I’m a listener and we homeschool, attend a local church, and let our kids go to nursery and children’s church. Just letting you know what kind of listener y’all have 😂 I don’t know maybe I’m half fringe 🤣🤣🤣 Anyway on a more serious note I have to commend your dad Elisha for not serving in the church when he literally had his own small body of believers at home. My husband and I also feel strongly that our children are our ministry. I have seen women with young children neglect their husbands and little children in the “act of serving” at the church and it is disheartening to see. I believe women are made to feel that if they are not serving in the church that they are not serving the Lord when in reality they are doing exactly what God has called them to do in their homes- raise and disciple their children. Fantastic podcast!!!!
ditto! As homeschoolers we especially appreciate the fellowship and friendship for our children at their children's church service. I feel they learn more about Bible basics and allows them to enable deeper friendships. I tried bringing my 7 year old to service with me and neither of us ended up following the service too well .. she couldn't take the notes fast enough and I had to reiterate what was happening the whole time lol. This was the last time we attempted that. But our church does have middle schoolers and high schoolers in Sunday service and then youth group is Wednesday during Awana for the littles. I find that to be a good age to incorporate the youth into adult service.
I really, really enjoyed this discussion. I think that bringing up the issues of church discipline and the context of the letters is an essential part of understanding the importance of church fellowship. If you didnt bring it up I was going to! My husband grew up in a family like yours, big (12+), with a stong father who wasn't keen on committing his family to the influence of a church. Although they were "members," they were almost always away and were (as my husband has put it) activly discouraged from being active members. Much of that perspective had to be unlearned on my husband's part and we both now have very strong view on the importance of church fellowship and membership. Much of our beliefs around church changed in the last several years and my husband does feel that his family's almost anti-church stance did hinder his walk with the Lord especially early on. Sometimes the issue is submission. Am I willing to put up with some people and let some things go that I'd do differently? The church isnt there for me, its for Jesus. How do I worship and make church about him? By serving the brethren, singing together, exorting and encouraging others in Christ. I can't do that effectively outside of a local church. The church is to help make ready the body of Christ for his return!
Well said. My husband also points to how the NT mentions lists of widows to provide for financially within the church. So that list implies some official and formal group of people.
This video made me very grateful for my local church. I’m so thankful to be a part of a community that values and empowers the family. God intended the family and the local church to complement each other.
Thanks for this convo! I honestly feel the same way about serving in church. When I was single I serve a lot! Now I have two under two and people ask me all the time when I’m going to start serving again. I remember people would be serving for 2 + services and just leaving their kids in kids ministry for multiple services and I knew I couldn’t do that. It’s good to know that there’s fruit in choosing your family and that you’re not strange for not serving for a season.
Good point! There is a time for everything. I was very involved in my youth years, and now as a Mommy I’m still involved but not as much. We must say no sometimes, and people need to understand and respect that.
Great discussion! Finding a church has been a challenge for my husband and me for this reason, churches who aren't aligned with biblical values. We've been rejected because of our biblical views yet we still desire to assemble. We'll find the right church in time I'm sure. 🙏🏼 God is faithful!
As a young kid, I would BEG my parents to sit in "big church" with them and they rarely let me. Now, as a parent, I think it's sad that they thought they church teaching had to be done separately. When I was there, I would take copious notes (even at 7-8 years old). I still have these notes and was clearly paying attention. But, in kids church, it felt like it was more about the social dynamic and having crazy fun. It made me uncomfortable. I want my kids in church with me. We pursue God as a family.
Wow I was imagining the opposite. I was not raised in a Christian home. But I figured a lot of kid would have a really hard keeping up with the regular service or not understanding what is being said or just having trouble sitting down and paying attention . That is so sad your parents did not like you said the main service obviously you had a deep desire to get to know God's word better.
We are apart of an independent Baptist church and our church is family integrated, which means we don’t separate children from their parents. We don’t even have Sunday schools for the kids. Most of our church family are large homeschooling families too.
Pausing the video 7 minutes in to say, I loved the personal family updates! As a young mom here I am celebrating with you the successful training out of thumb sucking and out of diapers. Huge wins! Woo!
I’m the mama of 3. 5 and under. My husband is the youth pastor at our local church and we both serve on the worship team. I help him in the youth room when the church splits up into community groups. Our children attend the kids/nursery service and I enjoy and value highly the time with my husband on sundays when we get to serve together. We spend lots of time together as a family and I am homeschooling my kiddos and we do daily bible readings and prioritize biblical parenting with our children. There are other young families in our church that bring their children in to the service and sit together. We are probably “fringe” too but doing our best to engage the community around us and in our church to embrace biblical truths about families rather than cultural norms. Big fan of the truths yall boldly share on your channel! Thank you for taking the time! This is ministry to your listeners!
I think our society ,media and worldly outlets in our generation really hates authority nowadays and this has crept into the church. Gods order sets in place an order of authority for our own good. It's to protect us. There is authority in our husbands, elders in church and even government (Roman's 13). In all realms there is an authority that we are to submit too and in all realms. If we are honest with ourselves we find it difficult to submit, especially because our pride tells us we know better, or are wiser, and better on our own, so why submit. However, we need the local church and it needs us. Do not forsake the saints, give honor to your Elders( even if they fail in so many areas). Our disposition should be to do Gods will, which is found in His holy word and it tells is to be part of a local body ( for our own good by the way). If he tells us to submit, we must do so in obedience to God. Otherwise you could be in danger of being outside of His will.
The issue is alot of these places called "church" are not biblically sound. They are also 501C3, ran like a buisness rather than the gathering of the saints. My husband and I aren't connected to any fellowship because of this. There is no unction or urgency to just join a "church." We have children we need to take care of. We wont sit and listen to just anyone! Thats confusion on what you teach at home as to what alot folks are "teaching." And leaving children with a bunch of strangers to babysit them is wrong. No wonder pedophiles are found in places like churches 🤷🏻♀️.😢 Also had to add... folks use so many different translations that have perverted GOD'S WORD. That in and of itself changes doctrine.
Minute 25, and the very men who are begging all of you to serve are the ones getting a fat paycheck and someone else is teaching/leading. All of that begins in the HOME. Ya'll are nailing it about church. I broke my ankle and leg and not ONE person offered to drive me to church, where I volunteered. Everyone knew. No one asked if I needed anything. I had been serving and yeah, it was sad. No one cares. I recently stopped volunteering and attending a church (10 years of all that) and not one person reached out and asked how I was. Everyone is just super focused on the rock show and fashion show and snagging volunteer positions to feel good about themselves or sit in THEIR seat. Jesus didn't have church that way. AT ALL. I actually do go to another church though. I am single and really need to be around people like me with similar values. There is no rock concert or fasion show. The leader of the church does not belong to a boat club or live in another city and drive into the city and act like a local. (I mention that because I live in Austin, Texas and lots of pastors have NEVER lived IN the city where they have a church. They drive in and act like they know the culture. They don't. I could type so much but I will stop,, but as usual, y'all are nailing this topic as you do all your topics. I discovered this channel thru a bread making lady and her guest. I have zero in common with ya'll but every value is the same, so it's even funny that I am watching this channel, but I feel validated and heard. True sense finally found and voice and it's y'all.
I am 66 years old I agree totally young couples should make their family priority following God's ways people in their 50s 60s still have a lot of strength and wisdom to really get involved and roll up their sleeves and help at their local churches fellowships Etc
Yes! A very relevant subject today. I think there are 2 extremes that we should avoid: legalism/ tradition being placed on a pedestal, and the whole “just” personal relationship with God is enough view. Church isn’t just for growing as a Christian, because obviously you can do that at home through listening to sermons, etc… But we need human relationships. We need fellowship. We need accountability. We need to serve each other (and not just BE served). We need our kids to have Christian friends. And we need advice, and to be out of our comfort zone sometimes. I’ve found that I really enjoyed the company of some people that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise hung out with! And I love sharing my experience/insight with younger generations, as well as gaining the same from older generations! 👍🏼 Keep it up, guys. God bless you!
Thank you for setting such a great example to others! I enjoyed hearing your insights and found them very helpful. Praise God for the work He is doing in your lives.
