Congregation Appreciation Month

[trialedbyfire]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

I guess you just had a load to get rid of, and I was a likely target That's okay. Had a rough day?

Here...

Seriously, I hear what you are saying, and I know that you probably have given 150% working in the ministry.

My point was this... you are claiming that this pastor took these people out on his own dime, and I was just making the point that more than likely it wasn't his dime... it was the church's dime, or the IRS at some point was going to reimburse him for it. That was the point I was making...

And... we are all called to minister to each other, and it shouldn't JUST be the pastor's job.... every single believer is called to minister to each other. Not just one man trying to minister to ... did you say 1500 people in that church? Yikes!

So my point is... yes, I know that pastors like Been Thinkin, and perhaps the one you mention have given their all, 150% more than likely.... but what if they had stopped and realized that all the body of belivers were to minister to each other, and taught their congregants so... all of us ministering to the needs of each other.... truly that is the way the early church was set up.

Read this passage where Paul was addressing this very issue: 1 Cor. 12

In particular this verse stands out in regards to this discussion: 1 Cor. 12:25-27 "That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. "

You'll never understand until you're there. I won't bother to respond, I don't have a load that I expect you to carry. Christ has it, and while your criticizing these pastors many of use are just doing what God has told us to do and relying solely on his grace.

[deacon blues]

Originally Posted by trialedbyfire

You sho is smart...

...when was the last time you took a whole congregation to dinner there buddy?

Or anybody for that matter?

I'm glad you had it so rough as a church secretary. Many of us that have been called one day to pastor and have worked and labored tirelessly in the ministry of reconciliation will understand why this statement is foolish at best. I've fixed vehicles free of charge, I've helped my past pastors repair and restore saints houses free of charge. I've watched my pastors scrub the church floors, cut saints lawns, etc. I've helped pay individuals rent. I've helped pay for gas. I've filled tanks of strangers while I was witnessing to them, bought them food, and prayed for them. I've watched the men of God who have trained me in the ministry do this. I wake up at 2 in the morning for saints who need random assistance. At the same time I'm expected to go to work, go to church on time, pay my bills on time, tithe, and keep a strong relationship with God and prayer life. I can't imagine being a pastor on top of all this. It's not a calling that any sane man should want, especially with people like yourself constantly attacking and accusing pastors, and I find what you said to be an attack, unwarranted on someone who I've watched grow old with a genuine burden for the souls he oversees and a man I respect and revere. The ministry is not "easy", nor is it "fun and games" and some of us spend our lives on reaching out to others trying to see God's plan of salvation fulfilled and people's lives changed. Now... what are you doing?

For every prima donna pastor and high roller, there are dozens of humble servants who get paid little or have to work another job, do a lot of physical labor of the church, that do so many behind the scenes things that many others wouldn't do.

Just because you sat under a minister who abused his office doesn't mean that many aren't worthy of any recognition and acts of appreciation by those willing to give it. (Not talking to you Tried By Fire)

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by deacon blues

For every prima donna pastor and high roller, there are dozens of humble servants who get paid little or have to work another job, do a lot of physical labor of the church, that do so many behind the scenes things that many others wouldn't do.

Just because you sat under a minister who abused his office doesn't mean that many aren't worthy of any recognition and acts of appreciation by those willing to give it. (Not talking to you Tried By Fire)

Sorry Deacon Blues... didn't mean to leave you out from my pastor appreciation thankfulness!

I am not in any way knocking the acts of service by the wonderful men who are doing a genuine work for the Lord. Never have done or said that.

What I am against is the system that tends to corrupt those good men. The failure of the church system as a whole is something I am standing up against. Not the good men who get caught in its web.

Think... Absolute power corrupts.

And my original statement that got TrialedByFire so fired up was in connection to his post that his former pastor had taken a whole group of people out to dinner. I just made him aware of the fact that because of the way church's are set up, the pastor likely paid for that dinner with the church credit card, or if he used his own card, he will turn in the receipt to the IRS, and receive credit for it that way... so be honest... did that dinner really come out of his pocket? More than likely not. That was just my observation.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by trialedbyfire

My former pastor has bought various auxiliaries in the church including the youth dinner numerous times. Just this last year he bought all of the college students leaving for college dinner at olive garden. Being that he was the pastor of a 1500 member church he couldn't do that regularly, but I don't think this thread is actually about pastors doing nice things for their congregants...

Isn't this just a bit like saying "Obama bought me my phone! Glorrreeee!" all the while hating me for being able to AFFORD to pick up the tab? (tithes.... taxes... ect..)

[houston]

That pastor is in for a wake up call.

NEXT!!!

[KeptByTheWord]

Sounds like an offer BT shouldn't pass up!! I know I sure wouldn't, if I lived closer to you! As for the taste of raw milk versus the version you buy in the stores, there is no comparison! Richy, creamy, thick.... yummmo!

[AreYouReady?]

Milk bought in the store is dead milk after pasteurizing to death (by law) all the beneficial enzymes the human race needs.

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by AreYouReady?

Milk bought in the store is dead milk after pasteurizing to death (by law) all the beneficial enzymes the human race needs.

Yeah... but a lot of those dairies are so dirty and the cows so sick... that milk NEEDS to be pasturized... ewww....

Gotta know milk is from a healthy cow and very carefully handled before I want to drink it... That's why I do it myself

[KeptByTheWord]

Sometimes when I'm reading a thread I have to go back to the top to see what the name of the original topic was .... just because we get so far off topic, and I just had to do that for this thread...

We were talking about.. let's see.... congregation appreciation month, and now we are talking about pasteurized versus raw milk....

Love the diversity that we can find here on AFF

Shall we show appreciation to the local pastor with a donation of a gallon of raw milk....

[AreYouReady?]

I couldn't think of a better gift myself.