[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryqA90QxU3k]
It is amazing. So for all of my readers that don’t already attend LifeChurch.tv. Sit back, Turn up the volume and See how they do Christmas songs in Oklahoma!
Before I start…I am asking seriously for whoever reads this to give me an honest opinion and/or reply regarding church partnership or membership.
I have been attending my church for 2 years. Two years ago this month I walked into NCR and listened to my Pastor, Bill Giovannetti, for the first time. His message knocked the wind out of me. God whispered in my ear “This is your home”. I didn’t know anybody at the church. I came back all through the holidays that year. Pastor Bill did a series called Wild at Heart. It was amazing.
I had been in Redding 3 1/2 years at that time. My father in law is a Lutheran pastor and for a long time when we first moved I chose not to go to church. I felt pressure to attend his church and I really didn’t want to or enjoy it. So I became a 2 time a year church attender, Christmas and Easter. That only worked for me for about a year and a half. I enjoy worship to much to be satisfied with just watching it on television. I also hadn’t found some of the internet services that I enjoy now then. So the search started.
Unless it is really scary or just plain odd, I won’t make a decision about a church for a bit. I will attend through a season. I will see who covers for the regular pastor when he is gone. Who does the worship on a regular basis. Which people in the congregation are happy and which aren’t. After a period of time I decide if I am staying or not. So in the 2 years that I searched this area for a church I attended 4 churches before going to NCR. One visit and it was home, within 4 weeks I was invited to join an iGroup (small group). My daughter attended the Jr. High Experience and loved it. We still attend this church. Neighborhood is our home.
I have recently started training again for a care ministry through our church. I had started the training last year but due to the unknown health issues I had to stop the training. I have also been feeling a calling in my heart to attend a partnership class. This is what they call membership. I want to be a partner in my church. I think that it is important to be part of a team. So tomorrow I am attending the partnership class and it is my intention to join my fellow church goers and become a true partner of Neighborhood.
I was talking with a friend about this on Friday. She said something that has just been stuck in my head. I really never thought of myself as naive but I guess I must be. She asked me why I was going to “join” the church. I said that I had been attending for 2 years and felt that it was time and that I was going to be later volenteering in a care ministry. That I felt it would make the care receivers more comfortable to know that I was a partner of the church. I also explained that NCR is my home I want to help support it. She then said to me…..”People attend the same church for years and never join.” Really? Why?
SO………
What does church membership/partnership mean to you?
Do you know people that have attended for years that never have joined?
I have noticed lately that a few people are blogging about worship. I love this topic. I love music. I think that the worship part of the church service is so important. It isn’t the only important part but it is a peice of the puzzle.
I am asking you all to go visit Shane at Heart Reflections. She has the most beautiful post on Worship today. My first work in my comment to her was WOW!!
I really think you will all be blessed by this post. 
You know that when you ask Jesus into your heart and life that the hard work begins. The process can be slow for some things and some sins you can lie down and never look back on them again. Some people you walk away from and others you run to and tell them about this glorious change in you. You lose some of your past mentors that were mentoring you in bad things and you gain new mentors, angels, that help lead you down the path that you have chosen. The path of peace, love, eternity and also some pain and strife.
You go through your days casting the old you aside and working to be more like Jesus. You want the change to be instant. You want everyone to see that halo over your head. You want everyone to see how great your life is with Jesus in it. But it doesn’t happen that fast. At some point you may even get discouraged and think that you haven’t learned anything. You may think that you aren’t trying to walk Jesus-like you are just a sinner wearing a mask.
Then one day down the road you are sitting somewhere and something happens. Something that would have triggered bad behavior in the past with you. You notice that it doesn’t affect you the same way. For a few fleeting moments you see Jesus in the mirror instead of your face. You become filled with joy and love. You have done it. You have, if even for just this instant, shown the world around you that Jesus is in you!
It is these small milestones that start to add up and create the new you. The person that shows love, compassion, grace, humility. Soon you realize that you are pretty strong in your Love Walk. When you started you were all sinner now you are Jesus’, still a sinner but redeemed.
These last couple of days I have been struggling with the person that I use to be. I am a very in your face, call it as I see it person. The Lord has been working with me on this for longer then I care to admit. I need him to work extra special hard right now. Because sadly I really am having the hardest time holding my tongue. Unfortunately for me I am pretty good at being blunt, vocal and scalding with my mouth. I will even admit that there was a time where the hurt I caused didn’t bother me because I was stating the truth. The only reason that I admit to this particular shortcoming is that I haven’t had any issues for the last couple years. Now I have two friends that are being beaten up on but other people and I really want to rip those people to shreds. So I am praying for Jesus to continue holding my tounge.
I want to put this question out there for all of you smart people. I was asked this question by a friend of mine.
“Since I tithe 10% of my GROSS do I have to tithe on my tax return? My return is money that was taken out of my check that I have already tithed on.”
I can see where she is coming from but to be honest I have never thought of it as double tithing. It comes into the house it gets tithed. I also hate the “HAVE TO” part of the question. I “WANT TO” tithe. It is an awesome feeling. I also regularly support other ministries and have a couple Compassion kids.
I am curious of your opinions on this.
Do you tithe your tax returns??