Keeping Focus
I don't really count anymore. I used to, but I'm not sure it is the most reliable measure of our stewardship. Listen, I don't have any "baggage" when it comes to numbers & counting numerical growth nor do I think it is some sort of restless evil. Every head counted is a life, a soul. And while sometimes we find reasons to gather crowds in the Bronx, I simply much rather focus on much deeper issues than crowd-gathering.
For example, think about evangelism. I've grown weary of conversations that mourn the U.S. church's lack of evangelism. We ask, "Why don't we evangelize?" We wonder if we're too scared or too lazy. We devise some new plan to get people with the program. This has been going on for decades, and how has it worked so far? The statistics say: Not good. I'm happy to offer evangelism training for those who just need to understand culture and un-learn bad religious habits, but the usual conversation about the U.S. church's lack of evangelism just gets tiresome.
Perhaps we're asking the wrong questions. Maybe the real questions are, "Do we understand God's story? Have we gotten a clear picture of Jesus? Have our hearts been moved by His mercy?" I'm convinced that if the Good News, the story of Jesus, really gets a hold of us that evangelism will take care of itself. Too often, we just put the cart before the horse and wonder why we're not making any progress.
Of course, I do still count sometimes. Every year we have a fellowship retreat, and so every year I count all the people who are somehow connected to us and have potential to participate. Each year I have discovered that our overall constituency is actually growing -- gradually but steadily despite the harsh reality every church faces of losing some along the way. Gathering a crowd is not the main priority, but the increase is encouraging. Last week my wife and I came back from a little sabbath time away in New England and then at the end of that trip participated in Revolution, a Northeast youth retreat (which was anything but sabbath). I discovered that there had been potential for 20 teens from the Bronx to attend with 13 actually going. We're also seeing a lot more connections into youth culture, and it's emerging from multiple contacts and initiatives from across the network.
Still, the workers are few. I am committed to knocking on the doors of Heaven asking for more workers. May God raise up laborers among teens, among Spanish-speakers, among Albanians, among Muslims, among twentysomethings. That every nation will seek the peace of the city and glorify Jesus our Lord.
Pray with us to the Lord of harvest.
For example, think about evangelism. I've grown weary of conversations that mourn the U.S. church's lack of evangelism. We ask, "Why don't we evangelize?" We wonder if we're too scared or too lazy. We devise some new plan to get people with the program. This has been going on for decades, and how has it worked so far? The statistics say: Not good. I'm happy to offer evangelism training for those who just need to understand culture and un-learn bad religious habits, but the usual conversation about the U.S. church's lack of evangelism just gets tiresome.
Perhaps we're asking the wrong questions. Maybe the real questions are, "Do we understand God's story? Have we gotten a clear picture of Jesus? Have our hearts been moved by His mercy?" I'm convinced that if the Good News, the story of Jesus, really gets a hold of us that evangelism will take care of itself. Too often, we just put the cart before the horse and wonder why we're not making any progress.
Of course, I do still count sometimes. Every year we have a fellowship retreat, and so every year I count all the people who are somehow connected to us and have potential to participate. Each year I have discovered that our overall constituency is actually growing -- gradually but steadily despite the harsh reality every church faces of losing some along the way. Gathering a crowd is not the main priority, but the increase is encouraging. Last week my wife and I came back from a little sabbath time away in New England and then at the end of that trip participated in Revolution, a Northeast youth retreat (which was anything but sabbath). I discovered that there had been potential for 20 teens from the Bronx to attend with 13 actually going. We're also seeing a lot more connections into youth culture, and it's emerging from multiple contacts and initiatives from across the network.
Still, the workers are few. I am committed to knocking on the doors of Heaven asking for more workers. May God raise up laborers among teens, among Spanish-speakers, among Albanians, among Muslims, among twentysomethings. That every nation will seek the peace of the city and glorify Jesus our Lord.
Pray with us to the Lord of harvest.
posted by Jared | 9:24 PM
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