Letters From Leavers

Former (or current) Church Goers of (Unmentioned) Church:

As some of you may know I grew up in the church.  I loved it and my fellow members while I was young and even going into Junior High.  Once hitting High School new members came into the group that also attended my School.  While this would normally not be an issue but a gain it became more of a problem than I thought it would.  I kept certain friends at school who were Christians that were struggling with their faith, attendance at their own church, and their one-on-one relationship with Christ.  Being around this said person in hopes of lifting a fellow believer only looked as though I was hanging with the “wrong crowd” to a few certain members in the group.  What upsets me most is it was brought back into the H.S. Group and spread causing the group to socially turn in a way.  No one bothered to ask me if I was doing ok or what was going on, they just chose to believe what they heard from a fellow “Model Christian”.

I attended sporadically for the remainder of High School and into my first year of College Group where I just never really felt a connection.  I always felt unable to fully connect with anyone in the group.  I began only attending with my family (who still attends regularly) on holidays or special occasions.  I began to drift further and further away from the church yet not from God.  I still have my beliefs and my convictions but they are no longer what the church has taught me all those years were wrong or right.  I began attending another church that a very close friend of mine attended.  While this person goes in with a little of reserve (knowing what has happened in the church before) I realized I did miss worshiping with fellow Lovers of Christ.  Just not enough to where I am willing to put up with ridicule if I can’t make it a few Sundays because Life is happening around me.

While I miss Church at times, and some of the relationships it brought to me I have found myself grateful for the place of business I work at to which we have staff devotionals and praise time.  It gives me a Church like feel without the Church/Childish Drama that seems to come with every church I attempt to attend.It is my hope that one day as a Church you will be able to stop looking solely as to what a member is or isn’t doing for the church itself and look more at the person and who they are and what they are doing for Christ - because isn’t that the main person we all need to be focused on pleasing?

p.s. I find it interesting that while i grew up with many of you there is only 1 person i can think of that continues to call and keep in touch with me.  No one else even bothers.  Which is fine i guess…just don’t talk about me behind my back as you see me in public and pretend not to notice me until you have to!  What an example huh…