February 6, 2012
What happened to Fellowship Meetings?
Those monthly 'get-togethers' were always so special! I
remember one many years ago at Rev. Espinoza's Tacoma church with a bunch of us
out on the front porch, just singing and having church; a pleasant memory. The
meetings weren't fixed at any certain interval, but often occurred monthly and
usually on a Saturday. You knew that there would be singing, shouting, praise
and blessings, and surely that fellow that needed that breakthrough would find
it there!
Over the years however, Fellowship Meetings became a monthly requirement in every region of the US where we had churches. The original intention was to give members of those churches to have a chance to see that there were other churches like theirs and that having church together was very exciting; they were to have that same 'old time' feeling. The 'more the merrier' so to speak. In addition, you could enjoy hearing a message preached by someone different, and afterward laugh, talk, eat!
Why were they stopped?
Well, they weren't, not completely. "Ahh, whatever happened to those wonderful 'Fellowship Meetings?'" some watery-eyed person would ask. This question seems to come up often, but maybe people have forgotten the things they 'didn't like' about them. There are still many meetings held, but only those supervised by an Overseer, and they aren't monthly requirements anymore. The primary reason for this, was to ease the financial burden on the churches and pastors, and stop the monthly disruption of their schedules.
Contrary to the rumor, it wasn't because the ministers "weren't trusted to conduct the services". There were no guest speakers, only the same pastors preaching to each other's congregations, and each other, every month.
Many times ministers are peers or Dorm buddies, so in some ways, the meetings became more than just a financial burden; the burden of resentment. FMs should never be a burden. But for some people, everything is a burden.
Over the years however, Fellowship Meetings became a monthly requirement in every region of the US where we had churches. The original intention was to give members of those churches to have a chance to see that there were other churches like theirs and that having church together was very exciting; they were to have that same 'old time' feeling. The 'more the merrier' so to speak. In addition, you could enjoy hearing a message preached by someone different, and afterward laugh, talk, eat!
Why were they stopped?
Well, they weren't, not completely. "Ahh, whatever happened to those wonderful 'Fellowship Meetings?'" some watery-eyed person would ask. This question seems to come up often, but maybe people have forgotten the things they 'didn't like' about them. There are still many meetings held, but only those supervised by an Overseer, and they aren't monthly requirements anymore. The primary reason for this, was to ease the financial burden on the churches and pastors, and stop the monthly disruption of their schedules.
Contrary to the rumor, it wasn't because the ministers "weren't trusted to conduct the services". There were no guest speakers, only the same pastors preaching to each other's congregations, and each other, every month.
Many times ministers are peers or Dorm buddies, so in some ways, the meetings became more than just a financial burden; the burden of resentment. FMs should never be a burden. But for some people, everything is a burden.
Count the Cost
Going to a fellowship meeting could sometimes be a budget buster! Consider for example...
*Expenses for travel including gas, meals, and in some cases a hotel room
*Soul-winning programs reduced 25% (1 week out of each month)
*Saturday services cancelled, impacting the church evangelistically and financially
But wait, there's more!
A few preachers strove over who was leading service, whose wife would sing, who would preach, etc. And then there's the preacher who took a cheap shot at another preacher on the front row, saying 'men who part their hair on the right, "are homosexuals" (?) Such behavior is un-ministerial, childish, carnal. Unfortunately you can't give people brains. There was also a degree of resentment on the part of some pastors for having to deal with some of this stuff, every month. Let those who lament the changes, remember.
The offerings taken up in those meetings went to the Home Missions program; a reserve fund for expenses related to helping fledgling churches in the USA. The money wasn't just given out to 'spenders', but used to bail out lots of Pastors in a bind, trying to get their church started. Those offerings didn't come near covering the expenditures, and the Org. carried the rest. Home Missions is no more.
Under the new setup, offerings go to expenses of the Fellowship Meetings to defray expenses of the meeting that fall on the host church, and whatever else is needed for the meeting, like refreshments, etc.
