Comments on: Top Ten Things Church Hoppers Say http://www.willmancini.com/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html Clarity Evangelist and Author of Church Unique Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:50:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: kim http://www.willmancini.com/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html/comment-page-1#comment-1928 kim Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:36:47 +0000 http://174.132.89.169/~willmanc/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html #comment-1928 How strange! Here I was fixated on Number 9, when I read Number 5 and was blown away: 5. “I should know my pastor.” This means, “In my last church, I got to know the pastor, but when the church grew, and the pastor couldn’t have dinner with us every Tuesday night, I left and came here.” At our church, our pastor makes dinner for us every Tuesday night right before Bible Study! And we actually study books in the Bible. Fed physically and spiritually. How strange! Here I was fixated on Number 9, when I read Number 5 and was blown away:

5. “I should know my pastor.” This means, “In my last church, I got to know the
pastor, but when the church grew, and the pastor couldn’t have dinner with us
every Tuesday night, I left and came here.”

At our church, our pastor makes dinner for us every Tuesday night right before Bible Study! And we actually study books in the Bible. Fed physically and spiritually.

]]> By: kim http://www.willmancini.com/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html/comment-page-1#comment-1915 kim Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:56:40 +0000 http://174.132.89.169/~willmanc/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html #comment-1915 Dear Mr. Mancini, I read #9 and realized how true that it is: 9. “My old church/pastor was…” The way people come to your church is how they will leave. If your first conversation with them is all about their last church and pastor, that is how they will leave your church and how they will go to their next church" We left our old church because he was all about vision, "the sweet spot", "umbrella of authority" , "clarity" and all that stuff. When I listen to you, it sounds so much like our old pastor! We wanted to hear the Word expounded and exegeted. And you are right: we are going to leave when we don't hear the Word expounded and exegeted at this church, we'll leave. Thank you for clarifying for me where our old pastor got all this stuff. I kept wondering why he would not stay tied to the Word; why he didn't understand that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation; why he flinched when I asked why he didn't just preach Christ and Him crucified. The more I read the Bible, the more I got confused when I would hear our old pastor preach. Now I go to a church where what I hear in the pulpit I can find in the Bible. I'm not going crazy and having to be "cleansed" by listening to sermons on Sermon Audio all week. I come home and I am not driving my husband crazy. We are fed. Jesus said to "Feed My Sheep, feed my sheep, feed my sheep" and I am fed. He is fed. Our kids aren't confused. I thought he reading something and now I know what! gratefully, Kim Dear Mr. Mancini,

I read #9 and realized how true that it is: 9. “My old church/pastor was…” The way people come to your church is how they will
leave. If your first conversation with them is all about their last church and
pastor, that is how they will leave your church and how they will go to their
next church”

We left our old church because he was all about vision, “the sweet spot”, “umbrella of authority” , “clarity” and all that stuff. When I listen to you, it sounds so much like our old pastor! We wanted to hear the Word expounded and exegeted. And you are right: we are going to leave when we don’t hear the Word expounded and exegeted at this church, we’ll leave. Thank you for clarifying for me where our old pastor got all this stuff. I kept wondering why he would not stay tied to the Word; why he didn’t understand that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation; why he flinched when I asked why he didn’t just preach Christ and Him crucified. The more I read the Bible, the more I got confused when I would hear our old pastor preach. Now I go to a church where what I hear in the pulpit I can find in the Bible. I’m not going crazy and having to be “cleansed” by listening to sermons on Sermon Audio all week. I come home and I am not driving my husband crazy. We are fed. Jesus said to “Feed My Sheep, feed my sheep, feed my sheep” and I am fed. He is fed. Our kids aren’t confused.

I thought he reading something and now I know what!

gratefully,

Kim

]]> By: Mike http://www.willmancini.com/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html/comment-page-1#comment-31 Mike Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:08:55 +0000 http://174.132.89.169/~willmanc/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html #comment-31 Hey it's ok to make fun of other people, we're pastors! The rest of you who are offended obviously aren't leaders like we are! That is some of the most ridiculous logic I have ever seen pride come up with. Esteem others higher than yourselves "pastors". Whatever happened to the servant leader? Since when is it cool to joke about others as if you guys are better than they? What's worse...their consumer mentality or your arrogance and lack of humility under the cover of "you wouldn't understand unless you were a pastor like we are"? Hey it’s ok to make fun of other people, we’re pastors! The rest of you who are offended obviously aren’t leaders like we are!
That is some of the most ridiculous logic I have ever seen pride come up with.
Esteem others higher than yourselves “pastors”. Whatever happened to the servant leader? Since when is it cool to joke about others as if you guys are better than they? What’s worse…their consumer mentality or your arrogance and lack of humility under the cover of “you wouldn’t understand unless you were a pastor like we are”?