Our Messianic congregation includes the children in the service. They listen to our Rabbi’s sermons, sing worship songs and do Messianic praise dancing. We have a potluck lunch afterwards that is called Oneg (delight) which is great for fellowship. Every Sabbath, the children gather under the prayer shawl and our Rabbi and congregation pray the Aaronic blessing over them. We are very family oriented❣️😀👫👫👫🙏🏻 We do not meet during the week, so we aren’t over committed. We also celebrate the Biblical Holy Day Feasts, which are so joyful❣️✡️
It’s interesting y’all bring up this topic. This was on my heart recently and I’ve started to wonder why the kiddos run off to “children’s church” every Sunday. That is one thing I actually do appreciate about the Catholic upbringing that I had… we rarely ever had “children’s church.” There are multiple reasons why I did not stay with the Catholic Church but I do appreciate that aspect of it. I appreciate that y’all are talking about these topics. Many people aren’t discussing these things. I love that you are continually seeking the Truth.
As someone who grew up in a ministry oriented family that prioritized Church ministry over the family ministry, I know that it's a major regret for my parents now. Four of my five siblings have now left the Church, and I almost did as well last year, but God intervened in my life. I know that my siblings attribute the fact that our parents and us kids were all so focused on the Church ministry, that our own spiritual needs were being neglected and none of us were really being discipled and getting grounded in our faiths as major reasons why they ended up leaving. It's one of the reasons why I almost left. My parents regret that they didn't prioritize discipling us kids when we were young, but my mom and I have been attending a discipleship program at our church together regularly for almost six months, and we've seen it working in both of our lives.
Absolutely great conversation! I think Scripture is very clear in that God blesses obedience. We are commanded to forsake not the assembling of ourselves together. While not all circumstances are going to be perfect, God will bless obedience. My mum and I have often had the conversation about how so often it's the young parents who are called on to serve specifically in areas of teaching. We are out of the baby stage and my husband and I have been married for almost a decade, yet I still don't feel even close to equipped to be sharing lots of teaching on marriage, etc. My husband and I do serve, but we also say no a lot too because our kids need us first.
It’s so interesting to hear to as I didn’t grow up with this mentality and didn’t know any friends/families who had your old views. But I am even more encouraged in my beliefs now or not forsaking the meeting of the brethren. Thanks for the insight! Also I just love you guys. Alll of your podcasts and episodes are awesome and I learn so much. Even tangents you go on are wonderful and insightful and welcomed! 👏👏👏thanks for doing this. I also wanted to add - I love Elisha’s comments on how some churches don’t value family… I never noticed it but exactly what he said I’ve experienced so much now that he said it. So so true.
Growing up in a Christian home my parents were very involved but we were with them always! Mom taught the kids and we're in that class! Dad did as much as Mom did for us kids even washing me and my sister's and brothers hair polishing our shoes for church etc...❤❤❤
Its so refreshing for Elijah to actually be the leader and head of the household. Some men will not take on that roll and most of the time its left to the wife to be the spiritual head of house when God didn't mean for it to be that way. God bless your family!
As a new Christian in south Orange County, it's nearly impossible to find a church that doesn't use smoke machines and laser beams. Suggestions appreciated!
Just moved away from Orange County and the biggest thing we miss is our church! I had the same problem and was really looking for a smaller traditional church but not too traditional lol We found a church that had humble pastors, good non-flashy worship and has a GREAT community. The Church is called Grace Fellowship in Costa Mesa. Not sure if that's too far away from you but highly recommend checking it out! It's not a perfect church, but it was perfect for our needs in this season of our life. Praying for you as I know the struggles of trying to find a good church!
@@ZacharyPaulson how amazing! I grew up in the south coast metro area and know that spot well! I know there are many churches by the airport but there's almost TOO many which can be overwhelming. Thank you for your direction! In your experience, have you found it easier to make a church your home outside of OC? My family has been here for 100years and contemplating making a change for the sake of a more humble & authentic community. Much appreciated! God bless you!
Check out your local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.😊 Christ-focused, family-friendly, no paid clergy, and super kind people-for the most part. (And no laser light shows. 😉)
Wow it’s almost like you are talking directly to me right now! We have almost the same family setup as you guys, our first four children were born in four years so as you can imagine I was incredibly overwhelmed. We decided to search for some private Christian schools in the area to enroll my now five year old. When we arrived with our bundle of children, it was either met with outright contempt, shock, or those comments that people seem to think are so hilarious along the lines of “you know how that happens right?“ But one school in particular seemed to have a peculiar interest in us, Immediately asking if I could volunteer as a teachers aid, my husband in another group etc. They said any members must attend all functions like volunteering to cook Thanksgiving dinner, cleaning the school/ church, field trips, etc. it seemed like a huge undertaking for two very overwhelmed & busy young parents of several young kids. I asked if they had any other large families attending their school/church and she told me their largest family also had four children scattered in age. It was almost like they saw us as “an example“ that they wanted to set for the other parishioners, which of course I was incredibly flattered about but it just felt like a lot was getting plopped in our laps especially during a time when, if anything, we were the ones in need of more help Rather than in a position to give help to others. I felt so much guilt about it, like I was being uncharitable, or selfish with my time, but hearing you guys say that sometimes it’s more important to focus on the needs of your own household rather than the needs at large, is so helpful to hear. I would love to hear more about why you guys think the anti-family attitude is so pervasive in society + the church as well 👏
First time commenting here.... It is a very easy decision for me what church to attend...attend the one you got saved in (of course as long as it's not some weird cult). All this talk about "what church should I attend" is foreign to someone like me who did not grow up in a loving home with 2 God fearing parents. I was a sinful 15 year old girl that got powerfully converted. I served in my church, met my husband there, dedicated my children there. Just wanted to offer a different perspective.....
Elisha, chill! This is exactly what I was wondering what to do for our five year old who is still sucking her thumb. Our methods were not successful yet, she reverted to it.
How about trying the traditional Latin mass? You will find large families, and lots of kids in the mass. Look up who started the Catholic Church (it was Jesus). Who started to break off??? Martin Luther… why go in the direction of a man who broke his vow to God? Once you know the fullness of truth that is the Catholic faith, you cannot deny it.
I was homeschooled but grew up in main stream Christianity. Went to a huge Baptist church that pushed Sunday school and was friends with mostly public schoolers. Now that we are married and have our own kids we are trying to be more family centered and have learned a lot from y’all. We spent two months this summer in Oregon living with a family that knows y’all that does family church and we met Katie’s parents and have learned a lot!
Yup grew up with non-conformist here. My dad grew up Catholic and started looking into baby Baptisms when I was born. He decided it didn’t match the Bible. I was switched around in homeschooling, Christian school, and public. He became a Christian through Amway. We also had a big family that stuck out every where. We went to a lot of different churches - a lot of them Charismatic. My dad stayed pretty strong and consistent throughout the years but two of the churches we left because of scandal and some because we didn’t change our convictions on things like women wearing head coverings. This video is very helpful.
Infant baptism is biblical. Read Acts, there are several instances where “households” were baptized. Where in the Bible does it say “you need to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior” to be baptized? Baptism is a gift, one doesn’t need to do anything to earn it.
Traditional Roman Catholic mom of 7 here. We share a lot more common ground then you probably think. Thanks for your videos- you guys are an inspiration to my husband and to me 😊
I was just going to comment as a Roman Catholic and point out how interesting this is to me! We have similar conversations, don't we?! "Children's Church," style of liturgy, central place of the homily/sermon, and completely ignoring the need for preaching about what is Catholic Church teaching: marriage without contraception.
We may share some common ground, but the core tenants of Our beliefs are very different. We share common ground with a lot of false religions, Mormons, JW, ect, but When We say Christ alone, We mean Christ alone for the remission of sin. Christ & Christ alone as mediator between Man & God. Not Mary as co-mediator with Christ or a priest & Jesus, Jesus Christ alone. I say this with respect, out of love for neighbor, Catholicism has distorted & perverted the Gospel. Google search "Vatican is a snake wearing a crown". If You truly want to know The Truth, The Way & The Life, then We must face the harsh reality of the cunningness of the devil, he comes as an angel of light. When you know the truth the truth will set you free and when you're set free you are free indeed. Christ and Christ alone for the remission of sins. If I didn't truly care about you and your family I would have just ignored your comment and scrolled on by.... Only Jesus can remove the scales from someone's eyes.