Some additional benefits of the new setup are things such as:
- Ingathering fellowship and food the night before
- Overseers supervising and preaching some of the meetings
- Pastors and Overseers getting face time
- Team building and growth
- Church members receiving spiritual benefits (Holy Ghost, etc)
- Meetings rare, making them more desirable and exciting
- More time to promote members attending
- All us preachers need to be preached to also!
My hope is that in the future, Fell. Mtgs. will be promoted more effectively and in advance. It used to be a great excitement for us because someone would get the Holy Ghost, or get saved, and the excitement was always high.
In Graham, we never have them because the nearby Pastors and some members come every Thursday anyway. Plus, the Graham congregation could never fit in the smaller buildings, and we have a lot of Conference-like services as it is. Either way, God is good! And now you know...the true, 'rest of the story'.
16
Comments
THanks so
much for clarifying this matter. It is nice to know the truth and that straight
from the right source. I sure do appreciate you Rev. Kekel!
Thursday,
February 09, 2012
Anonymous said...
GAG!!!!
You sicken me with the control you seek to have over people!!! You should be ashamed of yourselves.... but the deceit and hypocrisy are like scales on your eyes and you can't even perceive truth anymore. The comments you allow to be posted here just feed your narcissistic ego. Give us a break and relize we are more intelligent than you give us credit!
You sicken me with the control you seek to have over people!!! You should be ashamed of yourselves.... but the deceit and hypocrisy are like scales on your eyes and you can't even perceive truth anymore. The comments you allow to be posted here just feed your narcissistic ego. Give us a break and relize we are more intelligent than you give us credit!
Tuesday,
February 14, 2012
Comment deleted
This
comment has been removed by the author.
Wednesday,
February 15, 2012
lol...if
you were 'controlled' wouldn't you still be here? I re-lize it, and give you
intelligence on credit.
Wednesday,
February 15, 2012
Anonymous said...
Thanks for
politley pointing out my typo.
Wednesday,
February 15, 2012
Anonymous said...
"Saturday
services cancelled, impacting the church evangelistically and financially"
This reason that you listed as being a "cost" of having monthly fellowship meetings baffles me!!
Correct me if I'm wrong(which I know you will!) but missing one night of church a month is going to effect the church financially so badly that you can't have a fellowship meeting? seriously?!
I was under the impression that a church was in the business of spreading the word of God and reaching as many people as they can, and so on. The statement you made about financials leads me to believe that the church leans more towards "getting paid" than anything.
Also, isn't the benefit of a fellowship meeting about getting closer to God and people getting saved, etc? So how does this effect the church evangelistcally? Is it because not enough people will be attending church therefore not enough money will be rolling in?
hmmmm....
This reason that you listed as being a "cost" of having monthly fellowship meetings baffles me!!
Correct me if I'm wrong(which I know you will!) but missing one night of church a month is going to effect the church financially so badly that you can't have a fellowship meeting? seriously?!
I was under the impression that a church was in the business of spreading the word of God and reaching as many people as they can, and so on. The statement you made about financials leads me to believe that the church leans more towards "getting paid" than anything.
Also, isn't the benefit of a fellowship meeting about getting closer to God and people getting saved, etc? So how does this effect the church evangelistcally? Is it because not enough people will be attending church therefore not enough money will be rolling in?
hmmmm....
Wednesday,
February 15, 2012
What's
politley? Was your comment polite?
Wednesday,
February 15, 2012
Your
impression is correct; NTCC is not about money, it's about preaching Christ to
the lost at any cost.
Wednesday,
February 15, 2012
Anonymous said...
you are
such a scheister.
Bravo on taking my words and twisting them around to benefit yourself. If NTCC wasn't about money and is actually about preaching to the lost at any cost then you should actually get out into the community and serve the community instead of lining your pockets with other people's money.
If money wasn't such a big deal in NTCC you wouldn't make such an emphasis on it being the reason you can't hold this meeting and can't have that program blah blah blah, because it will mess with your profits. Just admit it NTCC is the family business that keeps the money rolling in.
