Multiplication Ministries International
Making a Worldwide Difference, One Church at a Time

An article about ”Church Hopping”    

By James Emery White

A man approached one of our Guest Services volunteers and asked, “Where are the Sno-Cones?”

For the past few summers, we’ve offered Sno-Cones following our weekend services as part of our Guest Services experience. The goal was to give exiting kids a final pleasant memory of their time at Meck (Mecklenburg Community Church), as well as create a “linger” factor for parents to connect with each other and the staff.

This summer, we’ve been offering them as a “surprise” on select weekends, but not every weekend.

“I go to another church,” he continued, “but during the summer I come here for the Sno-Cones. So where are they?”

The volunteer explained to him our current approach to Sno-Cones, and he became rather indignant. “Is there any way you can let people know in advance when it’s a Sno-Cone weekend so that we know when to come?”

I guess people really like crushed ice and syrup.

Let’s talk church hopping, shall we?

Actually, I’m not the one bringing the subject up. It was surprising to find two articles on the matter get picked up and carried nationally – in the same week, no less – this past month. 

First, a working definition: church hopping is going from one church to another without committing to any one church for any significant period of time (which makes it different than legitimate church “shopping”).

As Betsy Hart writes, hoppers reflect a growing tendency to decide, after they have officially joined a particular church, that “Oh, that pastor down the street is a little more high-energy than mine,” or “Gee, the music here isn’t really meeting my needs right now,” or “I really am not crazy about that new children’s church director.”

So they hop from church to church.

The hard-core hopper never even makes an initial commitment. They perpetually float between churches, pursuing a Beth Moore study at First Baptist, youth group at First Methodist, weekend services at Hope, Grace, or Community Church, marriage enrichment events at …w ell, you get the picture. 

What’s driving this?

For some, it’s simply the consumer mindset of our culture at work. 

As Hart writes, “Church ‘hopping’ is the ultimate ‘all about me’ experience.” They take from various churches whatever it is they perceive to be of value without committing to any one church either to serve or support.

For some, it’s insecurity.

They have to be wherever they think it’s “happening” in the Christian world. I know of pastors who joke about a “migratory flow pattern” among Christians in their community who are constantly church-hopping to the “next” thing in church life. 

They move from one church to another, looking for the next hot singles group, the next hot church plant, the next hot speaker, the next hot youth group. 

Many times they end up full circle where they began, because their original church suddenly became “next.”

For some, it’s spiritual gluttony. 

They want nothing more than to be “fed,” and when they feel they’ve eaten all a church has to offer, they move on where there is the potential for more food – as if that is what constitutes growing in Christ or being connected to Christ. 

For some, it’s refusing accountability.

A pattern of sin is pursued, or a choice made, and they leave for a place where no one knows, and no one asks.

For some, it’s avoiding stewardship.

If they are not committed to any one church, there is no obligation to give or serve at any one church. They can float above sacrifice without guilt. 

For some, it’s emotional immaturity.

A decision is made they don’t agree with, a building campaign is initiated they didn’t vote for, a staff change is made they didn’t like, so they take their marbles and go play somewhere else.

I know, I know. None of these reflect well on the person leaving, which intimates that anyone who leaves a church is somehow in the wrong, and that is not fair. 

In truth, there can be times to not simply hop, but leap. If there is scandal that is simply not addressed, doctrinal heresy, or patterns of abuse, you should leave.  

But for the typical hopper, it’s not time for self-justification, but loving admonishment.

First, church isn’t about you. Sorry, but it’s not. It isn’t one of many stores in a mall that exists to serve your spiritual shopping list. Church is a gathered community of believers who are pooling together their time, talent and resources to further the Great Commission. 

Find one and start investing your life.

Second, the very nature of authentic community is found in the “one anothers.” Love one another, serve one another, encourage one another; this cannot happen apart from doing life with people. 

You need community.

Third, the absence of a ministry you desire may be God’s call on your life to start it, rather than leave to find a church that has it. Remember, every member is a minister, and has been given at least one spiritual gift for service in the life and mission of the church. 

Fourth, you aren’t going to agree with every decision the leadership of any church makes, regardless of its structure or decision-making process. You either feel you can trust the character of the leadership, or you can’t. 

And being able to trust that leadership doesn’t mean they will always do things the way you think they should.  In other words, don’t hop every time you disagree. That’s immature.

(And for goodness sake, don’t stay and pout or politic, either. Either get on board once the decision is made, if it was one that didn’t breach doctrine or ethics, or find a place where you can.)

Fifth, don’t worry about being fed as much as learning to feed yourself. Even more, concern yourself with taking what you already know and applying it to your life, and then helping to feed others who are new to the faith!

Finally, spiritual depth isn’t fostered by satiating your sense of felt needs. It’s receiving a balanced diet of teaching and challenge, investing in service and mission, living in community and diversity that you probably would not select for yourself. 

If you simply go to where you are drawn, you will miss out on addressing those areas of life where you are blind. 

All to say, if you’re ever at Meck, have a Sno-Cone. 

But don’t leave your church to come for it.

Start serving them there.

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, N.C., and the ranked adjunctive professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, which he also served as their fourth president.  To enjoy a free subscription to the Church and Culture blog, log on to www.churchandculture.org, where you can post your comments on this blog, view past blogs in our archive and read the latest church and culture news from around the world. Follow Dr. White on Twitter @JamesEmeryWhite

How have you counseled one who has no wisdom?
And how have you declared sound advice to many? Job 26:3 (NKJV)

Much of what I do as I work with churches is “to give advice” about a number of matters as it pertains to churches and ministries. I learned early on in my own ministry to listen to advice given and I think doing that, 30 years of experience as a pastor and keeping well read on issues of the church has been vital.