We're out in NH where there isn't a church on every corner. We recently moved and are about to leave our chirch of many, many years and it is so hard! There are some areas that we are not agreeing with after we merged with another church and brought their pastor on as our new pastor. Others have gone before us and received negative responses from the pastor on similar issues and it has discouraged us from chatting with the pastor. I am feeling convicted however about Elijah mentioning he truly regretted leaving a church that preached the word and loved the Lord. So, that being said, pray for us as we talk with the pastor tomorrow 😮😊
I love hearing how your parents prioritized discipleship at home during the season of raising children. And, now are encouraging/teaching others how to do the same. Young families need the encouragement. The undercurrent of culture even within many churches works against what your parents chose. I am a grandmother now, and teach SS (ages 6-8) at our church. I am encouraged by how well my students are discipled at home. It’s evident by their familiarity with the Scriptures. 12 & up moves into adult SS. Not stating this as a hard rule, but I do see a lot of spiritual maturity among the youth in our church. Not a perfect church, but a faithful one.
Thank you for the podcast! I grew up in church & have lifelong friends because of it. My family is apart of a local church & we do serve. I do wish we had more larger families similar to yours to do life with. 💕
I thought this topic was really beneficial to hear, its something ive mentioned to my boyfriend who hasnt committed to a home church in the area because he feels that studying the Word on his own has been a positive for him. This video gives great points as to why community by way of a physical church is actually a good thing
My phone keeps recommending this video and every time I see the thumbnail I think it’s that girl who was freaking out on the airplane recently!! I think it’s the hair style.
I also find it interesting that you both think that pastor's should be in their 50s, 60s and 70s. My husband and I have come to a very different option, that ideally a pastor should be between 30 and 60. After 60, we have noticed that preachers tend to hold on to long and hard, often driving their church into the ground for lack of care and true pastoring.
I don't believe a Christian has to attend a local organized church to be a follower of Christ. I will say that because i homeschool and my husband is able to partly work from home we are around our kids a ton. And we love it! We do almost daily Bible studies and hymn singing all together. So when i go to my local church the kids love seeing friends and having their own kid service. They sing, play games, eat snack and have a study presented in a fun and engaging way. So in our circumstances i love kid church and big church being seperate. But again we spend tons of time with our kids at home so separating for a couple hours isn't a big deal for us. I know that is not everyone's experience. Peace 🕊️
I can’t help not telling you guys I can see you are real spiritual couple before other things Real thing I m sharing with you is I able to witness all the Godly qualities what you think worshipper’s should have when I attended Kingdom Hall locally They are not perfect but practising Christ very closely Never see. Things like this anywhere They live what they teach ? They follow every word They don’t pick and choose to follow I m looking forward too hear your experience going to Kingdom Hall They have more than 1000 languages to reach less privileged people who can’t have access to internet I m sure you might have already been there
We just took a hard look into our faith this year and we found orthodox Christianity. I really think they are the true church, it really feels like stepping back in time. They also have such a sincere love of families.
We are also Orthodox Christians! I agree that families are welcomed and love that we do not separate for a children's service. We ALL partake of the sacrament of Holy Communion together.
I dont think we grow when we dont go to church and fellowship with others. Coming from someone who is predominantly introverted and want to be home all the time and struggle to commit to more things at church i have grown and have overcome many areas in my life being apart of the body of christ. Seeing family members who are not seem to have grown spiritually asleep and stagnant. I was convicted to learn not having a love for the body of christ is a sign of the fruit of the spirit not at work in my life because Jesus loves His church. We either grow around other's or we become more isolated and the later is worse than the first. I have been hurt in the church and its pushed me away but God has kept me in church and not let me be the lost sheep away from the 99.
We had trouble finding a church, found Calvary chapel chapter by chapter verse by verse real people loving each other and Jesus. There is no membership. When you are saved you are a member of Gods church already.
Yes i love seeing people 50+ in a Leadership role that have God’s fruit and have proven success and grandchildren that they minister to. Ugh and dont get me started on prosperity gospel, i run from those churches. I did not come to church to gain material things of this world. I came here to pray together and love one another, i barely even feel like I can hear God in church most of the time.. all the performing and lights is distracting
Throwing an idea out there: It could partly be cultural. When I lived on the west coast there was a lot of the “rugged individuality” that you mentioned you inherited from your father. West coast spirituality is less traditional, more individualistic, and tends to be more non-denominational. When I moved to the east coast and joined a reformed church, the men were more involved and securely attached in the church. More robust theology and structure were helpful to men in many ways. The local culture in the east is also less individualistic and more community-based to a degree. Institutions are generally treated with a little less suspicion and churches don’t go out of their way as much to distance themselves from tradition. There’s pitfalls in tradition and formalism but at least for me, I found it much easier as a man to commit to such a kind of church.
As much as I think it’s cute when they suck their thumbs, e ended up needing braces for four years because of how badly I pulled my teeth forward 🫣 my family also did the sock and it didn’t work! I’m glad it’s worked for you though! Just know it can be a problem!
I really liked this episode. I’ve always grown up in churches where families sit together. The idea of children being separated is bizarre to me. I’ve always felt the need to contribute to at least one thing but it can be hard to understand if you should turn something down or if you should do it. You never want to take on to much.
Please, potty training podcast 🙏🏻 our oldest is 2.5 and brilliant… but we haven’t cracked the potty code. My husband and I are youngest of two with no model for how to land this plane!
My 3rd is 2.5 and I'm having trouble too! My first took 1.5 years and I hated it. Daughter was day and night trained with almost no accidents in 1.5 weeks. Boys are a different ball game and the method I used for my daughter definitely wasn't working for my sons!
Ugh! I wish I had heard this method of stopping thumb sucking! My 3.4 year old sucks on her two fingers, the middle and finger and she’s been doing that since she was a baby! 😭😭 idk what to do! We’ve tried the nasty polish for mail biters and the dentist is saying she should have stopped. And I notice her two top teeth are getting crooked. I may have to try a version like this but for my older child 🙏 Lord help me 😭
It is amazing because many of the things you have been talking about are things we were recently talking about. I believe God is leading many people right now to serve in spirit and in truth. Me and my husband just became members of a church as well after many years of moving and not wanted to be a member of any church. The church is not perfect as you said but we should be only “receivers” but “givers”. Each one of us have something we can give, even if it’s a little talent and we can contribute in a way so that the body gets healed I would say. We personally go to a SDA church and it has been a blessing. But we think that God’s people are also in many other denominations. I believe a Time us coming when Christians will begin to be persecuted for their faith and following God’s law in the US , when God will gather his flock from different backgrounds to worship him in spirit and in truth, the truth of the Bible. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith because the shaking started to happen. Thank you so much for all your nice messages you guys are a blessing. I keep you all in prayer 🙏 ❤❤❤
The large family comments and stares in churches made me smile. It happens to us all the time, and we only have 3 (almost 4), but they’re all very young. ❤
Great talk! There is no joining of a church in the Bible, but it does speak that we need to “assemble ourselves together even the more so as we see the day approaching,” as the scriptures say. I’ve been raised in church my whole life, because it’s Biblical, but I’ve NEVER joined or been part of an organization/church. Neither has my family. The Bible should be what leads our life not a church creed. So maybe you all haven’t found a full truly Bible-Believing church. You guys have a phenomenal channel. I trust you can find a church that teaches and believes the whole truth……All of the Bible
What I’ve seen work for potty training is to A. Either do the “one of somthing if you go #1 and 2 of whatever if you go #2” B. Make a chart and have stickers “you can put little ones on the chart for #1 and a bigger sticker for #2” we looovvved charts growing up! And you could say there is a prize but honestly the stickers are usually enough motivation! lol
This was a wonderful conversation! My husband and I have been in this situation since moving to West Virginia. Every church we have visited seems weirded out with the amount of kids we have and that they attend service with us. Keep up the great work. Very encouraging to hear from other young families seeking christ!
This GREATLY encouraged me! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. My favorite part was listening about Elijah’s upbringing and how his father handled being asked to be super involved in the church. So relatable!
It's a great conversation! I really admire you guys so much! We value family incredibly and that's why we homeschool and are involved in our local church and members there. However, we do utilize and love our Sunday school teachers and children's church workers. Jesus had such love for the children and that has really spoken to us. Our children do come into the service with us at 6th grade and by then they really can understand what's being spoken and be such contributors to the service. And our older children actually had the benefit of sitting in church from the beginning on Sunday night services but we haven't had those in about 4 years. So I do value our children's church and Sunday school for our kids We work in children's church once a month and it is incredible! We patterned the service after the service they would get in the sanctuary and it has been incredible.
