Have you ever watched grasshoppers jumping from one area of vegetation to another? They are restless insects, always on the move. Grasshoppers aren’t the only living creatures that are known for their restlessness; some churchgoers share the same characteristic. Jean Shaw describes these churchgoers as “characterized by powerful hind legs and large jaws; these insects live entirely on grass, which is always greener somewhere else. They hop from church to church, eating all they can but never settling down permanently.”1 Are you acquainted with hoppers who move in and out of your church?
If you don’t know any church hoppers now, it’s just a matter of time before they show up at your church. Every pastor encounters them. In the Old Testament God and His leaders dealt with the children of Israel as they repeatedly sought greener pastures. Moses and Aaron experienced the Israelites criticizing their leadership (Numbers 16:3). Samuel contended with the pleas of the elders of Israel to appoint a king to rule over them instead of a judge (1 Samuel 8:5). David fled for his life because the Israelite preferred Absalom as their leader (2 Samuel 15:13). In the book of John, Christ experienced the rejection and departure of His followers (John 6:64–67). Church hopping is the modern day version of these Biblical accounts as discontented people seek a new ministry or a new minister. Expect church hoppers to be on the doorstep of your church.
To deal with church hoppers, you must work at understanding them. Although church hopping is not a new activity, today’s culture lends itself to this practice. Individuals church hop because they have the ability to do so. Multicar families and interstate highways make it easy for people to drive to different churches. Unfortunately our society no longer places a premium value on loyalty. Families rapidly change jobs, homes, grocery stores, and yes—even churches. Expectations of people who are seeking a church are rising; often they demand that a church be full service to meet their needs.
Church hopping is not always a bad thing, depending on the hoppers’ motives. In Acts 18:2 and 18 God moved Aquila and Priscilla to leave their ministry in order to assist Paul in his ministry. In 1 Timothy 6:5 believers are instructed to remove themselves from error in teaching. When the church neglects to correct false teaching, church hopping is in order. Sometimes contention and disagreement are so great that it is best to separate as Barnabas and Paul did in Acts 15:36–41. However, leaving for the sake of pursuing personal satisfaction and things of this world, as Demas did in 2 Timothy 4:10, is dishonoring to the Lord.
Whether we like it or not, church hopping is here to stay. One of the keys to dealing with church hoppers is helping them examine their attitudes and actions. Consider questions such as: Is their change of churches prompted by the Lord? Are they running when they should be staying? It is important to invest time in helping them recognize and acknowledge the heart of their motives.
Don’t let church hoppers affect your attitude and ministry. In Mark 3:6–19. Christ responded to those who did not agree with Him by withdrawing from the opposition and ending His attempt to minister to them. He warned His followers not to perpetuate the discussion of this adverse interaction. Christ determined to work with those God had given him. Likewise, we should not focus our efforts on changing the opposition. Instead of thinking about and reacting against those who oppose us, 
we need to pour ourselves into working hard with those God has given us.
Article is adapted from presentation by Richard Van Heukelum at the Empire State Fellowship Shop Talk.
Notes
1. Jean Shaw, Sometimes the Stones are Very Lively: The Visible Church Develops Christian Grace (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1976), 17.
