Comments on: Growing Pains http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/series/chinese-church/growing-pains/ Thoughts on God, life, and truth Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:15:41 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: PK http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/series/chinese-church/growing-pains/comment-page-1/#comment-8684 PK Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:39:38 +0000 http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/series/chinese-church/growing-pains/#comment-8684 Thanks for your contribution to the discussion. I think that for the EM to step up and take adult level responsibility there needs to be a sense of ownership. I think that in some cases it is possible for the EM to be seen as an adult without having their own building. Thanks for your contribution to the discussion. I think that for the EM to step up and take adult level responsibility there needs to be a sense of ownership.

I think that in some cases it is possible for the EM to be seen as an adult without having their own building.

]]> By: NKL http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/series/chinese-church/growing-pains/comment-page-1/#comment-8669 NKL Sat, 10 Nov 2007 06:47:42 +0000 http://reflections.cyberpastor.net/series/chinese-church/growing-pains/#comment-8669 1. I think the analogy is applicable. The emotional connection is stroger when the EM is mostly made up of the children of the CM. (This is no longer the case in our church--only 30% of the EM has grown up in the church/70% have been at our church 5 years or less). The emotional connection has it's good and bad points. Good being the leverage it creates to draw resources for "our children". Bad being that the frictions get drawn into family systems (and sometimes into inter-family systems) which is unhealthy. 2. At a crossroads now. EM is a capable adult but a lazy capable adult. Members have the means but not the will to stand "as equal partners" with the CM. It's like the 25-year old successful college educated professional pulling in big bucks who still lives at parent's home, drives parent-owned car and eats parent provided food. 3. I was intrigued by how another Asian-American phrased it: in the eyes of the parent, their child is still a child until they get married. Applied to the church--that means the EM will never be seen as equal until they split off and form their own church or at least occupy their own building across the streat (this happens!). This is not my culture. This is not how I wish to raise my family. As a father I long for the day to release my daughter into the world as a mature Christ-centered and confident person. You are right, we have different definitions of "family". 1. I think the analogy is applicable. The emotional connection is stroger when the EM is mostly made up of the children of the CM. (This is no longer the case in our church–only 30% of the EM has grown up in the church/70% have been at our church 5 years or less). The emotional connection has it’s good and bad points. Good being the leverage it creates to draw resources for “our children”. Bad being that the frictions get drawn into family systems (and sometimes into inter-family systems) which is unhealthy.

2. At a crossroads now. EM is a capable adult but a lazy capable adult. Members have the means but not the will to stand “as equal partners” with the CM. It’s like the 25-year old successful college educated professional pulling in big bucks who still lives at parent’s home, drives parent-owned car and eats parent provided food.

3. I was intrigued by how another Asian-American phrased it: in the eyes of the parent, their child is still a child until they get married. Applied to the church–that means the EM will never be seen as equal until they split off and form their own church or at least occupy their own building across the streat (this happens!).

This is not my culture. This is not how I wish to raise my family. As a father I long for the day to release my daughter into the world as a mature Christ-centered and confident person. You are right, we have different definitions of “family”.

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