Being a Pastor to Pastors the thought of “œpastors giving advice to other pastors” seemed important to me, so I collected a number of comments that would be considered general advice from one pastor to another.

Then it dawned on me. Perhaps advice from church people to pastors as well as advice from pastors to church people would be good reading for each of us.

So, here’s what I collected. Do you have anything to add in any of the following 3 areas?

Andy

Advice from Pastors to Other Pastors

1. Pray more – develop your own relationship with the Lord more.
2. Read the Scriptures more – challenge your own Theology more.
3. Love your family more – make more time for just them. Your children desperately need a closeness with Daddy!!! Your spouse needs to know she’s the ‘leader of your parade.’
4. Go to the extreme to avoid the appearance of evil.
5. Dare more – stretch your Faith and Pray more – develop your own relationship with the Lord.
6. “Find a mentor early on in your ministry who is experienced. His advice and common sense will prove to be invaluable as you encounter pastoral situations that your schooling never prepared you for.”
7. What I have learned about pastoral ministry are things I learned mostly the hard way.
8. It is not about you – it is about the Lord Jesus Christ. (apply to everything)
9. Success in ministry requires success at home. (apply to your schedule)
10. Your gifts, ministry and power in ministry all come from God (1 Cor. 12), so never be jealous of anyone whose ministry is doing “better” than yours, and never look down on someone whose ministry is not as large as yours. (apply anytime you meet with or hear about other ministries – rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep ““ Romans 12:15)
11. It is worth the effort and time to make and maintain friends with other pastors
12. God’s purpose in your life is conforming you into the image of Christ – success in ministry is seeing those you are discipling becoming conformed to the Christ’s image (1 Cor. 11:1).
13. Learned contentment (Philippians 4:11)
14. Don’t be surprised when the attack comes from a friend or ministry co-laborer (Phil. 1:15-17).
15. Time runs faster than you do – accomplish your priorities and not the tyranny of the urgent.
16. Doing is important, but being is more important
17. Pastoral ministry is a wonderful privilege even though it requires you to bleed and weep with your people – it is not a job (John 10:12-13).
18. “Preach to broken hearts and people’s needs”

Advice from Pastors to Church People

1. Make sure you are a disciple of Jesus Christ and not of someone else. Follow other people only to the extent that they are following Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
2. Make sure you fully understand that you are a created being who exists to glorify the Creator and not the other way around. Do not complain and grumble that God is not doing things to your satisfaction. Be concerned whether you are doing things to His satisfaction.
3. Mature and learn to feed yourself (2 Timothy 2:15). You cannot spiritually survive, much less grow, on one sermon a week. You must read, study and apply the Scriptures to your life daily (Psalm 119:9-11).
4. Make sure you understand God’s priorities for your life and set your goals accordingly to fulfill them, (Romans 12:1-2). This includes your spiritual walk, your family, your church and your community.
5. Be active in using your spiritual gift(s). God has gifted every believer as members of the body of Christ, the church, to serve so that the whole body can mature and become like Christ (Eph. 4:11-16; Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 12-14).
6. If the members of a local church were serious about just those five point, I believe that most of the problems that exist in churches would vanish.

Advice from Church People to Pastors

1. Please have a group that follows up on people that haven’t been to church in awhile, but used to attend.
2. Follow-up on new comers. Just a friendly call to let them know that you are thinking about them makes a world of difference.
3. Always return calls and try to learn all the people’s names.
4. We know you’re busy but please take the time to visit us in the hospital before a surgery. If you can’t personally make it, send another church leader.
5. Stay on target. If you plan a message series for 8 weeks, keep it to 8 weeks.
6. Make it easy for people to find/read the scripture passage. Put it on screen, use page numbers in a church provided Bible or give help as to where to find Zephaniah or Haggai.
7. Be sure you have a leadership team with the same mission and goals. Not that everybody always agrees, but do the activities, topics, plans fulfill the mission and goals.
8. Communication with us. If the congregation does not feel that leadership communicates important information they will start looking elsewhere.
9. Define your church. Are you seeker-friendly, spiritual growth, evangelistic, all of the above?
10. If spiritual growth is a part of your mission, be sure you have “greenhouse environments”. Plants grow better in situations where temp, humidity etc are targeted toward plant growth. In the church, One-to-One.
11. Discipleship, Home Bible studies, Men’s groups, Women’s groups, Singles, College are just some of the things that a church needs. If the church is small then choose priorities. Don’t think you personally need to do all of this. We are here to help you pastor. Just ask us, train and trust us.
12. If you don’t have a person to take a leadership position for a particular ministry, consider whether that ministry is necessary. Perhaps God is saying “Not now” to a ministry, just as a God will often say “Not now” to a personal prayer request.

Welcome to the informational and interactive side of Multiplication Ministries.

There is nothing fancy about our blog with all the whistles and bells and spinning graphics. It’s this simple This blog is dedicated to sharing articles and news that will strengthen the church, make disciples and encourage pastors, church leaders and members alike.

Our ministry is committed to being available to churches and their leaders worldwide for the purpose of assisting them in fulfilling

Pastor Andy McAdams

The Great Commission.

As a pastor for over 30 years, I love sharing from the knowledge, training and experience that God has allowed me to gain. Myself and a number of our staff are available to serve your church anywhere you may be, no matter what size your church is€¦and we’re only an email or phone call away.

Pastor Andy

1-800-598-0872