Neal Pollard
Once, I received a call from a woman who watched our TV program. She shared her religious background with me, including the fact that she was raised in a church of Christ. While she was baptized many years before, she committed fornication, became pregnant, and had a child out of wedlock. She said that she publicly repented, coming forward to ask forgiveness. While some forgave, one prominent member wouldn’t let her forget her past sins. Ultimately, she left that congregation and soon after left the Lord’s church altogether.
She joined a large denomination in the area in 1985. She gave some interesting reasons for joining them. Reflect upon them for a moment.
(1) She received personal visits from church members.
(2) She was warmly welcomed by many who greeted her when she attended the services.
(3) She was quickly put to use in the church’s works.
Very simple formula, wouldn’t you agree? Some fundamental needs were recognized by that religious group: Approach. Accept. Assimilate. While their doctrine was wrong in vital areas, their practical wisdom was on target! While she traded truth for error regarding their teaching, she sought but didn’t find among God’s people the very things many seek today. None of the things she sought were wrong.
In the church, the main emphasis should be serving rather than being served. But look at what she sought. She sought personal contact from concerned people. The denomination responded. She sought acceptance, not of sinful choices, but of herself—the sinner. She received that. She sought ways to be involved, ways to serve. She was given opportunities despite some physical handicaps that restricted her.
There is much to do, much more than is being done, though we are doing much. Some bare essentials that all of us can be doing is visiting our visitors, making visitors feel like honored guests, and finding ways to include those who become members in the work of the church.
We have opportunities every week that walk through our doors. Are we doing our part to make ourselves a warm and welcoming congregation? People will form lasting opinions about the Lord’s church by what we do to make them feel welcome. Each individual Christian is accountable for visiting (Mat. 25:34ff), accepting (Js. 2:1-13), and including (1 Th. 5:11). Let us glow with the warmth of Christ! Who knows who we will turn onto the narrow path or who we will help stay on it?
The Preacher Pollard Blog 
Thank you for a longtime needed reminder that we are family and ambassadors for Christ! We’re humans reaching out to others in search of God and we need to embrace the worn and weary to work together with care and genuine for our common glorifying Gid.
This is exactly what happened at my church. We were wrongly judge and because a few members had more time than us, we were deemed the problem treated like garbage for 4 long impossible years. Clearly a member who is known for many years sins are overlooked and my children and I were treated like freaks. No one will go have coffee or invite my kids to their home for fellowship, hanging out or just to get to know each other. The parents judge me as a bad mom and my kids as a bad influence. Wonderful words to bad most of the Lord’s family judge by looks and not of a person’s heart. Loved sinners are forgiven while the rest of us are held to an impossible standard and told that we simply do not measure up. It is getting better slowly so I know God is involved. However when leadership holds to a outdated set of standards then there is no hope for anyone who does not fall into the cookie cutter Christian mold. If more of God’s people followed this article . . . what a Wonderful church of Christ it would be.
On Target!! Thanks so much. God bless. Bev
Sent from my iPhone
>