I feel this in a big way!! The comment- you just leaving and taking the easy way out doesn’t help that body grow in any way or shift their perspective in any way…. We just moved to Florida and finally after 8 months have landed somewhere where we want to call “home” . It felt quite unsettling to be searching , staying home, just surface…. Although we knew we had to give ourselves time. It feels good to be “home!”
Thanks for pointing out that random tea gatherings don’t really need bishops etc. I’ve been wondering for years how it was Biblical to belong to a church . I’ve heard that scripture so many times but missed that! Pro verbs 18:1 too.
I'm so Happy for you guys and I just love to see that you are growing and maturing! Having just found y'all's channel... I looked back to when you very first started and I feel like even since then you'll have matured so much and I'm actually really encouraged by that. I'm a smidge older than you all... but I have such a burden for the younger generation just right behind me and I am so encouraged by your testimony and commitment to God's will and desire for your life in the body of Christ.
I know Latter-Day Saints aren't Christian. I think if people could drop their preconceived ideas, and actually take some time to study it from a LDS perspective, I think you would find exactly what you are seeking. Family is the center of God's plan. The doctrine has a connection from Old Testament to New Testament to modern day. I love you so much and learn from you all the time. I feel this every time I listen to you.
THANK YOU FOR THIS PODCAST! I live on the other side of the Atlantic, in Slovenia. About half of the population are Catholic, but I guess many of them (us :-/) aren't active believers. The church in Slovenia is very traditional, with rare exceptions, which depends a lot on the pastor. In our country, the number of believers is decreasing, we don't have enough pastors, many of them are very old and like "to wag their finger from the pulpit" - they are patronizing, critical. I don't feel welcome in my local church because of the pastor's attitude.I was thinking of starting to attend a church in a neighboring town. But your podcast inspired me to persevere :-) The American attitude towards religion is very inspiring to me in certain ways. Perhaps youtube gives the impression that there are many more engaged believers. I like the American and Canadian materials for imparting religion to children and adults - above all, they are accessible to everyone. On the other hand, many aspects of the religious families from America/Canada I follow on RUclips seem radical to me. But your view of the church community, in which very different people find themselves, seems to me to be the right direction for a modern human - not only a Christian. Individualism and single-mindedness will hijack our society. And if Jesus teaches us anything, he teaches us compassion, acceptance, openness, understanding, patience... Yes, and sometimes you need all these virtues to get involved in the local church.
It really is a top down issue. My husband has volunteered, been on staff full time, and has also done contract work for numerous evangelical churches over the years. We turned down a full time position offer a couple years ago after they had him contract for a few months as a trial. Our reason was we observed the leadership having no boundaries with work hours at the church, always being on call when at home, etc. and seeing a lack of concern of how this was affecting their families. Too many red flags for us. My husband was as professional but honest about our reasons for declining the offer and they must have listened because they recently started giving their pastors a sabbatical after working there for 7 years…we all have an impact, don’t discount what our Father has shown you in His Word about how we live life and the choices we make and stand firm in that conviction, no matter if other Christians don’t understand. Shalom to all 💛
I've always wondered why people think yhe kids going back to school was so wonderful. I enjoy having the kids with us, I don't have to worry about them, or subject matter that we disagree with, so homeschooling is the best for our family!
To add to the type of listeners you have: we home school, we also do not attend a local church, we live stream from home. I’ve never felt comfortable leaving my kids in a room with a bunch of people I don’t know and hope they are learning what aligns with our family’s beliefs and aren’t being influenced by other kiddos negatively.
You hit on some great thought provoking points. As someone who chooses to do things differently than prescribed sometimes that mentality can be copied and pasted and applied to church. It’s wise to point out how incredibly important the body of Christ is though to God and to us as believers and to not forsake that. I agree I was flighty from church for different reasons than you described but in the past 5 years going consistently to a church has been a huge source of growth and community for me and my children. Now as I look to change to a church that’s more local to my house it’s quite difficult to leave.
Wow this conversation was SO GOOD!! Seriously thank you guys so much for being willing to talk through all of this. You are both wise beyond your years.
I think it is very hard to find a solid church. But, I think you have to know what you’re looking for. A family intergrated church. I find that most Preachers who preach book by book and exegetical have a high view of family and marriage. My pastor does and we know of several solid churches who also have this same view. They offer children’s church- but they welcome children in the worship & sermon. Also, I’ve never seen a church with a high amount of disabilities in both adults and kids integrated in the worship/ preaching service. They make them feel welcomed & loved.
I have not heard anyone else talk about this topic - other than my church family!!! Kingdom life is reflected in the family. Covenant in the local Body is not measured by "membership " but commitment to each other. Being connected to each other brings opportunities to minister to each other.
1:25 just in the beginning here and feeling that I should pray for your household. May you hold onto the Lord in the season to come and may your hearts be comforted by the fact that we do not always know the reason for the season, but we know the Lord who makes the season to pass** If you’re hanging on by a thread, make sure it’s the hem of His garment… Love you brother and sister in the Lord
I enjoyed hearing your experiences and perspectives on this. I grew up as the younger child of a pastor, so I'm fond of and familiar with various Pentecostal and mainline Christian crowds. To be honest, one of the worst things that happened to the church was when contraception became allowed. You see the fruits of it now with how cordoned off age groups are in many churches. And I would also respectfully add that, despite numerous issues of its own within the Catholic Church, there is something to be said for their Sunday obligation to attend Mass, regardless of how we feel about it. The words "duty," "obligation," and "religion" have been turned into slurs. I understand we have to be discerning about the teachings at churches, but we owe it to the God of the universe to go out of our way to pay Him homage once a week.
We have two children and the oppression is real and the jokes were heartbreaking!! We move a lot due to being full time RVers in this season. Very few churches love large families. One of my very close friends has six children and she would apologize for bringing so many children to church. I will tell her she’s being ridiculous. I was the only one in church that would make her feel comfortable about bringing her children into the church. Another mother always had her daughter in church and she went to the Bible study in the morning. They couldn’t understand why she would like Bible study at 9 AM but not children’s church and everybody would ask that mother constantly when she was going to allow her daughter to go to children’s church and she said that her daughter need to be part of the body. They were there for three years and I asked that question the whole time.
Hey I love all your podcasts. Thank you. I have wondered though if you could talk briefly one time on the jujitsu you practise. The roots and source of it . Thanks
I was interested and surprised to hear that committing to a church was a newer idea & practice to these two! Not sure about other listeners, but coming from a conservative Christian background and then learning about the Reformed tradition from my husband when we were dating, church membership has been a given for me for a long time. I’ve always seen reluctance to join a church attributed to a much different “type” of Christian, coming more from a disdain for authority or tradition. It was interesting to hear a totally different progression to church membership. Worth remembering that while our spouses and children are earthly family, our church family is eternal.
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I’m a listener and we homeschool, attend a local church, and let our kids go to nursery and children’s church. Just letting you know what kind of listener y’all have 😂 I don’t know maybe I’m half fringe 🤣🤣🤣
Anyway on a more serious note I have to commend your dad Elisha for not serving in the church when he literally had his own small body of believers at home. My husband and I also feel strongly that our children are our ministry. I have seen women with young children neglect their husbands and little children in the “act of serving” at the church and it is disheartening to see. I believe women are made to feel that if they are not serving in the church that they are not serving the Lord when in reality they are doing exactly what God has called them to do in their homes- raise and disciple their children.
Fantastic podcast!!!!
ditto! As homeschoolers we especially appreciate the fellowship and friendship for our children at their children's church service. I feel they learn more about Bible basics and allows them to enable deeper friendships. I tried bringing my 7 year old to service with me and neither of us ended up following the service too well .. she couldn't take the notes fast enough and I had to reiterate what was happening the whole time lol. This was the last time we attempted that. But our church does have middle schoolers and high schoolers in Sunday service and then youth group is Wednesday during Awana for the littles. I find that to be a good age to incorporate the youth into adult service.
I really, really enjoyed this discussion. I think that bringing up the issues of church discipline and the context of the letters is an essential part of understanding the importance of church fellowship. If you didnt bring it up I was going to!
