Nowadays, due to the travel restrictions caused by the normalized virus control, "cloud gatherings" have quickly emerged on the Internet in China. This kind of online meeting is very popular among believers for its convenience and availability. For a time, all kinds of lectures and sermons have sprung up one after another, and famous pastors from all over the world have appeared virtually, even conducting face-to-face communications.
To a certain extent, this makes up for the temporary absence of onsite gatherings, but we have to be alert to a phenomenon that some members are keen to pursue famous pastors, rather than be loyal to their mother churches’ ministries. The most serious thing is that some even leave their previous churches.
Recently, a female believer living in a rural area said she didn't like listening to the sermons of her church which were not deep and couldn’t touch her heart as much as those given by famous pastors online. Plus she resented another female Christian in her group who was saying so endlessly during prayers that other people couldn't get a word in edgeways. She declared, "As I’ve had enough of it, I’ve always wanted to leave this church to find a better one."
Believers are not encouraged to switch churches frequently, unless due to moving houses or jobs. As it is beneficial to their spiritual growth if the believer is committed to a church, especially their mother church. Familiar with the believer, pastors and church staff can pray for them in a more targeted way, giving them timely help that pastors scattered all over the world can’t supply.
As for the problem that the pastor’s sermons can’t go deeply into the heart of believers, I think besides strengthening the study and equipment of the pastors themselves, believers should also love and pray earnestly for pastors, leaders of churches who are always the target of Satan. Without prayers, even if the believer transfers to another church, there’s a chance that pastors there can’t meet their wishes either, as all believers are blessed sinners. Changing churches often causes one to lose more than they gain, as more time should be spent getting familiar with the new church.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a Theological student in Yunnan.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
时下，因为常态化疫情防控带来的出行不便，迅速催生了网络上的“云聚会”。这种聚会因其方便，广泛，深受信徒的喜爱。一时间，各式各样的讲座、证道预告的信息，如雨后春笋一般，层出不穷；世界各地的名牧、名传道更是不受时空的限制，也都纷纷现身于网络空间，与我们隔空“面对面”交流。
这在一定程度上弥补了弟兄姐妹们暂时不能实体聚会的种种缺憾，但不得不警惕一种现象，就是有的肢体热衷于追慕这种网络上的“云聚会”，而不专心于自己母会的事奉，甚至有的肢体干脆离弃母会，整天追着名牧“到处跑”。
最近听一个家在农村的姊妹聊起来，她不喜欢自己教会牧者的讲道，认为没有那些名牧懂得多，讲得有深度，不能触动她的心。再加上她很反感自己小组里的一个姊妹。认为那个姊妹祷告时总是喋喋不休，讲个没完，搞得其他人插不上嘴。她“早就受够了！总想离开这个教会，再找一个更好的教会”。
一般给信徒施洗的教会，也称为信徒的母会。除非因为搬家、工作变动或其他不可逆的原因，信徒可以选择换其他的教会，但我们并不鼓励信徒频繁更换教会。原因很简单：通常情况下，一个信徒委身于一个地方教会，特别是自己的母会，对他（她）的属灵成长是非常有利的。因为母会的牧者、同工，包括弟兄姐妹，大家都熟悉这个信徒的基本情况。服侍起来相对容易上手，比如为其祷告时，就更有针对性，等等。再比如，如果这个姊妹家真的有急事需要帮助，那些分散在世界各地的牧者，就不能第一时间赶过来援助，可谓是“远水解不了近渴”！而自己的母会就能及时出手相助。
至于前面那个姊妹谈到的牧者讲道不够深入信徒的心的问题，笔者认为，除了牧者自身要加强学习和装备之外，信徒也要为自己的牧者迫切地祷告，爱自己的牧者。牧者作为带领全教会的“领头羊”，更是备受撒但攻击的对象。如果信徒不为自己教会的牧者祷告、守望，那么，他（她）即使转到另一个教会，也不能保证那里的牧者样样都合自己的心意，因为我们实在都是一群蒙了大恩的罪人！而事实证明，到处乱跑的做法更是使自己各方面都会受到亏损的。到了一个新的教会，什么都是陌生的，要重新花精力熟悉，从长远看，是得不偿失。
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系云南一名神学生。
http://www.fuyinshibao.cn/article/index/id/62734
“云聚会”时，别忘了回自己的母教会
Nowadays, due to the travel restrictions caused by the normalized virus control, "cloud gatherings" have quickly emerged on the Internet in China. This kind of online meeting is very popular among believers for its convenience and availability. For a time, all kinds of lectures and sermons have sprung up one after another, and famous pastors from all over the world have appeared virtually, even conducting face-to-face communications.
To a certain extent, this makes up for the temporary absence of onsite gatherings, but we have to be alert to a phenomenon that some members are keen to pursue famous pastors, rather than be loyal to their mother churches’ ministries. The most serious thing is that some even leave their previous churches.
Recently, a female believer living in a rural area said she didn't like listening to the sermons of her church which were not deep and couldn’t touch her heart as much as those given by famous pastors online. Plus she resented another female Christian in her group who was saying so endlessly during prayers that other people couldn't get a word in edgeways. She declared, "As I’ve had enough of it, I’ve always wanted to leave this church to find a better one."
Believers are not encouraged to switch churches frequently, unless due to moving houses or jobs. As it is beneficial to their spiritual growth if the believer is committed to a church, especially their mother church. Familiar with the believer, pastors and church staff can pray for them in a more targeted way, giving them timely help that pastors scattered all over the world can’t supply.
As for the problem that the pastor’s sermons can’t go deeply into the heart of believers, I think besides strengthening the study and equipment of the pastors themselves, believers should also love and pray earnestly for pastors, leaders of churches who are always the target of Satan. Without prayers, even if the believer transfers to another church, there’s a chance that pastors there can’t meet their wishes either, as all believers are blessed sinners. Changing churches often causes one to lose more than they gain, as more time should be spent getting familiar with the new church.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a Theological student in Yunnan.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Don’t Leave Your Mother Church While Gathering Virtually
