Certain feelings and differences have led to people leaving the church. They still say they love Christ and want to follow him, but they are done with the church and all its flaws. By leaving the church, these people are ridding themselves of fellowship, resulting in a gradual fall from faith. The church gathering should be a place where believers can recharge and share stories, encouraging and praying for one another. So, is this where the church has missed the mark? Are churches becoming so wrapped up in their own programs and events that they look beyond the need of a specific person right in front of them? Churches have gotten so tied up in their routine and set agendas that they often look past the people they should be most intentional with. The focus should be to branch out and be on mission for God, but those that come to the gathering should not be neglected.

                Another problem is the disunity among the preaching of the Gospel itself. Church attendees have been caught in the middle of a seemingly unimportant dispute pertaining to ideas rather than facts. Instead of worrying about simplistic issues that have no relevance, maybe people should focus more on those around them and what they need to hear. Predestination is a specific issue that I have experienced people bickering over. Even though it is good to enlighten yourself and have a stance towards these sorts of issues, the battle of who is right is a complete waste of time (unless of course someone is completely off the reservation with their interpretation). This is a concept that is impossible to completely understand, yet people will allow their understanding of it to start a quarrel. I feel like disunity, such as this, is a big factor in the “drop-out rate” of the church. How about we focus on originality, intentionality, and true preaching of the Gospel, instead of worrying about minute details that have no relevance in the act of making disciples?      

C. Davenport