My husband grew up in a family like yours, big (12+), with a stong father who wasn't keen on committing his family to the influence of a church. Although they were "members," they were almost always away and were (as my husband has put it) activly discouraged from being active members. Much of that perspective had to be unlearned on my husband's part and we both now have very strong view on the importance of church fellowship and membership. Much of our beliefs around church changed in the last several years and my husband does feel that his family's almost anti-church stance did hinder his walk with the Lord especially early on.
Sometimes the issue is submission. Am I willing to put up with some people and let some things go that I'd do differently? The church isnt there for me, its for Jesus. How do I worship and make church about him? By serving the brethren, singing together, exorting and encouraging others in Christ. I can't do that effectively outside of a local church. The church is to help make ready the body of Christ for his return!
Well said. My husband also points to how the NT mentions lists of widows to provide for financially within the church. So that list implies some official and formal group of people.
This video made me very grateful for my local church. I’m so thankful to be a part of a community that values and empowers the family. God intended the family and the local church to complement each other.
Thanks for this convo! I honestly feel the same way about serving in church. When I was single I serve a lot! Now I have two under two and people ask me all the time when I’m going to start serving again. I remember people would be serving for 2 + services and just leaving their kids in kids ministry for multiple services and I knew I couldn’t do that. It’s good to know that there’s fruit in choosing your family and that you’re not strange for not serving for a season.
Good point! There is a time for everything. I was very involved in my youth years, and now as a Mommy I’m still involved but not as much. We must say no sometimes, and people need to understand and respect that.
Great discussion! Finding a church has been a challenge for my husband and me for this reason, churches who aren't aligned with biblical values. We've been rejected because of our biblical views yet we still desire to assemble. We'll find the right church in time I'm sure. 🙏🏼 God is faithful!
As a young kid, I would BEG my parents to sit in "big church" with them and they rarely let me. Now, as a parent, I think it's sad that they thought they church teaching had to be done separately. When I was there, I would take copious notes (even at 7-8 years old). I still have these notes and was clearly paying attention. But, in kids church, it felt like it was more about the social dynamic and having crazy fun. It made me uncomfortable. I want my kids in church with me. We pursue God as a family.
Wow I was imagining the opposite. I was not raised in a Christian home. But I figured a lot of kid would have a really hard keeping up with the regular service or not understanding what is being said or just having trouble sitting down and paying attention . That is so sad your parents did not like you said the main service obviously you had a deep desire to get to know God's word better.
We are apart of an independent Baptist church and our church is family integrated, which means we don’t separate children from their parents. We don’t even have Sunday schools for the kids. Most of our church family are large homeschooling families too.
Pausing the video 7 minutes in to say, I loved the personal family updates! As a young mom here I am celebrating with you the successful training out of thumb sucking and out of diapers. Huge wins! Woo!
I’m the mama of 3. 5 and under. My husband is the youth pastor at our local church and we both serve on the worship team. I help him in the youth room when the church splits up into community groups. Our children attend the kids/nursery service and I enjoy and value highly the time with my husband on sundays when we get to serve together.
We spend lots of time together as a family and I am homeschooling my kiddos and we do daily bible readings and prioritize biblical parenting with our children.
There are other young families in our church that bring their children in to the service and sit together.
We are probably “fringe” too but doing our best to engage the community around us and in our church to embrace biblical truths about families rather than cultural norms.
Big fan of the truths yall boldly share on your channel! Thank you for taking the time! This is ministry to your listeners!
I think our society ,media and worldly outlets in our generation really hates authority nowadays and this has crept into the church. Gods order sets in place an order of authority for our own good. It's to protect us. There is authority in our husbands, elders in church and even government (Roman's 13). In all realms there is an authority that we are to submit too and in all realms. If we are honest with ourselves we find it difficult to submit, especially because our pride tells us we know better, or are wiser, and better on our own, so why submit. However, we need the local church and it needs us. Do not forsake the saints, give honor to your Elders( even if they fail in so many areas). Our disposition should be to do Gods will, which is found in His holy word and it tells is to be part of a local body ( for our own good by the way). If he tells us to submit, we must do so in obedience to God. Otherwise you could be in danger of being outside of His will.
The issue is alot of these places called "church" are not biblically sound. They are also 501C3, ran like a buisness rather than the gathering of the saints. My husband and I aren't connected to any fellowship because of this. There is no unction or urgency to just join a "church." We have children we need to take care of. We wont sit and listen to just anyone! Thats confusion on what you teach at home as to what alot folks are "teaching." And leaving children with a bunch of strangers to babysit them is wrong. No wonder pedophiles are found in places like churches 🤷🏻♀️.😢
Also had to add... folks use so many different translations that have perverted GOD'S WORD. That in and of itself changes doctrine.
Minute 25, and the very men who are begging all of you to serve are the ones getting a fat paycheck and someone else is teaching/leading. All of that begins in the HOME. Ya'll are nailing it about church. I broke my ankle and leg and not ONE person offered to drive me to church, where I volunteered. Everyone knew. No one asked if I needed anything. I had been serving and yeah, it was sad. No one cares. I recently stopped volunteering and attending a church (10 years of all that) and not one person reached out and asked how I was. Everyone is just super focused on the rock show and fashion show and snagging volunteer positions to feel good about themselves or sit in THEIR seat. Jesus didn't have church that way. AT ALL. I actually do go to another church though. I am single and really need to be around people like me with similar values. There is no rock concert or fasion show. The leader of the church does not belong to a boat club or live in another city and drive into the city and act like a local. (I mention that because I live in Austin, Texas and lots of pastors have NEVER lived IN the city where they have a church. They drive in and act like they know the culture. They don't. I could type so much but I will stop,, but as usual, y'all are nailing this topic as you do all your topics. I discovered this channel thru a bread making lady and her guest. I have zero in common with ya'll but every value is the same, so it's even funny that I am watching this channel, but I feel validated and heard. True sense finally found and voice and it's y'all.
I am 66 years old I agree totally young couples should make their family priority following God's ways people in their 50s 60s still have a lot of strength and wisdom to really get involved and roll up their sleeves and help at their local churches fellowships Etc
sunday is not the Lord’s day--- The true Lord’s Day is Saturday=Sabbath
#elimination communication, this might be for you guys ….
Yes! A very relevant subject today. I think there are 2 extremes that we should avoid: legalism/ tradition being placed on a pedestal, and the whole “just” personal relationship with God is enough view.
Church isn’t just for growing as a Christian, because obviously you can do that at home through listening to sermons, etc… But we need human relationships. We need fellowship. We need accountability. We need to serve each other (and not just BE served). We need our kids to have Christian friends. And we need advice, and to be out of our comfort zone sometimes. I’ve found that I really enjoyed the company of some people that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise hung out with! And I love sharing my experience/insight with younger generations, as well as gaining the same from older generations! 👍🏼 Keep it up, guys. God bless you!
Thank you for setting such a great example to others! I enjoyed hearing your insights and found them very helpful. Praise God for the work He is doing in your lives.
Our Messianic congregation includes the children in the service. They listen to our Rabbi’s sermons, sing worship songs and do Messianic praise dancing. We have a potluck lunch afterwards that is called Oneg (delight) which is great for fellowship. Every Sabbath, the children gather under the prayer shawl and our Rabbi and congregation pray the Aaronic blessing over them. We are very family oriented❣️😀👫👫👫🙏🏻 We do not meet during the week, so we aren’t over committed. We also celebrate the Biblical Holy Day Feasts, which are so joyful❣️✡️
I love your guy’s perspective on this, if God didnt say it okay or didnt say to do it, its an absolute no from me - God - Family - Community last
There are no mature believers that are not part of a local church.
It’s interesting y’all bring up this topic. This was on my heart recently and I’ve started to wonder why the kiddos run off to “children’s church” every Sunday.
That is one thing I actually do appreciate about the Catholic upbringing that I had… we rarely ever had “children’s church.” There are multiple reasons why I did not stay with the Catholic Church but I do appreciate that aspect of it.
I appreciate that y’all are talking about these topics. Many people aren’t discussing these things. I love that you are continually seeking the Truth.
As someone who grew up in a ministry oriented family that prioritized Church ministry over the family ministry, I know that it's a major regret for my parents now. Four of my five siblings have now left the Church, and I almost did as well last year, but God intervened in my life. I know that my siblings attribute the fact that our parents and us kids were all so focused on the Church ministry, that our own spiritual needs were being neglected and none of us were really being discipled and getting grounded in our faiths as major reasons why they ended up leaving. It's one of the reasons why I almost left. My parents regret that they didn't prioritize discipling us kids when we were young, but my mom and I have been attending a discipleship program at our church together regularly for almost six months, and we've seen it working in both of our lives.
