This is what made the early church healthy!

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EastHillsChurch
easthillschurch

[@MrBoxhead19]

Good morning, from Missouri. Excellent topic, you guys and this is something our church recently tackled. We moved here from CA, knew Josh as our youth pastor for New Harbor church and Griffin sharing his music leading gifts. Anyway, we arrived Christmas day of 2020. By May of 2021, our pastor had asked me to lead the 5th Sunday to give the music team a break. After a few more months he asked me to take the lead. The church was in decline, going from around 700 regular attenders to around 130. The pastor that was hired to help revitalize the church is a church planter from Philadelphia. He also continues to go to school and one of the studies is about the church decline and revitalization/replanting of churches. With his knowledge and a bit of digging back in Acts, we have come to realize that the western church has become such a social thing, kinda like what you are talking about, instead of a needed thing as most would see it in emerging countries. So the question is, how is it that these people saw that the needed to devote themselves to the apostles' teachings, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and to prayer? This goes back to, the leaders of the church. Do we see the need to be devoted to these things and are we living it? Is the congregation seeing us, the leaders, being devoted to these things? When the rest of the church sees us on a Sunday morning, are we devoted to these things? Diving into Acts and the early church with our pastor and the other leaders from our church, I've come to realize that even as a music leader, there were times I showed that I was not devoted to the apostle's teachings...with my song selection. Many of the songs I have chosen to sing and have asked for the church to sing are more about us than Jesus. The songs I have chosen are more about how I want to sing louder, how I want to sing of His love forever, how I desire so much to be in His presence, etc. Now, please, I am not saying these songs are bad and should never be sung...I am only saying that these songs, songs about us should never outdo the songs about Jesus. In the most simplest form, what I have done or want to do should not outdo what God has done and what He will do. You see, even in the simple act of picking songs, I wasn't devoted to the teachings. When we stop and look at the things we are doing as a church and ask the why's and what the purpose is for doing something, it helps us see if we are lining up with what the early church devoted themselves to. If God chose the early church in such a mighty way just by simply being devoted to these 4 things...why have we come to a point where we "need" to add all these other filters and gimmicks to "win" the lost? We have come to realize, that the western church have become reliant on the gifts instead of the gifter, the creations instead of the Creator...I think Josh mentioned that on one of his messages. As leaders, let's be devoted to the teachings with everything. As the music guy in our church, I tend to apply things in that part of leadership. When we put words on the lips of our church family, let's make sure that we are putting words that are true and gives glory and praise to God. Sometimes the songs we sing can be seen as important as the "message" because that is what people often remember...that is what people often sing throughout the week. So, just as a pastor or a preacher makes sure that the message is true and biblical, I ought to make sure that the songs I pick for our church to sing is true and gives God the glory, not us. This should be the same for all 4 things the church devoted themselves to according Acts. As a leader, if I am not devoted enough to the teachings and sing about what I want to do, or how loud and great I can sing...that is the example the rest of the church will follow. If I am not taking advantage of the times we fellowship and gathering as believers to build relationship and strengthen relationships, that is what the church will follow. If I am not praying with people as the express their struggles, that is what the church will follow. If we are not breaking bread enough, the formal communion way, or the none formal regular meals as a church family...that is what the church will follow. Sadly, from what I can see, especially from "worship teams and bands" - many of them don't see the importance of being part of the church, fellowshipping with the church, breaking bread and praying with the church. Too many have set themselves apart from the church....both small and mega churches. I am not saying all, but a good amount where many church people see that the people in the music team are more special than the rest of the church.