DON'T BE LOST IN THE CROWD

I was invited to preach in the youth meeting of a church years back. After my message, the senior pastor addressed them on the need to be fully involved in the local church. He cited examples of some youths who left the church for other churches with large attendance but whenever they need pastoral help, they'll come to him. No one knows them in their church because they are lost in the crowd. It is even worse if the church does not have a structure in place for reaching people in smaller unit. It was easy for me to relate with what that Pastor said because I've seen it happen over the years. I've seen situations where some believers will go begging their former pastor to join them in marriage or to christen their child. Then I ask, what's wrong with the current pastor? Often, the case is that such people are lost in the crowd of the new church. They don't have access to pastoral care. Very bad!

It doesn't make spiritual sense to abandon the place where you're reached and cared for spiritually. Also, going back to your former pastor to play the role of a pastor in your life when you have a new pastor shows that you lack understanding about spiritual authority and how it works. Some left the place where they are genuinely cared for and monitored for growth all because they want to identify with a popular church or popular names. This is one funny reason why some change church often. They just want to identify with "big names" but when you check their growth, it is becoming stunted. The idea of worshiping in a cathedral is what fascinate some persons. The moment they hear that a church is dedicating a large auditorium, they start looking at their "small" sized meeting place as unbefitting for their status. If you value your spiritual growth, how popular or big a church is will not be your consideration in deciding where to worship.

I don't have problem with popular churches or crowded churches. No not at all. What I have problem with is when people are lost in the crowd without being cared for spiritually. It accounts for why we have many unbaked believers today. No one has sat them down to explain scriptures to them personally. Relational discipleship is missing. Brethren, stay where you find the word in truth. Stay where you can be reached and monitored. Stay where pastoral care can reach you. Stay where there's true fellowship. All these and many more are very important if you'll grow spiritually. Don't despise that caring pastor in your heart because his ministry is not popular or big. Impact in ministry is not measured by size but by input and transformation into Christlikeness.