Absolutely great conversation! I think Scripture is very clear in that God blesses obedience. We are commanded to forsake not the assembling of ourselves together. While not all circumstances are going to be perfect, God will bless obedience.
My mum and I have often had the conversation about how so often it's the young parents who are called on to serve specifically in areas of teaching. We are out of the baby stage and my husband and I have been married for almost a decade, yet I still don't feel even close to equipped to be sharing lots of teaching on marriage, etc.
My husband and I do serve, but we also say no a lot too because our kids need us first.
It’s so interesting to hear to as I didn’t grow up with this mentality and didn’t know any friends/families who had your old views. But I am even more encouraged in my beliefs now or not forsaking the meeting of the brethren. Thanks for the insight! Also I just love you guys. Alll of your podcasts and episodes are awesome and I learn so much. Even tangents you go on are wonderful and insightful and welcomed! 👏👏👏thanks for doing this. I also wanted to add - I love Elisha’s comments on how some churches don’t value family… I never noticed it but exactly what he said I’ve experienced so much now that he said it. So so true.
Really appreciated Elisha’s humility and honesty.
I agree, the full family's must be worship together, not separating the children from parents
Growing up in a Christian home my parents were very involved but we were with them always! Mom taught the kids and we're in that class! Dad did as much as Mom did for us kids even washing me and my sister's and brothers hair polishing our shoes for church etc...❤❤❤
Its so refreshing for Elijah to actually be the leader and head of the household. Some men will not take on that roll and most of the time its left to the wife to be the spiritual head of house when God didn't mean for it to be that way. God bless your family!
As a new Christian in south Orange County, it's nearly impossible to find a church that doesn't use smoke machines and laser beams. Suggestions appreciated!
Just moved away from Orange County and the biggest thing we miss is our church! I had the same problem and was really looking for a smaller traditional church but not too traditional lol
We found a church that had humble pastors, good non-flashy worship and has a GREAT community. The Church is called Grace Fellowship in Costa Mesa. Not sure if that's too far away from you but highly recommend checking it out! It's not a perfect church, but it was perfect for our needs in this season of our life. Praying for you as I know the struggles of trying to find a good church!
@@ZacharyPaulson how amazing! I grew up in the south coast metro area and know that spot well! I know there are many churches by the airport but there's almost TOO many which can be overwhelming. Thank you for your direction! In your experience, have you found it easier to make a church your home outside of OC? My family has been here for 100years and contemplating making a change for the sake of a more humble & authentic community. Much appreciated! God bless you!
Check out your local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.😊 Christ-focused, family-friendly, no paid clergy, and super kind people-for the most part. (And no laser light shows. 😉)
The church of Christ focuses on singing only /hymns 💕
In Costa Mesa there is a church called Mission Bible- he’s a solid teacher! No extras And he teaches verse by verse.
Anthony Wood is the pastors name.
Wow it’s almost like you are talking directly to me right now! We have almost the same family setup as you guys, our first four children were born in four years so as you can imagine I was incredibly overwhelmed. We decided to search for some private Christian schools in the area to enroll my now five year old. When we arrived with our bundle of children, it was either met with outright contempt, shock, or those comments that people seem to think are so hilarious along the lines of “you know how that happens right?“ But one school in particular seemed to have a peculiar interest in us, Immediately asking if I could volunteer as a teachers aid, my husband in another group etc. They said any members must attend all functions like volunteering to cook Thanksgiving dinner, cleaning the school/ church, field trips, etc. it seemed like a huge undertaking for two very overwhelmed & busy young parents of several young kids. I asked if they had any other large families attending their school/church and she told me their largest family also had four children scattered in age. It was almost like they saw us as “an example“ that they wanted to set for the other parishioners, which of course I was incredibly flattered about but it just felt like a lot was getting plopped in our laps especially during a time when, if anything, we were the ones in need of more help Rather than in a position to give help to others. I felt so much guilt about it, like I was being uncharitable, or selfish with my time, but hearing you guys say that sometimes it’s more important to focus on the needs of your own household rather than the needs at large, is so helpful to hear.
I would love to hear more about why you guys think the anti-family attitude is so pervasive in society + the church as well 👏
They are out of touch with your situation. Wouldn't it be great if these people volunteered to help you at home?
First time commenting here....
It is a very easy decision for me what church to attend...attend the one you got saved in (of course as long as it's not some weird cult). All this talk about "what church should I attend" is foreign to someone like me who did not grow up in a loving home with 2 God fearing parents. I was a sinful 15 year old girl that got powerfully converted. I served in my church, met my husband there, dedicated my children there.
Just wanted to offer a different perspective.....
Elisha, chill! This is exactly what I was wondering what to do for our five year old who is still sucking her thumb. Our methods were not successful yet, she reverted to it.
How about trying the traditional Latin mass? You will find large families, and lots of kids in the mass. Look up who started the Catholic Church (it was Jesus). Who started to break off??? Martin Luther… why go in the direction of a man who broke his vow to God? Once you know the fullness of truth that is the Catholic faith, you cannot deny it.
I was homeschooled but grew up in main stream Christianity. Went to a huge Baptist church that pushed Sunday school and was friends with mostly public schoolers. Now that we are married and have our own kids we are trying to be more family centered and have learned a lot from y’all. We spent two months this summer in Oregon living with a family that knows y’all that does family church and we met Katie’s parents and have learned a lot!
I sucked my thumb for YEARS!!! I taught my daughter to suck her thumb too lol
Yup grew up with non-conformist here.
My dad grew up Catholic and started looking into baby Baptisms when I was born. He decided it didn’t match the Bible. I was switched around in homeschooling, Christian school, and public.
He became a Christian through Amway. We also had a big family that stuck out every where.
We went to a lot of different churches - a lot of them Charismatic. My dad stayed pretty strong and consistent throughout the years but two of the churches we left because of scandal and some because we didn’t change our convictions on things like women wearing head coverings.
This video is very helpful.
Infant baptism is biblical. Read Acts, there are several instances where “households” were baptized. Where in the Bible does it say “you need to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior” to be baptized? Baptism is a gift, one doesn’t need to do anything to earn it.
Traditional Roman Catholic mom of 7 here. We share a lot more common ground then you probably think. Thanks for your videos- you guys are an inspiration to my husband and to me 😊
I was just going to comment as a Roman Catholic and point out how interesting this is to me! We have similar conversations, don't we?! "Children's Church," style of liturgy, central place of the homily/sermon, and completely ignoring the need for preaching about what is Catholic Church teaching: marriage without contraception.
We may share some common ground, but the core tenants of Our beliefs are very different.
We share common ground with a lot of false religions, Mormons, JW, ect, but When We say Christ alone, We mean Christ alone for the remission of sin.
Christ & Christ alone as mediator between Man & God.
Not Mary as co-mediator with Christ or a priest & Jesus, Jesus Christ alone.
I say this with respect, out of love for neighbor, Catholicism has distorted & perverted the Gospel.
Google search "Vatican is a snake wearing a crown".
If You truly want to know The Truth, The Way & The Life, then We must face the harsh reality of the cunningness of the devil, he comes as an angel of light.
When you know the truth the truth will set you free and when you're set free you are free indeed.
Christ and Christ alone for the remission of sins.
If I didn't truly care about you and your family I would have just ignored your comment and scrolled on by....
Only Jesus can remove the scales from someone's eyes.
Your videos always inspire me thank you both ❤❤❤
We're out in NH where there isn't a church on every corner. We recently moved and are about to leave our chirch of many, many years and it is so hard! There are some areas that we are not agreeing with after we merged with another church and brought their pastor on as our new pastor. Others have gone before us and received negative responses from the pastor on similar issues and it has discouraged us from chatting with the pastor. I am feeling convicted however about Elijah mentioning he truly regretted leaving a church that preached the word and loved the Lord. So, that being said, pray for us as we talk with the pastor tomorrow 😮😊
I love hearing how your parents prioritized discipleship at home during the season of raising children. And, now are encouraging/teaching others how to do the same. Young families need the encouragement. The undercurrent of culture even within many churches works against what your parents chose. I am a grandmother now, and teach SS (ages 6-8) at our church. I am encouraged by how well my students are discipled at home. It’s evident by their familiarity with the Scriptures. 12 & up moves into adult SS. Not stating this as a hard rule, but I do see a lot of spiritual maturity among the youth in our church. Not a perfect church, but a faithful one.
