Not happy with my church anymore

Dear Pastor,

I always read your articles and I want to congratulate you on the fine job you are doing.

Pastor, I want to ask you your advice on a situation that I am facing. Pastor I have been a member of this particular church for a long time now. I love my pastor very much and really enjoyed his ministry over the years. But recently I am feeling like I need a change.

Somehow I am not seeing the vision of the assembly anymore. {{more}}

Pastor, I don’t want to seem to be ungrateful or anything like that but I feel I need much more, a vision to run with right now. I could feel the tugging in my spirit. You are a young man I look up to so could you please give me some guidelines in approaching this issue.

I don’t want to hurt my pastor’s feelings.

Advice Needed

Greetings to you,

Well I guess if you are feeling the “tugging in your spirit” there is nothing else to do but search your spirit to see what the Lord is saying to you. Now you sound like a very stable person and so I will approach you as such. I can of course be wrong because of the obvious limitation of giving counsel under these circumstances with the restrictions on interaction and inter personal contact.

I know we are living in an age of the “new move” and I don’t mean that as a compliment. Although I haven’t seen it in St Vincent in the same proportion as the larger countries, I am concerned because it is only a matter of time.

I am speaking about people’s lack of commitment to their assemblies, the constant church hopping to where there is a buzz, where the minister is in the limelight. Of course you can be attached to a ministry that has lost its way, sad but true. Pastors can get complacent and not be on the cutting edge in their ministry which can have a negative impact on people looking for leadership…certainly! (On behalf of all pastors I say, Lord keep us all on the cutting edge of Your will and direction).

But on the other hand, we have to be careful with the hero, superstar status we try to give ministers and we ministers try to give ourselves. There are many people leaving established, faithfully tried ministries running after some new wave of “anointing” ushered in by someone who seems to have the monopoly on God, readily pulling down every existing ministry and minister…My friend, don’t be caught in that.

There are many ministries being built around the world on the ministry of recycling; “Leave where you are, come to my ministry, this is where God is” seems to be the call. Meanwhile there are many people who are walking in darkness, not knowing the Lord, needing to be saved from destruction. The cry of the Lord is still to evangelize, make disciples not the exchange of sheep.

As for you though, I don’t think this is the case. I am just using your question to send out a warning. I do think you should speak to your pastor, let him know that you feel a bit disjointed. Maybe there is a ministry being birthed in you that you may be able to bring to life right there under the eyes of your pastor. Pray, see what God is saying and speak to your pastor and don’t make any sudden decisions. But if in the end you feel that you must attach yourself somewhere else then do so in a manner that will enable you to maintain respect and relationship in the assembly to which you are currently attached.

Pastor Jackson

• Pastor Jackson says Australia is in for a big

surprise

On a completely different note, completely different… MY West Indies team will do well in Australia, we will at least win one test….Yes, I said it. By the time I submitted this (Wednesday 2nd 5:45 a.m.) I was already getting the cricket bug, hoping night would fall quickly so that I could see my boys. And for all those who gave up hope ten years ago, don’t rejoin the bandwagon now.

Australia is in for one surprise, we may not win the series but we winning at least one of the tests and we rubbing them hard all the way…And one more thing, King Lara (in cricket that is) is still on the throne and will kill them dead dead dead! GO WINDIES, GO WINDIES!!!!!!!!!