What Has Happened to Community?

I know, I know! I said that my next post would be about missions and my mission trip experiences, but....................................

I got distracted!

It happens a lot....maybe I have ADD.....see there it goes again!

Oh boy...

Okay, well, I have been thinking about this lately with the Baltimore Riots happening and all that.

I asked myself..."Why did this happen? What started this?" Yes I know...

Ferguson happened

and then

Freddie Gray happened

but I'm trying to think deeper! What is the underlying problem here?

Now....I was hesitant to write this post due to the controversy of this particular subject, but I just shrugged my shoulders and said "Ehhh, who cares?" I'm a rebel like that!

Anyway, the underlying problem....what is it?

I had a discussion with some of my family members recently and kinda answered my question.

The underlying problem is (I think, in my limited 17 years of observation)

The church.

I know! A shock! We Christians are supposed to be the ones who promote peace and help people!

We are the GODLY people! We don't start these kind of things!

Or do we?

Jesus talks a lot about community and loving each other.

For example:

Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Mark 12:31
"The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Last one;

Romans 13:10
"Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

But honestly...

We as a church body are pretty bad at this.

We are not in our community like we should be! We focus so much on the structure of the building, the 'ministries', the various activities that are provided for church people and their 'friends', but you don't see people outside of the church in their community! Sure, you do sometimes, but it isn't common.

Maybe the actual 'church' building is a hindrance for us...maybe we go there on Sundays, and for that one activity that you do weekly, etc.

Maybe we shouldn't even have a building! Okay that might be taking it a little far, but the point is that I think we get so wrapped up in the building and the various ministries that we forget the people outside of those walls! 

I work for a secular nonprofit that does almost exactly what we should be doing!

They are out there providing for people's needs and truly loving on people. People feel safe as soon as they walk through those doors! There are workers that go out into the community just helping out a family that lost a loved one, or a family that just had a baby, or even just a listening ear!

Why don't we do that?

It is the church's job to be providing for people's needs, both physical and spiritual, but why is that not happening?

Why are these secular programs and the government having to step up and do that?

I mean, the government is setting up all this welfare stuff to 'help' people with poverty.

But isn't that our job? To help people, build relationships, and share the gospel?

Why don't we start doing what Christ told us to do! Stop being SO singly focused on what is happening INSIDE the building and start focusing on the people OUTSIDE of the building.


Well guys, this was kind of a harder post, a little less carefree! I just had that conversation and just felt like I needed to share!

Hope you guys enjoyed it! Love you all!!

~ Cait

Why Some College Age Kids Leave Chruch

Someone in my church recently asked me if I could write on this huge topic that is greatly debated in Christian circles.   

Wait for it…..

Why Some College Age Kids Leave the Church (Notice I underlined the ‘some’ because thankfully there are still many young adults that attend church!)

I have to be honest with y’all I have no idea about this topic at all!! I’m going solely off of what I feel in my heart, and the responses I got when I posed this question on Facebook.  I’m not even in the college age group yet! I have grown up in church my whole life and the thought of leaving hasn’t even crossed my mind yet! So I have no personal experience and know scholarly knowledge about this!

Now that I have shown how non-creditable I am, I will proceed to share with you mine and other people’s (who, I might add, are all people currently attending church- super creditable I know!) opinions on this topic.

#1 Kids are too “busy” to go to church

I’m still in High School and I’m even busy, I can’t imagine how someone can possibly juggle school, work, and relationships! That sounds way complicated! No wonder they are too busy for church! Church is clearly not a big deal to some kids for them to drop their attendance to church.

#2 The Desire for Complete Independence

Um, I’m pretty sure when you are 18yrs old you are pretty sick of your parent nagging you and telling you to do stuff. I even get tired of it sometimes!!

#3 there isn’t any kind of group or study for that age group

I know how helpful my youth group is in my walk with the Lord so I’m sure it’s really hard if there isn’t always that kind of option for a college age person.

#4 The Hypocrisy in the Church is Unbearable

This would really turn me off too. There is a lot of hypocrisy in the church and many college age kids see that and turn away because they see that the church isn’t perfect and they don’t want to be associated with it! I guess that is the church’s problem, we don’t have these kids trust.

#5. I’m probably going to get some heat for this one, but I think it is necessary to say. If a person is truly a 

Christian they will not be turned off by their parents when they tell them to go to church. In fact, parents won’t even have to push their kids to go because their child will want to go on their own. So when a young person doesn’t want to go to church at all maybe there is no heart change towards Christ. Obviously I’m not saying that when a young person doesn’t go to church he/she is not saved because I am in no place to judge that person’s heart. That is between them and God. But since I am writing on this topic I would say that is a pretty big indicator on why someone doesn’t want to go to church.  

Those are just a couple reasons that myself and some other people I know came up with! Obviously, seeing how I am clearly not an expert I wouldn’t go using this as a source for a paper! Okay I’m done! Until next time dear friends!
~Caitlin