisdom and biblical truth, that's when people start to shy away. That's when I start to see the body getting smaller. When the real no kidding issues are brought to the serface and someone stands up and questions error and wants to bring the bible and God into it.
So what I'm trying to say here Neicey is, I understand what your going through. There are small battles that I have been fighting in my church as well some of which do involve the elders and pastors. Sometimes I can see that my efforts are effective but most times It doesn't. But I do constantly remind myself that again we are all fallible. Some times it seems that it's very easy to find error. I believe we should be careful and mindful of this. So I continue to try to lead a biblical ministry in my church but I try to do in a way that is effective. This can be very difficult and often tough.
Neicey I believe you are doing the right thing. We all have the tendency to take our eyes off the Mount and rest them on the Golden Calf. Amen? You're being sincere and your concerned in what is rightous and no one should fault you for that. Pray about it and lean on our Father to strengthen you. You might be suprised to find out what happens. I'll be praying for you as well and remember you might not see any visable fruit from your labor but that doesn't mean that you havn't been effective. You're standing up for what you think is right through your understanding of what scripture tells us. You are holding to scripture as being the final authority and that is what is important here.
I have a feeling though, that what is going to happen is that your pastor will here your arguments and consider your scripture references and will probibly reply with his own interpretation of those references. This is what I've found most of the elders and my pastors doing. They have taken a subjective approach to biblical interpretation rather then an objective one. Plus my pastor also brings in alot of secular pyschology and he is determined to follow a more liberal "Willowcreek" style format. This is what he was tought in seminary and this is what he is sticking with. So some times even relying on the bible to help in your efforts might not help. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
But keep in your faith Neicey, keep praying and keep the love of Jesus in your heart. Because on that long road to our final destination, we will often find ourselves saying, did not our hearts burn within us when he opened the scriptures up to us. This is how He keeps us and strengthens us, through His love and grace.
Y.B.I.C,
Dave.
