I am a numbers guy. I like to see the facts in black and white. I measure and remeasure from every possible angle to get things in the right perspective. As a Pastor, that means tracking all kinds of numbers to show how a program is doing. Here are the numbers that I wrote down from last weeks’ Vacation Bible School at Adrian Christian Church.

126 – The highest number of children on one night of VBS, 5th grade and under.

30 – The number of Jr. High students registered for Jr. Missions without ever mentioning it our advertising.

55 – The number of volunteers to help make VBS happen.

$543.41 – The amount of money raised for Show Me Christian Home through our nightly offering. A private donor is doubling all gifts to Show Me Home this summer to make it $1086.82.

37 – The number of the jars of peanut butter donated to Show Me Home along with the money. There was also a box of notebooks and over 100 rolls of toilet paper.

$335 – The amount of money raised by our Jr Missions kids to purchase toys for the Show Me Home.

200 – The number of snow cone cups given out at the closing program

250 – The number of hot dogs eaten at our VBS closing ceremony. Oddly enough there were 32 buns left over.

2 – The number of inflatables at our closing program that results in 2 hours of fun.

214 – The number of people who attended the closing worship program on Sunday. Estimated that around 50% of those people were guests.

1 – The number of people who have already mentioned coming back to Church another Sunday.

100 – The amount of Thank You notes I should write this week. Thanks to everyone who helped and participated in every way. Your gifts made an impact for the kingdom of God. I appreciate you, but more importantly, you are pleasing in the sight of God.

UNKNOWN – The complete impact of the week will never be known this side of heaven. Sometimes it takes several years of VBS programs to combine into one huge impact in a person’s life. One thing is for sure, lives were touched for the glory of God.

Thanks everyone.

Here are two slides for today. A couple of thoughts on using your gifts to serve the Lord. May God bless you this weekend.

Here are some of the best articles and posts I have read this week. Enjoy and may God bless you.

4 THINGS OUR DESIRE TO GOSSIP REVEALS ABOUT US

HOW DO WE HELP KIDS WHO HAVE LEFT THE FAITH?

That Time I Said “Yes” When I Really Meant “No”: One Last Thought on Eugene Peterson’s Interview – I don’t know if anyone else has followed this story, but I thought this was an insightful article.

59 Percent of Millennials Raised in a Church Have Dropped Out—And They’re Trying to Tell Us Why

5 Trends Christian Millennials MUST STOP Doing

9 ways to help teens manage their social media footprint

Gaztelugatxe

There are two ways to motivate people. They are very close. In fact, they are only two feet apart.

One way is a kick in the seat of the pants. My father was the master of this technique. I can remember at least two times he kicked me with authority on my backside. Both times I deserved it. I had made poor choices and when he became aware he “motivated” me not to act that way. Obviously, this can be metaphorical. It can mean any method used to give negative reinforcement against bad behavior.

The other way is a pat on the back. This happens when we see someone doing a good job, and you offer encouragement to keep on this path. There are people who have the gift of encouragement. They write cards, give gifts, email, text and find any number of ways to show their appreciation of your work. They are full of kind words about everything other people are doing.

This two-foot difference is an enormous distance when it comes to motivation.

Through the years I have seen people who only know one way to motivate people. Most of my boy’s coaches in sports have been people who yelled and tried to use negative consequences to motivate them. Unfortunately, instead of motivating them, they withdraw and perform worse. I have also known people in Church who are purely into positive reinforcement. They fear any confrontation because they do not want to be mistaken as a negative person. The side effect is that people are never pushed to grow.

All of us want to see other people perform at their best. We want our young people to achieve great accomplishments and live up to their full potential. We want to see those close to us grow, mature and thrive. We want to lead others to the best possible future.

If you are experiencing trouble in motivating people, you may need to move your point of contact up or down a couple of feet to see a different result.

I know of two ways to further the kingdom of God here on earth.

The first way the kingdom comes is through organized ministry. One of the functions of a Church is to help organize people for maximum impact. We have a building which allows ministry to happen. We have put together programs to teach kids, influence teens, train adults, and serve in a several ways. The Church is here to help make ministry easier on everyone. Together as a group of people, we can do more than we could as individuals.

