How to repair a churchs reputation? (Full Version)

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sparkleingsnow -> How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/28/2008 11:34:13 AM)

How do you even begin to repair a churches reputation in a small community?



1mlasp -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/28/2008 11:57:59 AM)

Pretty vague question.

Rather than focusing on its reputation, this church should focus on God's kingdom, reaching the lost, ministering to its members, outreach, showing the love of Christ...doing what healthy churches are supposed to do in whatever way that is relevant for that small community. Let God handle repairing the reputation.



rcjames -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/28/2008 1:55:02 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: sparkleingsnow

How do you even begin to repair a churches reputation in a small community?


So what kind of "Bad reputation" are we speaking of; it would make a lot of difference in how to reprair it.

The reputation is important as is the reputation of the leadership, In speaking to leadership the New Testament says;

(1Ti 3:7) Moreover he (those desiring to be a Bishop) must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Usually as goes the reputation of the leadership; so goes the reputation of the local "Church".

Thanks
RC



sparkleingsnow -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/28/2008 7:04:14 PM)

quote:

Original: rcjames

So what kind of "Bad reputation" are we speaking of; it would make a lot of difference in how to reprair it.


A reputation of discord. [&o] A woman who says unkind things, and "runs people off". (Who is also very ill right now.) Also disagreement with community in continuing to let women use church building for bingo.

Thanks 1mlasp. It's because I care about those things that I ask the question about repairing it's reputation. So we can reach out better.



rcjames -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/28/2008 7:26:53 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: sparkleingsnow
A reputation of discord. [&o] A woman who says unkind things, and "runs people off". (Who is also very ill right now.) Also disagreement with community in continuing to let women use church building for bingo.


On the first point of the woman; you need a Pastor that has a backbone and desires to be obediebt to Scripture and not a man pleaser;

(Tit 3:10) Warn troublemakers once or twice. Then don't have anything else to do with them.

The leadership should approach the woman, ask her to put a sock in it; if she doesn't then ask her to go somewhere else.

I will refrain from commenting on the bingo thingy, except to say using a Church for bingo in this part of the world would be a no no.

Thsnks
RC



buckifn -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/28/2008 11:55:50 PM)

Show so much love to the hurting needy people in your community that there is little if any room left to think about anything else.

Some ideas-

have a community picnic on the church lawn

have a "back to school" book bag drive for kids in the community

serve a free meal once or twice a month

have the men provide a "free oil change" day 1 Sat. a month for the seniors in your community

go to the park on a hot summer day and pass out free bottles of water or gatorade

instead of meeting inside have church in the parking lot 1 Sunday and a free lunch afterwards

get the idea?



sparkleingsnow -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/29/2008 9:42:16 AM)

Thanks RC. Oh, I goofed up. It's not bingo, its dominos. They don't play for money or anything, and we considered it an outreach to the community to allow them to play there. Some women from our church were a part of it and would lead prayer went they ate, ect. However they are part of the ones that have left the church now.

Thanks buckifn. Good ideas.



bluestone -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/29/2008 9:45:42 AM)

I don't think it can be repaired, not in a small community. Even after troubelmakers die off. One local church here had a reputation 30 years ago for some things that happened..and still has the reputation.

Legends live on.[:o]



rcjames -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/29/2008 11:02:33 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: bluestone

I don't think it can be repaired, not in a small community. Even after troubelmakers die off. One local church here had a reputation 30 years ago for some things that happened..and still has the reputation.

Legends live on.[:o]


Possibly, but I took a Church a few years ago that had a whole little covey of "Troublemakers", after trying to show them the error of thier ways with no success; I put them on them road.

I also announced to the Church (and the community certainly heard) that I would not put up with heresy, division, backbiting, gossip, nor any other action that was at varience with the Word of God.

The Chruch grew by leaps and bounds, many folks who had been hurt in the past returned and many others came because they knew we would not put up with any nonsense.

I was only there for six months as interim Pastor, but the Church grew from 35 to over 150 in that time.

Thsnks
RC



Cantwait-2-C-Him -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/29/2008 11:13:12 AM)

pray pray > Start A freash new thing! If this group of ladies have left start something new a bible study. craft night(thing out the box) Made things for a nursing home. boxes for the people over seas, ,read to children lot of things in a small community !!! have new women that can charge things with pray all events that grear to the ladies I like the ideal some elsa gave you. open up to the community , Let people know as fall is here turning a new leaf over for God. As for this lady that talks ,Do as RC has stated She need to know you love her and pray for her but things as the talking is not for the church and God wants the best for His people. It will take time but the Chruch are the people in the buliding so serve teh people that are in nedd and bring in new fresh along with any wanting to return with Christ filled Heart to serve and worship HIM<



gmedifast -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/30/2008 10:01:36 AM)

My home church had a pastor that went Banana's. He was a very good pastor/preacher when he came to the church but when the church grew rapidly, he did not restructure things and ultimately went crazy and as a result split the church......

When the church decided to vote on the pastor, they wanted the new pastor to had the same qualities as the old pastor and they did not vote in the associate at that time. The associate preaching style was more laid back not high energy-shouting-jumping-whooping style of what they were looking for. The issue is that the associate had something no one else could bring to the table---a good name in the community and he could have brought healing to the ministry and church if possible.