Wow! Yall hit this one out of the park! This is very needful today! Thank you!
Thank you for the podcast! I grew up in church & have lifelong friends because of it. My family is apart of a local church & we do serve. I do wish we had more larger families similar to yours to do life with. 💕
I thought this topic was really beneficial to hear, its something ive mentioned to my boyfriend who hasnt committed to a home church in the area because he feels that studying the Word on his own has been a positive for him. This video gives great points as to why community by way of a physical church is actually a good thing
My phone keeps recommending this video and every time I see the thumbnail I think it’s that girl who was freaking out on the airplane recently!! I think it’s the hair style.
I also find it interesting that you both think that pastor's should be in their 50s, 60s and 70s. My husband and I have come to a very different option, that ideally a pastor should be between 30 and 60. After 60, we have noticed that preachers tend to hold on to long and hard, often driving their church into the ground for lack of care and true pastoring.
I don't believe a Christian has to attend a local organized church to be a follower of Christ. I will say that because i homeschool and my husband is able to partly work from home we are around our kids a ton. And we love it! We do almost daily Bible studies and hymn singing all together. So when i go to my local church the kids love seeing friends and having their own kid service. They sing, play games, eat snack and have a study presented in a fun and engaging way. So in our circumstances i love kid church and big church being seperate. But again we spend tons of time with our kids at home so separating for a couple hours isn't a big deal for us. I know that is not everyone's experience. Peace 🕊️
I can’t help not telling you guys
I can see you are real spiritual couple before other things
Real thing I m sharing with you is
I able to witness all the Godly qualities what you think worshipper’s should have when I attended Kingdom Hall locally
They are not perfect but practising Christ very closely
Never see. Things like this anywhere
They live what they teach ?
They follow every word
They don’t pick and choose to follow
I m looking forward too hear your experience going to Kingdom Hall
They have more than 1000 languages to reach less privileged people who can’t have access to internet
I m sure you might have already been there
We just took a hard look into our faith this year and we found orthodox Christianity. I really think they are the true church, it really feels like stepping back in time. They also have such a sincere love of families.
We are also Orthodox Christians! I agree that families are welcomed and love that we do not separate for a children's service. We ALL partake of the sacrament of Holy Communion together.
I dont think we grow when we dont go to church and fellowship with others. Coming from someone who is predominantly introverted and want to be home all the time and struggle to commit to more things at church i have grown and have overcome many areas in my life being apart of the body of christ. Seeing family members who are not seem to have grown spiritually asleep and stagnant. I was convicted to learn not having a love for the body of christ is a sign of the fruit of the spirit not at work in my life because Jesus loves His church. We either grow around other's or we become more isolated and the later is worse than the first. I have been hurt in the church and its pushed me away but God has kept me in church and not let me be the lost sheep away from the 99.
We are the Church❣
We had trouble finding a church, found Calvary chapel chapter by chapter verse by verse real people loving each other and Jesus. There is no membership. When you are saved you are a member of Gods church already.
Yes i love seeing people 50+ in a Leadership role that have God’s fruit and have proven success and grandchildren that they minister to.
Ugh and dont get me started on prosperity gospel, i run from those churches. I did not come to church to gain material things of this world. I came here to pray together and love one another, i barely even feel like I can hear God in church most of the time.. all the performing and lights is distracting
i had a problem with authoritytill the holy spirit convincedof thebenefitsof a likeminded group of people
Lol one can attach the Binkie with a string thing. No finding binkies.. they don't pull it off because they like it hehe zero stress lol
Really interesting to know the opinion bringing 3 best friends at home is church
What about including someone new in that group ?
Just wondering, if you continue open your new businesses how you can save time for God in any season of life?
Throwing an idea out there: It could partly be cultural. When I lived on the west coast there was a lot of the “rugged individuality” that you mentioned you inherited from your father. West coast spirituality is less traditional, more individualistic, and tends to be more non-denominational. When I moved to the east coast and joined a reformed church, the men were more involved and securely attached in the church. More robust theology and structure were helpful to men in many ways. The local culture in the east is also less individualistic and more community-based to a degree. Institutions are generally treated with a little less suspicion and churches don’t go out of their way as much to distance themselves from tradition. There’s pitfalls in tradition and formalism but at least for me, I found it much easier as a man to commit to such a kind of church.
Loved the home/ children updates!
Great content
As much as I think it’s cute when they suck their thumbs, e ended up needing braces for four years because of how badly I pulled my teeth forward 🫣 my family also did the sock and it didn’t work! I’m glad it’s worked for you though! Just know it can be a problem!
I ended up needing. Sorry for the weird auto correct!
I really liked this episode. I’ve always grown up in churches where families sit together. The idea of children being separated is bizarre to me. I’ve always felt the need to contribute to at least one thing but it can be hard to understand if you should turn something down or if you should do it. You never want to take on to much.
Please, potty training podcast 🙏🏻 our oldest is 2.5 and brilliant… but we haven’t cracked the potty code. My husband and I are youngest of two with no model for how to land this plane!
My 3rd is 2.5 and I'm having trouble too! My first took 1.5 years and I hated it. Daughter was day and night trained with almost no accidents in 1.5 weeks. Boys are a different ball game and the method I used for my daughter definitely wasn't working for my sons!
Love your top Katie! I’m curious, where did you get it?
Ugh! I wish I had heard this method of stopping thumb sucking! My 3.4 year old sucks on her two fingers, the middle and finger and she’s been doing that since she was a baby! 😭😭 idk what to do! We’ve tried the nasty polish for mail biters and the dentist is saying she should have stopped. And I notice her two top teeth are getting crooked. I may have to try a version like this but for my older child 🙏 Lord help me 😭
Sorry I meant 3.5 year old
It is amazing because many of the things you have been talking about are things we were recently talking about. I believe God is leading many people right now to serve in spirit and in truth. Me and my husband just became members of a church as well after many years of moving and not wanted to be a member of any church. The church is not perfect as you said but we should be only “receivers” but “givers”. Each one of us have something we can give, even if it’s a little talent and we can contribute in a way so that the body gets healed I would say. We personally go to a SDA church and it has been a blessing. But we think that God’s people are also in many other denominations. I believe a Time us coming when Christians will begin to be persecuted for their faith and following God’s law in the US , when God will gather his flock from different backgrounds to worship him in spirit and in truth, the truth of the Bible. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith because the shaking started to happen. Thank you so much for all your nice messages you guys are a blessing. I keep you all in prayer 🙏 ❤❤❤
would you guys try a Catholic mass?
More potty training talk pls!
What is your take on using apple products when the CEO is gay and uses these resources to influence decisions for expanding their agenda?
I grew up in a mainstream church 👍🏼
The large family comments and stares in churches made me smile. It happens to us all the time, and we only have 3 (almost 4), but they’re all very young. ❤
People just love beautiful families. Happens everywhere we go. Not only just church.
Great talk! There is no joining of a church in the Bible, but it does speak that we need to “assemble ourselves together even the more so as we see the day approaching,” as the scriptures say. I’ve been raised in church my whole life, because it’s Biblical, but I’ve NEVER joined or been part of an organization/church. Neither has my family. The Bible should be what leads our life not a church creed. So maybe you all haven’t found a full truly Bible-Believing church. You guys have a phenomenal channel. I trust you can find a church that teaches and believes the whole truth……All of the Bible
What I’ve seen work for potty training is to
A. Either do the “one of somthing if you go #1 and 2 of whatever if you go #2”
B. Make a chart and have stickers “you can put little ones on the chart for #1 and a bigger sticker for #2” we looovvved charts growing up! And you could say there is a prize but honestly the stickers are usually enough motivation! lol
This was a wonderful conversation! My husband and I have been in this situation since moving to West Virginia. Every church we have visited seems weirded out with the amount of kids we have and that they attend service with us. Keep up the great work. Very encouraging to hear from other young families seeking christ!
🙌 Fellow WV-ian here! If you're in the Charleston area, I can recommend some churches that welcome the whole family into the service.
@@hannahmcmillan5712 awesome! we are about 35 min from Charleston, in Amma.
@@devanpalmer-f9q Randolph Street Baptist Church (Charleston) & Risen King (Hurricane, it's daughter church) both have kids in the service.
