http://blackinformant.wordpress.com/2005/12/22/top-religious-trends-in-2005/ African-American culture, news commentary, politics Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:23:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU http://blackinformant.wordpress.com/2005/12/22/top-religious-trends-in-2005/#comment-1241 VB Fri, 23 Dec 2005 13:30:55 +0000 http://blackinformant.com/2005/12/22/top-religious-trends-in-2005/#comment-1241 Barna is right on about the Revolution. I was in a store yesterday and ran into a person I knew from many years back. This person was involved in ministries at her former church for years, I mean double digit...always busy, truly dedicated. Her former church is a Mega church, doing lots of good things, even reaching out to the near urban areas. Her pastor is well known, has been featured on the "Praise the Lord" program and Charisma Magazine. In other words it appears to be the "place to be". However about 5 years ago, she felt it was time for her to leave, she says she fought it for a couple of years trying to figure out why she should leave, when her church was doing so many good things. But finally she stopped resisting and spoke with the pastor. The Pastor however did not want to release her, but she finally had to leave and she did so as "correctly" as possible. (checking her motives, good terms with all, etc.) Since leaving she says that she has gotten so much more closer in her relationship with the Lord, her worship is at a different level, she can "hear" more clearly. At the same time she has lost fellowship with her long time friends from her former church,that tend to shy away from her now. After she left her former church her friends felt that they could not be seen with her, how sad. However she feels that she made the right decision and has grown so much in the past few years. She still fellowhip with believers, but has chosen not to become a member of a local church. She really encouraged me, because our stories are almost the same, we laughed when we said that we are in "transition" But it is true and it is wonderful freedom that we are experiencing in the Lord! Barna is right on about the Revolution. I was in a store yesterday and ran into a person I knew from many years back. This person was involved in ministries at her former church for years, I mean double digit…always busy, truly dedicated. Her former church is a Mega church, doing lots of good things, even reaching out to the near urban areas. Her pastor is well known, has been featured on the “Praise the Lord” program and Charisma Magazine. In other words it appears to be the “place to be”. However about 5 years ago, she felt it was time for her to leave, she says she fought it for a couple of years trying to figure out why she should leave, when her church was doing so many good things. But finally she stopped resisting and spoke with the pastor. The Pastor however did not want to release her, but she finally had to leave and she did so as “correctly” as possible. (checking her motives, good terms with all, etc.) Since leaving she says that she has gotten so much more closer in her relationship with the Lord, her worship is at a different level, she can “hear” more clearly. At the same time she has lost fellowship with her long time friends from her former church,that tend to shy away from her now. After she left her former church her friends felt that they could not be seen with her, how sad. However she feels that she made the right decision and has grown so much in the past few years. She still fellowhip with believers, but has chosen not to become a member of a local church. She really encouraged me, because our stories are almost the same, we laughed when we said that we are in “transition” But it is true and it is wonderful freedom that we are experiencing in the Lord!

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