What is wrong with Traditional Churches?

I have had this on my mind for a while but was not sure how to start it or even say what I want but I want you to know this is from MY experiences and that is what MY blog is all about. I do use information taken from others but try my best to use my personal experiences to form opinions from very interpretive situations. So with that being said.

What the heck is going on in Traditional Churches? By Traditional I mean the churches we Baby Boomers grew up in and actually developed. Ones where a few people or families got together and decided they needed a small community church where we could follow God's leading and grow together. Heaven and Hell were preached, The Ten Commandments were the Law, teens had their get together time several times a week and not just on Sunday nights. The kiddos had their Saturday picnics and the elderly or more mature women got together to fellowship, and yes gossip as well. The men of the church had monthly work days at the church. Vacation Bible School was a BIG deal with buses borrowed from other churches to ship in all the kids. Not only did we learn the Bible but we learned how to build podiums for the Sunday School classrooms. As a teen our week of VBS ended with a trip down a river in a canoe or some other exciting thing. These are the things I recall from my early years in a Traditional Church.

Now what is it I am seeing and experiencing? Every now and then you hear Heaven and Hell preached but you have to back off on Hell. That offends too many. After all why would God send people to Hell. He is all loving and caring. Sorry folks. God did not intend Hell for us. But He gave us a choice between following Christ or not. Our choosing not to follow Christ is what sends people to Hell, NOT God. What about the Ten Commandments.. Oh they are still top dog but then you have the NEW Testament teachings and so many other STANDARDS are added that we MUST live by to be productive Christians. More on this later. Vacation Bible School, Teens, and kiddos, and lest we forget the forgotten in many churches. College and Career is what it was known as back in the day. Those that have graduated from high school and either left for college or are entering the work force, and yes, some are living in Mom and Dads basement. Traditional Churches, again, this is from MY POINT OF VIEW, do a pretty decent job of reaching out to the pre-school aged and elementary kids because after all, they need to bring in those younger families with the kids to help build the church, But when you do not have a nursery capable of doing a decent job you lose an important group of people. I mean we have young millennial families that feel that they can not leave their infants with anyone else. What is it.. the helicopter parents. They can not concentrate on a church service because they have to know everything that is going on with the little ones. So they bring them into the main service to disrupt it so NO ONE can concentrate on the service. Therefore they feel uncomfortable going to church and STOP going. By the time they are sorta comfortable with going back the kiddos do not want to go. Teens, what do we say about the teens. You have to have things going on 24/7 almost to keep them in church. Friday Night Lights, Super Sundays, what ever other gimmick you can find to keep them involved. If they are bored at church they will not come. If church were a video game maybe you could get them to show up and become involved. But it would have to be an exciting one.

Okay. Back to the 'Standards'. This is the one that probably irritates me more than anything. Yes, we have to have some sort of standards but this has turned into an issue. Jesus spoke harshly with the Pharisees coming up with all the "extra" laws they made in order for a person to be accepted. Well, from where I sit now many church leaders are coming up with all these 'standards' that must be followed for people to become accepted and part of our little church society. This is where I come up with my "Star Trek TNG" Borg assessment of Traditional Churches. According to http://www.startrek-voyager.info/j.html, “Their main goal is to find perfection by assimilating more species and technology but they only assimilate what they think is relevant biological or technological traits. The Borg are un-emotional but efficient and can only grow in numbers by assimilation.” Doesn't this describe the Traditional Local Churches of today. Conform or get out basically. I had an issue recently with the choir director and his wife hiding the fact that they consume alcohol. Really I thought when I found out that wow, good for them, able to drink and still work in the church. Then I found out that they only let certain people know this and those that know it are sworn to secrecy. Wait a minute. Sworn to secrecy. After all they have an image to uphold and if certain people found out then all is lost. What happened to not doing something if it were to offend? This has changed into hide it as long as you can and if anyone attempts to let it out then guess what we will do. Yes, I know there are many secrets among church people but deliberately hiding it and making others keep your secret or deal with the consequences. YES, there are consequences,  specially when the pastor depends on you and will do anything to protect you. So, lets bring out that I do not wear a suit to church. I must not honor God because I wear jeans. After all you have a suit and look decent in one so therefore you should wear one to church. I guess I am saying this because the focus has changed, It is about making others follow the churches ideals and standards instead of following Jesus example. They twist things that seem to be Christ like yet are really Churchy. Jesus fellowship was with all people including 'sinners'. Local traditional churches insist that you stay away from the 'sinners' because these 'sinners' will turn you before you can lead them to Him.. UH, NO. we need to be an example to everyone, living an honest, non deceptive life, showing the 'sinners' what it is like to be alive and able to serve God at the same time.

To answer my title question of What is wrong with the Traditional Churches? I am not sure if I can. But in short I feel that these Traditional Churches have lost sight of what Jesus was really all about. Love, acceptance, being an example, not forcing your ways but allowing others to see you live the life HONESTLY so that others will want what you have. This is why the local Traditional Church is slipping away into nothing. Conventional Churches, though imperfect, as we all are anyways, are taking the lead and the Traditional Churches are not adapting to society. Notice I said adapting to because I feel that it is necessary to adapt to the changes in the world if you want to reach the world. After all that is what Jesus did. He adapted to what was going on around Him. Reached out to others and embraced them, showing them what it was like to be HIM. He did not force a set of standards on them, He lived His life, a non deceptive, truthful life, and was the ultimate example of what it is to be a Christian.