The REAL cost is that without that money you can't afford the hoity toity lifestyle of preaching to the lost.
Bravo on taking my words and twisting them around to benefit yourself. If NTCC wasn't about money and is actually about preaching to the lost at any cost then you should actually get out into the community and serve the community instead of lining your pockets with other people's money.
If money wasn't such a big deal in NTCC you wouldn't make such an emphasis on it being the reason you can't hold this meeting and can't have that program blah blah blah, because it will mess with your profits. Just admit it NTCC is the family business that keeps the money rolling in.
The REAL cost is that without that money you can't afford the hoity toity lifestyle of preaching to the lost.
Wednesday,
February 15, 2012
Anonymous said...
Oh
MUCKekel! If all you are gonna do is find fault with my typo's I guess I'm
doing okay. You're such a loser. Keep finding fault with what is non important
and not addressing what everyone thinks about what you write.
Wednesday,
February 15, 2012
I'm sorry,
I don't mean to offend you but...
You twisted my words
You declared your intelligence
You are the one finding fault
The emphasis was on saving the pastors money, not the org.
The meetings make no money
I get no benefit from any of it
We are out in the community helping it
NTCC is a non-profit Org. independent of any families or related members or personal ownership
No one said we couldn’t hold the meetings
NTCC doesn’t control anyone
Typo’s is possessive, typos is plural
Ex. 23 (7)
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Prov. 16 (20)
"He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: And whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he."
I would ask you to please be more polite if you are going to participate in my blog. Thank you
You twisted my words
You declared your intelligence
You are the one finding fault
The emphasis was on saving the pastors money, not the org.
The meetings make no money
I get no benefit from any of it
We are out in the community helping it
NTCC is a non-profit Org. independent of any families or related members or personal ownership
No one said we couldn’t hold the meetings
NTCC doesn’t control anyone
Typo’s is possessive, typos is plural
Ex. 23 (7)
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Prov. 16 (20)
"He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: And whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he."
I would ask you to please be more polite if you are going to participate in my blog. Thank you
Thursday,
February 16, 2012
P.S. How
could I have been making an assessment on your intelligence, when I don't know
who you are? Just saying...
Thursday,
February 16, 2012
The
commentator came back with this;
"I'm just talking to you the way you used to talk to me".
If I've ever talked to you like that I'm truly sorry, forgive me, it wasn't right and I want to make it right.
"I'm just talking to you the way you used to talk to me".
If I've ever talked to you like that I'm truly sorry, forgive me, it wasn't right and I want to make it right.
Saturday,
February 18, 2012
Anonymous said...
Apology
accepted.
Saturday,
February 18, 2012
Just found
the site - and love it - thanks a bunch for spending you time giving updates
and clarifying things.
Concerning this post - I've been to some really great fellowship meetings and some where I thought the time could have been better spent. And times where I split a sandwich with my wife at the restaurant, so we would have enough money to get back - Aah the good ol days.
But I fully trust those " in the know " to make good decisions that guide the organizations churches and pastors in the way thats best for all.
The Anonymous angry guy reminds me of the person who filed for bankruptcy and still tries to give financial advice. Or the 3x divorcee who gives marriage counsel.
Anyway - thanks for the blog - the posts and the polite way you respond to angry guy.
Concerning this post - I've been to some really great fellowship meetings and some where I thought the time could have been better spent. And times where I split a sandwich with my wife at the restaurant, so we would have enough money to get back - Aah the good ol days.
But I fully trust those " in the know " to make good decisions that guide the organizations churches and pastors in the way thats best for all.
The Anonymous angry guy reminds me of the person who filed for bankruptcy and still tries to give financial advice. Or the 3x divorcee who gives marriage counsel.
Anyway - thanks for the blog - the posts and the polite way you respond to angry guy.
Sunday,
May 06, 2012
Anonymous said...
Clearly
you have something against these men of God and this church. You need to look
at yourself and repent of anger or animosity you have.
Friday,
June 22, 2012
(Phil. 4:8-9)
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise" POST THEM!."
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise" POST THEM!."
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