The Lost and Found of the Local Church Kids

jigsaw44 · 09-25-2020, 07:07 PM

jigsaw here again with another thread with the emphasis on all of those who grew up or knew anyone who grew up in the Local Churches.

Reason/inspiration for the thread- Was talking to a brother during a conference (east coast), and among the conversation was the topic of local church friends he knew while growing up and just mass amounts of them just leaving the local churches and even forgoing their beliefs entirely or just barely being described as nominal. This conversation took at the height my "cynical/skepticism thoughts of the local churches.

Present time- Now after seeing LC Kids being raised when visiting the homes of different brothers/sisters and witnessing all the customs and rules of the Local churches being applied in these lives (no birthdays/holidays/no tv). Im just wondering how is it like on a grand scale of many years- being raised by the Local church for the entirety of your K-12 life? I will now present my questions for anyone who can answer

1. Growing Up- How was it like growing up, especially going to school and just interacting with the outside world? How did it feel to not be able to celebrate certain holidays such as Christmas and birthdays/ and explaining it to your friends from school? Were you allowed to have outside friends and if so was it hard to adjust your lifestyle in accordance to theirs? What about going into high school and not being able to go to prom, or constantly rejecting people who had feelings for you, and to overall enjoy the basic joys of being a teenager? How did you cope dealing with your home life restrictions/legalism while comparing it to other friends? These basic questions are just scratching the surface of
- Did you just simply see the outside life as inferior and never let it affect you or was it constantly bothering you leaving you powerless or perhaps rebellious towards your parents?
- For my numbered questions I am giving alot of examples/scenarios to give you an idea of what im looking for. You don't have to answer the questions exactly as I worded them. So if you have a specific story or example that answers or relates to question 1 feel free to give it to me.

2. Transition- Upon being independent adults or at least being 18 and moving on to the next step in your life. What was your initial mindset? Were you eager to continue the Local Church Legalism lifestyle or perhaps just drowned in it so long you feel like you have no other way to live?

Maybe you were rebellious and plotting to abandon what has established so far in your life? Or you were caught in a rift and couldn't tell whether you wanted a taste of the outside or to remain in the LC life due to(pressure/fear from family, friends etc._.
- What ever it was like at this point in your life please do tell and specific stories are wonderful.

3. Reflection
- How do you reflect on the LC lifestyle for Kids. Why do you think or know the reason for the departure of so many LC kids. What do you think the deal breaker is for LC kids to forgo the LC? From your personal experience where do the lost LC kids go? Do they let go of their beliefs entirely or go to another denomination, or just stay lost not sure where to go or how to go their lives.
- For question 3 as well as all the other questions- It would be wonderful if you all could give anecdotal stories.

3.5 Do the LC members consider and reflect on the exodus of many young LC kids? Or do they brush it off aside and simply think they are weak believers or inferior? Do LC people consider the causes of people leaving?

4.- Any other thoughts/ possible questions you will to chime in on? Please do tell about anything that can expand on this conversation/topic.

09-25-2020, 07:07 PM	#1
jigsaw44 Member Join Date: Sep 2020 Posts: 118	The Lost and Found of the Local Church Kids jigsaw here again with another thread with the emphasis on all of those who grew up or knew anyone who grew up in the Local Churches. Reason/inspiration for the thread- Was talking to a brother during a conference (east coast), and among the conversation was the topic of local church friends he knew while growing up and just mass amounts of them just leaving the local churches and even forgoing their beliefs entirely or just barely being described as nominal. This conversation took at the height my "cynical/skepticism thoughts of the local churches. Present time- Now after seeing LC Kids being raised when visiting the homes of different brothers/sisters and witnessing all the customs and rules of the Local churches being applied in these lives (no birthdays/holidays/no tv). Im just wondering how is it like on a grand scale of many years- being raised by the Local church for the entirety of your K-12 life? I will now present my questions for anyone who can answer 1. Growing Up- How was it like growing up, especially going to school and just interacting with the outside world? How did it feel to not be able to celebrate certain holidays such as Christmas and birthdays/ and explaining it to your friends from school? Were you allowed to have outside friends and if so was it hard to adjust your lifestyle in accordance to theirs? What about going into high school and not being able to go to prom, or constantly rejecting people who had feelings for you, and to overall enjoy the basic joys of being a teenager? How did you cope dealing with your home life restrictions/legalism while comparing it to other friends? These basic questions are just scratching the surface of - Did you just simply see the outside life as inferior and never let it affect you or was it constantly bothering you leaving you powerless or perhaps rebellious towards your parents? - For my numbered questions I am giving alot of examples/scenarios to give you an idea of what im looking for. You don't have to answer the questions exactly as I worded them. So if you have a specific story or example that answers or relates to question 1 feel free to give it to me. 2. Transition- Upon being independent adults or at least being 18 and moving on to the next step in your life. What was your initial mindset? Were you eager to continue the Local Church Legalism lifestyle or perhaps just drowned in it so long you feel like you have no other way to live? Maybe you were rebellious and plotting to abandon what has established so far in your life? Or you were caught in a rift and couldn't tell whether you wanted a taste of the outside or to remain in the LC life due to(pressure/fear from family, friends etc._. - What ever it was like at this point in your life please do tell and specific stories are wonderful. 3. Reflection - How do you reflect on the LC lifestyle for Kids. Why do you think or know the reason for the departure of so many LC kids. What do you think the deal breaker is for LC kids to forgo the LC? From your personal experience where do the lost LC kids go? Do they let go of their beliefs entirely or go to another denomination, or just stay lost not sure where to go or how to go their lives. - For question 3 as well as all the other questions- It would be wonderful if you all could give anecdotal stories. 3.5 Do the LC members consider and reflect on the exodus of many young LC kids? Or do they brush it off aside and simply think they are weak believers or inferior? Do LC people consider the causes of people leaving? 4.- Any other thoughts/ possible questions you will to chime in on? Please do tell about anything that can expand on this conversation/topic.