They instead have gone through 2 pastors who has done nothing but let the church fall to a quater of the people, they are stagnet and not growing and still lots of discontention. Being in the small town the church has a horrible reputation and I don't believe they have had healing from the split several years ago.

Also the people that are left to deal with the aftermath, need to pray pray pray and let God work things out. Small towns can be a very difficult place for sure.



PastorPatricia -> RE: How to repair a churc:hs reputation? (7/30/2008 12:12:50 PM)

We're a small country church, our reputation is good, the community loves us, here are some of the outreach ministries we've set up: provide help at the local school - we go into the school by two's every morning school is in and help wherever we're needed. a jail ministry - we offer a communion service not only to our own denomination but to anyone who wishes to come and then visit with the inmates, an occasional party for the community at large, shared services with the Catholic church down the road a couple of times a year, special services for groups like medical personal or teachers, special Sunday School activities for children at Christmas and Easter, a transportation ministry for elderly people needing to go to medical appointments, a prayer chain that is available to the community. The outreach ideas are endless and make a positive statement to the community.



stellaluna -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/30/2008 12:21:24 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: buckifn
have a community picnic on the church lawn

have a "back to school" book bag drive for kids in the community

serve a free meal once or twice a month

have the men provide a "free oil change" day 1 Sat. a month for the seniors in your community

go to the park on a hot summer day and pass out free bottles of water or gatorade

instead of meeting inside have church in the parking lot 1 Sunday and a free lunch afterwards

All these things are good, but this really needs to happen:

quote:


I also announced to the Church (and the community certainly heard) that I would not put up with heresy, division, backbiting, gossip, nor any other action that was at varience with the Word of God.


How big is the church? I can't imagine that dominoes could be that big an issue. My grandmother's church has a huge group of elderly women that meet every Thursday morning for bible study, games and lunch. I know they play dominoes and all kinds of things. (Baptist church)

You could also put "UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT" on a sign outside. [;)]



Zhi -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/30/2008 1:04:06 PM)

My old church (pastor included) was crazy about Settlers of Cataan on church family game nights. That has to be MUCH worse than dominoes. hahaha



sparkleingsnow -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/31/2008 9:00:19 AM)

quote:

Original: stellaluna

How big is the church?


Well, it was 30 something about 3 years ago, when a beloved pastor left. It's been about 20 till a couple of weeks ago. Now it's 10. 8 adults and 2 children. Sad to say that there are more cars at the church house on Wensday for dominoes than there are on Sunday morning.

quote:

I can't imagine that dominoes could be that big an issue.


It's not, just one of the final straws. As I see it, and hear feedback from others, we have two problems:
1. The woman I've mentioned, who says unkind things and has offended some and they have left. Her reputation for this is common knowledge in our small community, and a lot of people don't like her. (Our community is rural, about 300 people.) She has been spoken to about this. But now she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherpy.
So number 1 problem is longstanding.

2. Our new pastor of a few months is 82. Very strick in his thinking. (We didn't know this when we called him.) He's not good at encouraging people, and sometimes talks down to people although I don't think he means to. He took over as VBS director, (We've had great VBS's the last several years.) He wouldn't let us use the music that goes with the VBS program, and insisted we use some very old, very slow songs. The children never did enjoy the music or get excited about VBS like they always do. On Friday we only had 6 kids left out of the 18 that were in VBS. (And they were asking if we couldn't play the music from last year.) He also called the women's group playing dominoes in the church house a den of pleasure, and refered to the scripture where Jesus kicked out the money changers. (We had allowed the womens group to use the churchouse to play dominoes, as an outreach to the community.)

Between this woman saying unkind things and hurting 3 diffrent people's feelings before and during VBS, and being unhappy with the strictness of the new pastor several people left as soon as VBS was over. I'm so discouraged I'm thinking of going to a different church too. If I and my family go, that will only leave 6! But it is the only church is this community. (We're 17 miles from the nearest town.) I would hate to see it close and have no church at all here. And I feel that the Lord has used me here in the past. So, if I stay how do we even begain to repair our reputation? There has been some good suggestions so far and I thank you all for them.



bluestone -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/31/2008 9:06:37 AM)

I don't see how anyone could repair the reputation at this point, unless the pastor gets moving and doing a lot of what RCJames did.

At 82, is he able?



stellaluna -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/31/2008 10:24:55 AM)

Wow. You guys have an uphill battle. Maybe RC could write a letter? [:D]



Imani32006.cd -> RE: How to repair a churchs reputation? (7/31/2008 12:00:47 PM)

First of all, Sparkleingsnow, all the weight for making or breaking a church does not fall upon your shoulders. The Lord may burden us to pray for our churches or in proxy/place of another, but, you must give it all to Him. Only God, can can change a church or a person, etc. We can seek Him on their or our behalf, but, then we must leave it in His hands. I pray that the Lord will give you a clear understanding as to what He would have you do at this point. Is He speaking to you to speak to the pastor or this woman? Is He leading you to another church or asking you to stand in the gap for repentance and change? Only, He knows the destiny of this church, Sparkleingsnow, and His plans and purposes for it. May He lead you int clarity and purpose. And, may the destiny of this church be placed into His capable hands. In His service, in His name.



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