]]> By: Leora Stoneberger Schenck http://www.willmancini.com/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html/comment-page-1#comment-30 Leora Stoneberger Schenck Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:58:08 +0000 http://174.132.89.169/~willmanc/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html #comment-30 To be offended at this list is a little strange. There is so much real world experience with these quotes. Rather than getting our defenses up we should search our hearts. Many times people have a buffet mentality when it comes to church, this is not a healthy thing To be offended at this list is a little strange. There is so much real world experience with these quotes. Rather than getting our defenses up we should search our hearts.
Many times people have a buffet mentality when it comes to church, this is not a healthy thing

]]> By: tim http://www.willmancini.com/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html/comment-page-1#comment-29 tim Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:52:44 +0000 http://174.132.89.169/~willmanc/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html #comment-29 So true sadly. Its honest and trust me peeps, I have seen them all as a pastor that's why this post is so funny. You have missed the one that starts, "we the mature"... And ends "we have to be fed, or don't focus on the needy so much"Personal growth is a personal responsibility!! Maybe you need to put a disclaimer on!! So true sadly. Its honest and trust me peeps, I have seen them all as a pastor that’s why this post is so funny. You have missed the one that starts, “we the mature”… And ends “we have to be fed, or don’t focus on the needy so much”Personal growth is a personal responsibility!!
Maybe you need to put a disclaimer on!!

]]> By: on windy days http://www.willmancini.com/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html/comment-page-1#comment-28 on windy days Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:16:19 +0000 http://174.132.89.169/~willmanc/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html #comment-28 Fascinating list. To be honest, I have heard them as well. However, I think the difference is that I recognize I have tried to be "all things to all people" and failed. What I think is important is that a church (and a pastor) "know your niche" and serve and reach them with all of your heart. I don't give a fig about the Hittites, personally ;) but I do care about growing to be more like Jesus. And just MAYBE the mistakes the Israelites made would relate to us today... Don't want to go out on a limb, though. Fascinating list. To be honest, I have heard them as well. However, I think the difference is that I recognize I have tried to be “all things to all people” and failed.
What I think is important is that a church (and a pastor) “know your niche” and serve and reach them with all of your heart.
I don’t give a fig about the Hittites, personally ;) but I do care about growing to be more like Jesus. And just MAYBE the mistakes the Israelites made would relate to us today… Don’t want to go out on a limb, though.

]]> By: Kirk http://www.willmancini.com/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html/comment-page-1#comment-27 Kirk Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:18:03 +0000 http://174.132.89.169/~willmanc/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html #comment-27 "people are entitled to live how they want. it is their own and own choice at the end of the day." That's the heart of the consumer mentality that causing so many problems. “people are entitled to live how they want. it is their own and own choice at the end of the day.”
That’s the heart of the consumer mentality that causing so many problems.

]]> By: David Hall http://www.willmancini.com/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html/comment-page-1#comment-26 David Hall Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:50:50 +0000 http://174.132.89.169/~willmanc/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html #comment-26 Awesome!! Awesome!!

]]> By: me http://www.willmancini.com/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html/comment-page-1#comment-25 me Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:26:40 +0000 http://174.132.89.169/~willmanc/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html #comment-25 this is all your interpretation though. people are entitled to live how they want. it is their own and own choice at the end of the day. this is all your interpretation though.
people are entitled to live how they want. it is their own and own choice at the end of the day.

]]> By: James http://www.willmancini.com/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html/comment-page-1#comment-24 James Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:04:59 +0000 http://174.132.89.169/~willmanc/2009/11/top-ten-things-church-hoppers-say.html #comment-24 This top-ten list might be best used as a diagnostic tool to measure the ineffectiveness of pastors, not laity. We as pastors must take responsibility for our role in the cultivation of "consumer Chrisianity?" Have we lived and preached the truth? Have we admonished, reproved, rebuked, when necessary? Or have we caved in to the fear of man? Also, are we laying heavy burdens on the laity that we ourselves are not willing to carry? Have we attempted to control people in reaction to church apathy and boredom? Or have we become cynical of the church, fostering a passive-aggressive us vs. them disposition? These are questions we may one day be required to answer before our Lord. Of course, the laity will experience their own day of reckoning. But, as someone already mentioned, Jesus had compassion for the weak but seemed to work overtime bringing harsh rebuke to church leadership. This top-ten list might be best used as a diagnostic tool to measure the ineffectiveness of pastors, not laity. We as pastors must take responsibility for our role in the cultivation of “consumer Chrisianity?” Have we lived and preached the truth? Have we admonished, reproved, rebuked, when necessary? Or have we caved in to the fear of man? Also, are we laying heavy burdens on the laity that we ourselves are not willing to carry? Have we attempted to control people in reaction to church apathy and boredom? Or have we become cynical of the church, fostering a passive-aggressive us vs. them disposition? These are questions we may one day be required to answer before our Lord.
Of course, the laity will experience their own day of reckoning. But, as someone already mentioned, Jesus had compassion for the weak but seemed to work overtime bringing harsh rebuke to church leadership.

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