QUESTION
We have a woman whose husband won’t go to Bible study with her. She’s too young for the “Ladies’ Class” and says she feels out of place with the couples. I asked her to lead a class for younger women, but she refused. Do you have any recommendations?
ANSWER
As a pastor, I always tried to teach a mixed Bible study class in the auditorium. It was open to men and women 18 and older, and gave first-time guests a class to visit. Through the years, I discovered that people who didn’t normally attend Sunday school would attend the class simply because the pastor was the teacher. I also found that with careful observation of my students’ attendance, understanding, questions, and Bible knowledge, I had a rich pool of future teachers and leaders.
In the case you describe, consider a home visit. If the pastor, as her Sunday school teacher, and his wife visit the woman and her husband, he will see their interest in her spiritual growth and may start attending with her.
QUESTION
Two men in the church, both contractors, did our remodeling work. Now we’ve learned it’s not up to code. Does that part in the Bible about not taking a brother to court apply, when the brother refuses to fix (or even admit) his mistakes?
ANSWER
I’m sure this is the answer you don’t want to hear, but yes, it applies! The rest of that text asks, “Isn’t there a spiritually wise person in your congregation that can hear the matter and suggest a way to solve the problem without taking a brother to law?”
Perhaps a compromise can be reached where the church agrees to pay half and the contractors each pay one-quarter of the necessary repairs to have it corrected and meet code. This should have been their responsibility from the start, so they are getting out at a much reduced rate.
Be aware that there may be some hard feelings, so be gentle in your approach. But insist as church members that they make it right, simply because it’s the right thing to do.
Pat Pajak leads IBSA’s Church Consulting Team. He has led churches of all sizes across Illinois. Send your questions for Pat to Illinois Baptist@IBSA.org.