Nothing Knocks the Church Down Faster than Division

Division in the Church?? If you’re in a Christian, church division has likely affected you in some way. Today I’m excited to be sharing at Quietly Reminded. Kelli Lafram is a dear friend who stays nourished by following a daily reading plan and leads a Quietly Through group who has joined her. Today, I’m sharing my first-hand experience with church division.


Imagine two preschoolers stacking up some blocks and making a tall tower. Then one of them decides he doesn’t want to build together, and with one swift hit he smacks it and down it goes.

Similarly, there’s nothing that knocks the church down faster than division.

The force behind that is the one known as the accuser of the brethren (Revelations 12:10), laughing at his dirty work. But the devil cannot be blamed for everything. Christians get it wrong sometimes. Not you, of course. It’s those other Christians.

Like me.

Let me tell you a story…

My Story of Division in the Church

Pin this post with the title Nothing Knocks the Church Down Faster than Division.

I used to be the director over one of our younger kids’ classes at church several years ago. There was some spiritual block-building going on. The previous director had stepped down, and there was no one to take her place. Coming from a family who planted a church, I saw a need and filled it. God started dropping a new vision in my spirit for that ministry.

God gave me a burden for those kids, which propelled me to volunteer to be their lead teacher every week for a year. Previously, the lead teachers were on a rotation basis. During that year, I broke the class into two sections by age, renamed it, redecorated it, and gave it a new format. That class? It was my blood, sweat, and tears.

Early on, God showed me the woman He had planned to be the director after I finished making all those changes. The time came to train her. At the beginning, it went well. After all, she had experience and was gifted. But then the month came when we were in transition over to her becoming the new director and I was her oversight.

It wasn’t long before the block tower started to fall.

To read the rest of this story about division in the church, follow me over to Kelli’s where we are answering the question, Why Bother with Church?


The comedy giveaway is still going on! Plus I reveal how I’m part dinosaur. 😉

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK0kl-kcdN4&w=640&h=360]


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18 Comments

  1. Thank you for sharing this story, Kelly! I am a Children’s Minister and have served in the local church for 16 years. I totally understand conflict and that sometimes we leaders are the ones to make mistakes. So thankful for forgiveness. God bless your ministry!

    1. Welcome, Vanessa! I’m thankful for forgiveness, too. I’m glad you can relate, and thank you for doing the hard work of being a children’s minister!

  2. Kelly, I appreciate your commitment to the local church. It can be discouraging to keep all the plates spinning, but, in Christ, our labor is not in vain!

    1. It’s all for Jesus. I’m not currently teaching that class at the moment, but those kids are the next generation. I learned a lot in that season, but one is that leaders have a weightier responsibility to stay humble.

  3. It’s so difficult to fill another’s shoes. I am attempting that right now, and walk on eggshells because of a previous bad experience. I have learned that even though I come into new opportunities called and excited, it’s so important to consider the blocks that were built before I got there …and to built on top of it. It’s not always necessary to knock it down and rebuild. And prayer and time in the Word has been crucial in helping me see the difference! Great post. And keep leading! It’s not everyone’s calling! especially teaching kids. That’s a gift!
    Happy Wednesday!
    Megs

    1. Wise words, Megs! God gave me extra grace in that season. Wearing multiple hats seems to be a necessity in our church. Thanks for leaving a comment today.

  4. Ah – leadership. It’s filled with opportunities to “altar our ego”, huh? 🙂 I can appreciate very much your passion and desires. Yes. My name is Lori and I have been one of those Christians too.. (sigh). So thankful when we can come together, forgive each other as Christ taught and move on. Thanks so much for sharing your story Kelli and for Kelly to host it!

    1. I’m glad it was helpful, Dianne. Thanks for stopping by today!

  5. I wish all conflicts could end like this. Being a Church minister too, I have seen first hand how division almost ruined a whole church congregation until God stepped in and removed all who were involved… I have learnt to fight to resolve conflicts as soon as I notice it.
    I have vowed to fight division with everything in me. And love is the way, Love never fails.
    Thanks for sharing your story Kelly, it ministered to me.

    1. Hi, Ugochi! I am so happy to hear that it ministered to you! I have seen ugly division split churches more than once. It’s sad. I’m with you on fighting to resolve as soon as we notice conflict. That’s the way it should be.

  6. Patty Greenbacker says:

    So great! Thank you for sharing!

    God bless,
    Patty

    1. Thanks for stopping by, Patty! Blessings to you as well.

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