Vital Issues

[uniquepraise]

As leaders, muscians, choir directors, pastors , how do you handle the following:

You find out that members of the choir are fornicating.   8O What are the rules and how do you handle this.

A young lady becomes pregnant in the choir? Is she asked to sit down and shunned? :oops:

Someone has really bad BO and bad breath :evil:

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In our ministry, the choir members would be asked about the situation, and sat down from any ministry that has them before the people of GOD, they would still be in fellowship with the church and go through Restoration.  

The young lady who becomes preganant would be sat down and go through restoration and counseling.  After delivery, if she desires she would be able to minister again.

Each is encouraged to participate in some church activity and attend rehearsals so that they would be in sync when they were restored.  Everyone continues to show them love and calls them to show them that although what they did was wrong, we as a ministry still love you.

The BO, we give nice little gifts and suggestions to get that person feel so fresh and so clean!  

[B3Wannabe]

I don't know much about this, but I'm just repeating what I heard. It's just a smell; it's not like they're leaking anthrax vapors.

I'm saying this to point out that we can't just assume certain things are done the same everywhere else.

About those other issues, I'd leave it up to the pastor. If the Pastor is preaching the word as it should be, then I don't see a problem with them staying in the choir. You're not conforming, as long as they get the word, in my opinion. For me, pushing someone out of a position, without the direction of God, is like pushing them into the hands of the enemy. If they can't sing in church, where else would they sing? Everyone will make a mistake. Forgive them and get over it, is my point of view.

[TheLawGiver]

First, I believe that the Pastor of the church needs to be informed that some members of the choir may be fornicating.  He will have to discern whether this is true or not.

If it is true, I believe that the individuals in question should be spoken to
privately and encouraged to abstain from their current behavior.  I am sure there are more sins that the members may be guilty of. Fornicating is one of the sins that gets the most attention.

It is one of the "private" sins. Unless you are the one that is fornicating with the choir member, how are we to really know who is doing what? Then it becomes hearsay and gossip.

The sin issue has to be addressed and dealt with. We have to keep in mind that these individuals are at the forefront of the church and they are role models. Yes, they are human and are subject to err.  However, as chosen ones, I believe their conduct should be more exemplary.

If the pastor let the behavior slide, it will send the wrong message to the
congregation. We all fall short, but as leaders, role models and the like, they bear a greater responsibility.

In other words, I expect more from an officer of the church than a babe in Christ. Regardless of the level, the sin has to be addressed and dealt. That message has to be clear to all.

As far as the pregnant member is concerned, she should be asked to step down. If allowed to continue in her present role, this will surely send a wrong message. Public sins are the most obvious and has to be dealt with.

We do not have to embarrass her and make her  specifically the subject for Sunday. But, I have to stress that people in the church are too comfortable when it comes to sinning. Sometimes you need to be embarrassed and put on the spot. If the spot light is on you, you will definately think twice before sinning again.

The church is not just a place to have a good time and get your shout on. It is suppose to be a place for deliverance and correction.  It is up to the pastor to give this correction to his flock, particularly if he knows they are in sin.

As a man of God, I belive he should know.  How he deals with it will prove whether he is a man of God or  a man of men. Zap those brothers and sisters and tell them to keep their temple clean.

[SisterT]

We always are so ready to address what we call the "big issues" but what about those little foexs that spiol the vineyard. Are you addressing sin in the choir are particular sin in the choir? Pregnancy is not the only sin that becomes public, but, most often it is the only sin addressed in the church.

Here are a few sins that become public, becuse if you are dealing with sin, be consistent....
Do you address the choir members that don't tithe?
What do you do when you find out a choir member has told a lie?
What do you do when you find out that a choir member is vain.. just so full of himself?
How about when you witness choir members criticize and judge others what do you do?
How about the choir members that are lukewarm in their service, do you address them?

I guess what I am getting at is, we are so ready to deal with the sins of others, when we have so many ourselves that we are not dealing with. I am not saying that we should ignore the sins of others, but it is amazing how "holy" we think we are. We also tend to dismiss certain sins as "not too bad", so we let them go.

My church is doing a 6-week church-wide study on holiness. Every Sunday & Mid week service has special emphasis on holiness. In addition, on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday School classes has are studing from the book "Returning to Holiness". The book makes you look at yourself.

I believe that any sinner should be approached in love. And if they have a repented heart, forgiveness has already been issued by God.

Seek the counsel of your PASTOR as to how you should handle the matter. He is the shepherd of that particular congretgation and he should have an idea as to whether or not any thype of discipline should be exercised.

[uniquepraise]

This is not something I am dealing with I just wanted to know how these issues were handled elsewhere.

I've been the one that got pregnant and I sat down because I knew the rules of the church and how others would be affected.  I was bascially shunned and even after having my son early at 28 weeks (2lbs) no one bothered to come and see me or him in the hospital.  I never was one to be with the "in crowd" and that situation didnt help....people stopped talking to me and when they did the past was always brought up.  Although it is sin you hate and deal with the sin and love the person.

Thats goes for anything, from lies to adultry.  I think some people get so caught up in what happened and forgot about the person....thats why I thank God for the ministry I am currently in...thats something they understand..love the person, hate the send and still treat them as a person.