February 2, 2025

How do I navigate learning from multiple ministries?

El Shakar Ideh
Answered by El Shakar
Steward, HGA
Question

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Good day, Mr. El Shakar. Thank you so much; the classes have been worthwhile. For a bit of context, I live with my parents, and they go to a different church, which my heart really is not in, but I have to go.

I have a church I follow quite religiously online, but I also have a few other pastors that I listen to their messages. Also, sometimes when I need clarifications on certain topics i look for pastors I believe are sound who have spoken on the topic for clarity.

However, I also join NSPPD every morning; I have a retreat I attended last year; I joined the Hallelujah Challenge, which was held earlier this year; and I have a few other preachings I listen to, like Pastor K, who preaches on marriage, and a few others. About 5 different pastors and different churches in total.

My question goes thus:

1.⁠ ⁠Does this make me a butterfly Christian?
2. In the second class, you spoke a bit about butterfly Christianity; can you please give a bit more context and a more in-depth explanation?
3.⁠ ⁠What is your advice for me going forward?

Transcript of answer

I must confess, I laughed. I had a good laugh when I saw your question. I'm just thinking that that comment I made on butterfly Christianity must have scattered your head. Oh my God, you must have said, "Oh my God, does that mean I'm a butterfly? Oh my God, I think I'm a bumblebee as well. I'm probably a wasp too. It is well with you. It is well with you."

For proper definition, let me say this: it's an analogy I like to use. Everyone should have what we call a spiritual nuclear family, where you are primarily based and you are submitted and accountable to. A primary house that, if I need to look for you, that's where I can find you. And if maybe your head is not correct and I want to get someone to talk to you, I know that if I go there, there's someone that can, you know, pull you to order. Right?

Everyone has to have a spiritual nuclear family with "quote-unquote" spiritual parents, "quote-unquote" just for the figure of speech. Right? And the same way physically we have a physical house with physical parents, does it mean we can't go and visit our uncles and aunties? No, we can go and visit our uncle, aunties, Uncle Dele, Uncle Richmond, Auntie Freda, Auntie Nicole—whatever. But after going to visit Auntie Nicole, Uncle Fred, Auntie this and that, we come back home to where we are based.

Today we have Christians who, amongst many reasons, sometimes fear accountability or, you know, don't want to really be submitted anywhere, so they perch in different places, but they're not really rooted anywhere. They have no roots.

So the concept of butterfly Christianity has more to do with a Christian that is not rooted anywhere. That is okay; where can I find you? Hey, I'm here, I'm there, I'm there, I'm there. And in all those places, there is no serious commitment, serious investment. Right? As Christians, we must have a place where we are more committed and invested than others.

Is it okay to participate? Absolutely, if you join NSPPD, you join next-level prayer; you join even HGA prayer or the HGA course, or you join HTP-hosting the presence. You can even join Rick's school. I mean, there are all kinds of things that you can do, right? But you have a base. You understand? You have a base; that is, this is my "quote-unquote" spiritual house. This is where I'm accountable. Right?

If I have a relationship, for example, this is who I present it to if something is going on; this is who you can use to call me to order, and this is where I am primarily serving. Right?

This means if there is a program in this other place and there's something that is being done in the place that you are primarily serving, obviously you're going to choose the place that you are, first of all, accountable to under God because that's where God has put you, right? As a primary place of service. So every Christian needs to have that, right? A place where, this is my base.

Now from that base, you can journey to Koinonia; you can journey to RCN. You can even journey to Christ Embassy; journey wherever you want to, but you must have a base. Right? So whether or not you're a butterfly Christian, that's up to you to define. I won't define that for you, amen.

It is you who knows the real intricacies of your life and everything. But you have to have a base where you are fully committed, right? And your great degree of investment goes into it. Without that, we can't grow healthily because we are in too many places at the same time, right?

And even beyond just having a base and spiritual uncles and aunties, "quote-unquote," right? We also want to be careful to not have FOMO (fear of missing out) and practice this FOMO Christianity where every program that happens, I must be there, I must be at every conference, I must be this and that.

Again, it's still the same thing as giving the mind some kind of ongoing narrative. It's not even healthy for the mind when you are torn between different things, because you discover that a lot of ministries have a particular narrative going on, right? NSPPD can have a particular prayer thing they are doing. Another ministry can have another thing they are doing with a different emphasis. The Hallelujah Challenge can have another one with a different emphasis.

If at any given time you are in six places like that, it's not healthy because the mind needs to be able to, not just the mind, but the inner man needs to be able to spend time in a particular place for a period to grow, to strengthen, to be fully developed. Right?

So we shouldn't be choked up with too many ministries that we're a part of and invested in and so forth. Right? So it's good to have it generally streamlined. More than anything, you need a base. So if you are someone who is in too many places, I advise you to prioritize the top three and put the best of your energy there, right? So that you're not torn in so many places and then a jack of all trades and master of none.

It is well with you.