The Church: Is it open for business?

Recently, I was conducting an interview with a young lady not yet 18 years old, new to this particular company. During our conversation, I asked about her church experiences. She opened up, telling me that she had miscarried a baby several weeks earlier. She decided to attend a local church and sat in with the Youth Group. Last summer, after her grandfather's death, she had her hand tattooed with a tiny image no larger than a dime, that reminded her of their summers spent with him. When the Youth Minister saw the tattoo, she said he asked her to leave the group being told the tattoo might serve as a "bad influence" on the other kids.

Folks, I hear stories like this all the time. Well-meaning but misguided Christians informing others they can't join their church because of this or that does nothing but drive a wedge between those who choose to give Christianity a chance and the Institutional Church. One lady, a practicing Satanist who looked like any other Booster Club mom, told me she chose the devil over God EVEN THOUGH she knew he had nothing good to offer her, however, she and her kids were so alienated by the church, she felt she had no option. I've been told by other Satanists they chose that route in order to receive the devil's power. Way to go, Church!

Where's the love? Where's the unity? Where's the power? Growing numbers of Christians are leaving churches of all denominations... disillusioned, disenfranchised, disheartened. Though they're looking for acceptance and appreciation, too often they are left feeling judged, unloved, illegitimate and unacceptable.

When I was a Youth Minister, I used to discourage cliques among our group and would often remind the kids that they were BRIDGES for others to cross en route to joining our family, NOT locked and impassible gates! As a young father, I would often remind my kids to seek out the goofiest, dorkiest, loneliest looking kids and befriend them. As a result, my youngest son, a popular athlete, had as one of his closest friends a skinny half-pint with a pink mohawk who, today, is a successful business man, married and making loads of money. My oldest son was known for defending kids who were being threatened and these reports got back to me. Even a couple of years ago, he was driving and rescued a woman whose car was in a ditch, hidden by brush. His closest friends, too, have always been outcasts.

King David's army consisted of down and outers, too. Jesus was loved by prostitutes, lepers, tax collectors and children while being scorned by the religious folks. 

What about you? What about the hurting people God loves who are surrounding YOU all day long? If we all did a little in our own little worlds, we could make a huge difference.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work