Why did they scatter in the first place?

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So recently I began to wonder why so many of the people I have been in the church with are no longer in the church. They walked away from the church period. They are not attending another church but they are simply living a life where the body of Christ is no longer essential.

There are always those who have been wounded deeply by the church. Either they were part of a church split or an unresolved church conflict. Maybe they were hurt by the pastor.

People in general don't like talking about these things but people do like being pursued. There is always an explanation as to how they got to where they are and some of them simply want to be heard so that their decision is validated. Either way I think there is a lot of responsibility for the shepherd to go after the lost sheep while still leading the current sheep. It is a difficult task with no clear cut methods in bringing people back.