This has been bothering me for some time. I see it all the time. I hear the comments and insults. And it doesn't stop with me. My children are even subject to the criticism. You see, I am an Elevator. I go to Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. I have attended Elevation for more than two years now, since January 2009.
I credit the Lord, Jesus Christ, with my salvation and for moving heaven and earth to get me where I needed to be during one of the hardest seasons in my life. But beyond that I can say that Elevation and Pastor Steven Furtick are the reason that I am here today and that all 5 members of my family are saved by the Grace of God and have all been baptised. God is first, but Elevation was the tool that he used to change our lives.
We were once skeptics of the larger church too. We thought we wanted to be involved in the more traditional church. We thought that we wouldn't like the loud music or the contemporary feel of the large church. Boy, were we wrong. My kids love it, asking to go back every Sunday. Since our journey began with Elevation two years ago I can count on my hands how many times we have missed a service. We look forward to hearing the Lord's word every Sunday and renewing our spirit in fellowship and worship. My whole family has volunteered and my husband is regularly involved in running lights during Sunday morning services.
Here is my issue. We hear all kinds of comments made about Elevation and the worst comments come from other Christians who attend other churches, or worse, from other Pastors. We've heard that Elevation is a cult because of it's magnetic effect and how it draws people to it. We've heard that Elevation has too much money. We even had a man make a comment that he didn't realize we were christian because we attend Elevation. I've heard that all Elevation does is give out t-shirts to the kids. Why would you make such comments? Why do we continue to tear down others instead of building them up? Aren't we all on the same team? Isn't our goal to bring the lost to Jesus? When did we decide that other churches must be wrong because they don't do things the same way as we do?
I am saddened by these comments and its been on my heart for awhile now. We are on the same team people. If people are leaving your church in droves to attend Elevation, don't blame Elevation. Maybe it's time to examine your method. If Elevation's membership each week is increasing exponentially, shouldn't that inspire you to do something to increase membership at your church, not point fingers because your membership is dropping? The money thing irks me. Elevation has too much money? We give to God and he uses Elevation to do amazing things with our money. It inspires us to give more and give sacrificially. Isn't that what God tells us to do? And the t-shirts. Yes we give a t-shirt to each first-time guest. After that you have to volunteer your time with the church to get a shirt that corresponds with the sermon series at that time. Yes the kids and teens really like to get the t-shirts and they collect them like badges or pins of pride, but it gives them something to show for their hard work and volunteer hours. It's a great conversation piece when you are in public and someone asks you about it. No the shirts aren't necessary to teach the Gospel, but it's no different then having a festival or play at church hoping to draw in some non-believers. They aren't necessary either but most churches host them.
It's time to put aside our differences and rejoice in our Saviour. He is the reason and the light. We don't care if you attend Lee Park, Southbrook or any other church. Each Church fills a need in the community. Maybe your calling is different from Elevation's, but that doesn't mean that Elevation is doing something wrong. We are doing what we were called to do. We don't criticize your church or your Pastor, please don't criticize mine or make disparaging remarks about my faith. I am Christian. I love my Lord God with all my heart. I do the best that I can do to walk the straight and narrow though I often fail, but isn't that what God's Grace is all about?
Pastor Furtick is teaching an awesome sermon series on Honor that you should hear. It's called Honorology. It's about giving Honor to those that God tells you to Honor regardless of whether we feel that they've earned it and that there is a difference between honor and respect. Maybe you should listen to it sometime. Maybe we should be honoring our community churches and their Pastors instead of criticizing those who don't do things exactly like us. Pastor Furtick recently did a video called Hey Haters. I have read the comments online that he's Hating on the Haters. If that's what you got out of that video, then I feel sorry for you. The whole point is that we are not going to let haters stop the momentum of this church to reach those far from Christ. He's talking about the ones who nitpick at churches about every little thing from the volume of the music to the colors of the flowers on the pulpit. You know, the ones that church hop from one to the next because the Pastor wouldn't give in to them. He's talking about those that will take one comment out of context and then twist it to mean what they want it to mean instead of listening to the entire message. He's talking about those who judge others before examining their own motives for doing so. What is your motive?
Elevation is doing something amazing in my community. Pastor Steven Furtick is changing lives every day and sticking to his calling, So that people far from God will be filled with life in Christ. Isn't that the point of it all?
Here is the Hey Haters video
Here is the Honorology Series
I hope that maybe this struck a chord with some of you and that I've conveyed my thoughts as I have intended. Lord knows if I haven't, there will be a Hater out there to let me know
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