This GREATLY encouraged me! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. My favorite part was listening about Elijah’s upbringing and how his father handled being asked to be super involved in the church. So relatable!
It's a great conversation!
I really admire you guys so much!
We value family incredibly and that's why we homeschool and are involved in our local church and members there.
However, we do utilize and love our Sunday school teachers and children's church workers. Jesus had such love for the children and that has really spoken to us. Our children do come into the service with us at 6th grade and by then they really can understand what's being spoken and be such contributors to the service.
And our older children actually had the benefit of sitting in church from the beginning on Sunday night services but we haven't had those in about 4 years. So I do value our children's church and Sunday school for our kids We work in children's church once a month and it is incredible! We patterned the service after the service they would get in the sanctuary and it has been incredible.
I feel this in a big way!! The comment- you just leaving and taking the easy way out doesn’t help that body grow in any way or shift their perspective in any way…. We just moved to Florida and finally after 8 months have landed somewhere where we want to call “home” . It felt quite unsettling to be searching , staying home, just surface…. Although we knew we had to give ourselves time. It feels good to be “home!”
Thanks for pointing out that random tea gatherings don’t really need bishops etc. I’ve been wondering for years how it was Biblical to belong to a church . I’ve heard that scripture so many times but missed that! Pro verbs 18:1 too.
I'm so Happy for you guys and I just love to see that you are growing and maturing! Having just found y'all's channel... I looked back to when you very first started and I feel like even since then you'll have matured so much and I'm actually really encouraged by that. I'm a smidge older than you all... but I have such a burden for the younger generation just right behind me and I am so encouraged by your testimony and commitment to God's will and desire for your life in the body of Christ.
I know Latter-Day Saints aren't Christian. I think if people could drop their preconceived ideas, and actually take some time to study it from a LDS perspective, I think you would find exactly what you are seeking. Family is the center of God's plan. The doctrine has a connection from Old Testament to New Testament to modern day. I love you so much and learn from you all the time. I feel this every time I listen to you.
THANK YOU FOR THIS PODCAST!
I live on the other side of the Atlantic, in Slovenia. About half of the population are Catholic, but I guess many of them (us :-/) aren't active believers.
The church in Slovenia is very traditional, with rare exceptions, which depends a lot on the pastor. In our country, the number of believers is decreasing, we don't have enough pastors, many of them are very old and like "to wag their finger from the pulpit" - they are patronizing, critical. I don't feel welcome in my local church because of the pastor's attitude.I was thinking of starting to attend a church in a neighboring town. But your podcast inspired me to persevere :-)
The American attitude towards religion is very inspiring to me in certain ways. Perhaps youtube gives the impression that there are many more engaged believers. I like the American and Canadian materials for imparting religion to children and adults - above all, they are accessible to everyone. On the other hand, many aspects of the religious families from America/Canada I follow on RUclips seem radical to me.
But your view of the church community, in which very different people find themselves, seems to me to be the right direction for a modern human - not only a Christian. Individualism and single-mindedness will hijack our society.
And if Jesus teaches us anything, he teaches us compassion, acceptance, openness, understanding, patience... Yes, and sometimes you need all these virtues to get involved in the local church.
It really is a top down issue. My husband has volunteered, been on staff full time, and has also done contract work for numerous evangelical churches over the years. We turned down a full time position offer a couple years ago after they had him contract for a few months as a trial. Our reason was we observed the leadership having no boundaries with work hours at the church, always being on call when at home, etc. and seeing a lack of concern of how this was affecting their families. Too many red flags for us. My husband was as professional but honest about our reasons for declining the offer and they must have listened because they recently started giving their pastors a sabbatical after working there for 7 years…we all have an impact, don’t discount what our Father has shown you in His Word about how we live life and the choices we make and stand firm in that conviction, no matter if other Christians don’t understand. Shalom to all 💛
I've always wondered why people think yhe kids going back to school was so wonderful. I enjoy having the kids with us, I don't have to worry about them, or subject matter that we disagree with, so homeschooling is the best for our family!
To add to the type of listeners you have: we home school, we also do not attend a local church, we live stream from home. I’ve never felt comfortable leaving my kids in a room with a bunch of people I don’t know and hope they are learning what aligns with our family’s beliefs and aren’t being influenced by other kiddos negatively.
How do you find a like-minded church body? We have 5 , 3 at home, 2 teenagers. We are mostly homebodies, but teens want more fellowship. We do also.
You hit on some great thought provoking points. As someone who chooses to do things differently than prescribed sometimes that mentality can be copied and pasted and applied to church. It’s wise to point out how incredibly important the body of Christ is though to God and to us as believers and to not forsake that.
I agree I was flighty from church for different reasons than you described but in the past 5 years going consistently to a church has been a huge source of growth and community for me and my children. Now as I look to change to a church that’s more local to my house it’s quite difficult to leave.
I love the home conversations!😉❤
This is dripping with wisdom. So thankful for you and Katie and your family. Such a blessing to my weary heart this Sunday morning ❤️
Wow this conversation was SO GOOD!! Seriously thank you guys so much for being willing to talk through all of this. You are both wise beyond your years.
This is completely relatable! Thank you so much for sharing a truthful and balanced view.
I think it is very hard to find a solid church. But, I think you have to know what you’re looking for. A family intergrated church. I find that most Preachers who preach book by book and exegetical have a high view of family and marriage. My pastor does and we know of several solid churches who also have this same view. They offer children’s church- but they welcome children in the worship & sermon. Also, I’ve never seen a church with a high amount of disabilities in both adults and kids integrated in the worship/ preaching service. They make them feel welcomed & loved.
Can you guys make the volume louder? I’m doing full volume but can barely hear on my phone, other videos are so much louder for some reason…
I have not heard anyone else talk about this topic - other than my church family!!! Kingdom life is reflected in the family. Covenant in the local Body is not measured by "membership " but commitment to each other. Being connected to each other brings opportunities to minister to each other.
1:25 just in the beginning here and feeling that I should pray for your household. May you hold onto the Lord in the season to come and may your hearts be comforted by the fact that we do not always know the reason for the season, but we know the Lord who makes the season to pass**
If you’re hanging on by a thread, make sure it’s the hem of His garment…
Love you brother and sister in the Lord
I enjoyed hearing your experiences and perspectives on this. I grew up as the younger child of a pastor, so I'm fond of and familiar with various Pentecostal and mainline Christian crowds. To be honest, one of the worst things that happened to the church was when contraception became allowed. You see the fruits of it now with how cordoned off age groups are in many churches. And I would also respectfully add that, despite numerous issues of its own within the Catholic Church, there is something to be said for their Sunday obligation to attend Mass, regardless of how we feel about it. The words "duty," "obligation," and "religion" have been turned into slurs. I understand we have to be discerning about the teachings at churches, but we owe it to the God of the universe to go out of our way to pay Him homage once a week.
Thank you for the thumb sucker advice. I got on Amazon and ordered gloves right away for our 4 yr old
We have two children and the oppression is real and the jokes were heartbreaking!! We move a lot due to being full time RVers in this season. Very few churches love large families. One of my very close friends has six children and she would apologize for bringing so many children to church. I will tell her she’s being ridiculous. I was the only one in church that would make her feel comfortable about bringing her children into the church. Another mother always had her daughter in church and she went to the Bible study in the morning. They couldn’t understand why she would like Bible study at 9 AM but not children’s church and everybody would ask that mother constantly when she was going to allow her daughter to go to children’s church and she said that her daughter need to be part of the body. They were there for three years and I asked that question the whole time.
I love that you have kept this Biblically focused and have shared so humbly from your hearts❤️
Please make a video about potty training!! I have a 22 month old and this is a daunting task. Would love to know your strategy.
Acts 2:38
Hey I love all your podcasts. Thank you. I have wondered though if you could talk briefly one time on the jujitsu you practise. The roots and source of it . Thanks
I was interested and surprised to hear that committing to a church was a newer idea & practice to these two! Not sure about other listeners, but coming from a conservative Christian background and then learning about the Reformed tradition from my husband when we were dating, church membership has been a given for me for a long time. I’ve always seen reluctance to join a church attributed to a much different “type” of Christian, coming more from a disdain for authority or tradition. It was interesting to hear a totally different progression to church membership.
Worth remembering that while our spouses and children are earthly family, our church family is eternal.
How did your kids "distract" others when they were in service? I like the shift but I wonder about the short term impact on others