You don’t join a preacher, you join a church : Covens in the Church

This quote is EXCELLENT! In my book, Covens in the Church, the point is made that we don’t ‘church hop’ and we don’t ‘church shop’. We don’t choose a church based on what it gives us, but rather on the call of God. So many choose a church that will serve their demands for a certain type of teaching, youth program, etc. This should not be!

With the wrong approach when joining a church, we can, in effect, hold the church and leadership hostage. Either they teach what they want to hear, have the programs they deem necessary and focus on the things they want, or they just may become disgruntled and leave the church.

So often, leaders will develop their programs and ministry based on what will result in the greatest affirmation from the body. The temptation is to sail into smooth waters even though the Gospel requires navigating the stormy seas of Kingdom advance. Where we are going will cost much, threaten comfort, provide continual opportunity for offense and it requires every member to surrender their opinions, desires and their very lives. The result? Revival.

Here’s the Ministry Today quote:

QUOTE: “I tell our new members: you don’t join a preacher, you join the church. And you join the church for one reason—because you believe that God told you to plant your life there. If you join because of a style of preaching, that can change. If you join for the facilities or the programs, that can change. You’ve got to ask, ‘Where does God want me to invest my life?’ We don’t welcome spectators.”—Dan Yeary, pastor of North Phoenix Baptist Church, attended by presidential candidate John McCain. The quotation comes from an interview with The Christian Century magazine. [religionblog.dallasnews.com, 6/9/08]