ReformedWretch
Puritan Board Doctor
Started to discuss this in another thread but figured I should start my own thread on it. So here goes!
While talking to a lady that works with me at Wal*Mart she mentioned that she was going to the local "Evangelica Free" church because they offer free Christian Counseling for her and her children. I wanted so badly to offer her something like that at my home Church but really couldn't. Don't get me wrong, our pastor is a wonderful, Godly man, he has office hours so I suppose I could have said that, but she seemed very escited to be offered free counseling services.
Here lies my issue with the Presbyterian church after months of attending. You guys may be ready to jump me after all of this so I ask you to be gracious.
1) The only weekly service we have is on Sunday mornings. While I understand that services are seen as required by the session, I still long for more meetings! I so miss Sunday nights, and Wednesday night services. Those services strengthened me so much. Our Church does offer a Sunday evening service once a month at the Pastors house that is supposed to be an outreach to the community. No one from the community ever comes though. We also have a "mens" study once a month on Wednesday evening...so far five has been the most we've ever had including the Pastor!
2) We have no "youth group" to offer either. I spoke to the pastor about a youth group and fully understand his reasoning (it's the parents job to raise the child in the Lord) but I still feel something is needed.
3) Counseling etc. services; While I know our main concern is preaching the word in truth, it almost seems to me that the elect of God are converted in Evangelical Churches and then move on to Presbyterian churches when they realize they are not growing. Isn't there something WE could to avoid this? I mean I wish so badly I would have grown up Presbyterian, but then if I did I wouldn't be asking these questions would I?
Ok.....thoughts?
While talking to a lady that works with me at Wal*Mart she mentioned that she was going to the local "Evangelica Free" church because they offer free Christian Counseling for her and her children. I wanted so badly to offer her something like that at my home Church but really couldn't. Don't get me wrong, our pastor is a wonderful, Godly man, he has office hours so I suppose I could have said that, but she seemed very escited to be offered free counseling services.
Here lies my issue with the Presbyterian church after months of attending. You guys may be ready to jump me after all of this so I ask you to be gracious.
1) The only weekly service we have is on Sunday mornings. While I understand that services are seen as required by the session, I still long for more meetings! I so miss Sunday nights, and Wednesday night services. Those services strengthened me so much. Our Church does offer a Sunday evening service once a month at the Pastors house that is supposed to be an outreach to the community. No one from the community ever comes though. We also have a "mens" study once a month on Wednesday evening...so far five has been the most we've ever had including the Pastor!
2) We have no "youth group" to offer either. I spoke to the pastor about a youth group and fully understand his reasoning (it's the parents job to raise the child in the Lord) but I still feel something is needed.
3) Counseling etc. services; While I know our main concern is preaching the word in truth, it almost seems to me that the elect of God are converted in Evangelical Churches and then move on to Presbyterian churches when they realize they are not growing. Isn't there something WE could to avoid this? I mean I wish so badly I would have grown up Presbyterian, but then if I did I wouldn't be asking these questions would I?
Ok.....thoughts?