This means the Church needs people with particular gifts to use those gifts in ministry. Those who love children can find a place to serve lots of kids at one time in the Church. Someone with gifts of music can use that gift to lead hundreds of people in worship. Your gifts and abilities are needed to make a big impact through the ministries we organize.

The second way the kingdom comes is through unorganized ministry. This occurs when individual Christians take their gifts with them into the world. It happens one on one in hundreds of places at the same time. You can take the time to listen to the troubled kid in the lobby during the ball game. Your family can invite him into your home and share the love of Christ through your help and concern. These are unplanned moments when God puts things together as only he is able.

This means that Christians need to keep their eyes open for those God ordained appointments for ministry. You need to be available to use your gifts at unknown moments whenever they occur. Today could bring opportunities for you make an impact for his kingdom.

The interesting things are that neither of these two things should stand on their own. Serving in the Church will have limited impact if you are not willing to minister outside of Sunday morning. You will undermine your goodwill on Sunday if you have a negative attitude through the week. The other side is also true. If you try to make a difference one day at a time all by yourself, you will have an impact on a few people but miss thousands. The organized ministry of the Church will increase your influence by multiplying your gifts.

Believers are called to a life of service for the kingdom of God. If you are not involved in an organized ministry within the Church, you are missing the power of a working together. If you are only serving within the Church, you are missing the day-to-day chances to shine your unique light wherever you go.

If you are missing one of these areas, then you have two options. One is to “sign up” to be a part of something bigger. The other is to “open up” your eyes and your heart to the opportunities that lie around you.

All of us serving individually and together will help to bring God’s goodness into the world.

Recently I read an article that made an accurate analogy for the Church.

The simple call is for the Christians to stop viewing the Church like a consumer. Through the years the Church has slowly slipped into a religious marketplace. People attend and evaluate if they like the music, the preaching, and the childcare to see if it meets their needs. If they like the program on Sunday morning, they will decide if they will return. A program that is done with enough quality might even get a little money thrown into the plate.

The sad result of this shift is that most Christians want their Church to offer them exciting and challenging programs but are unwilling to help make it happen. They are spectators of religious activities instead of active participants.

Personally, I have seen this shift in a major way in the last 20 years I have been in ministry. The Church now provides more and better program with less and less support. Recently my wife has been leading a ministry to get more people involved in our Church. The majority of the time she is met with resistance. “We are already busy.” “We have no extra time to give.” Usually, before she can say a word people have offered up excuses on why they cannot possibly be expected to serve. Christians have been reduced to spectators and consumers.

The analogy goes something like this. When you go to Wal-Mart, you have no desire or plans to help stock the shelves. You would be appalled if they asked you to donate your time to make their store better. You are there as a consumer. You are not a participant. Therefore, they should not ask you for anything. Instead, they should be there to help you. They should strive to make you happy and be flattered that you come into their store at all. They are there for you.

This is the thinking that happens in the Church. The more we view it as a place to meet our needs instead of a place to bring the kingdom of God to earth the less we want to serve. The more we view the Church like a consumer who will take our money elsewhere if we are unhappy the less we give to the work of the Lord. Whenever we have an attitude that everything is here to serve me, the less we will be interested in giving our lives to the work of the Lord in the Church.

The Church is not like Wal-Mart. We are here to give glory to God in everything we do. We are here to make him happy with our acts of service and sacrifice. We are here to praise the Lord and give him glory. Doing any less makes us more like Wal-Mart than a Church.

Personally, I like Wal-Mart, but it is nothing compared to the Kingdom of God.

This week our Church is leading a Vacation Bible School program each night. As a result, my mind is on children’s ministry. I want to suggest to you at least five ways that you, as a believer, can support the children’s ministry at your Church.

1. Prayer. Never underestimate the power of prayer. Pray for the teachers, the volunteers, and everyone who works with the kids. Pray for the kids as they listen and learn. Pray for God to open the hearts and minds of the young people who give us their time. Pray.

2.People. Every ministry needs people to support it. Children’s ministry needs volunteers to register kids, teach them, support the leader and help in any way. There is a need for people to teach what the Bible says while modeling it with their lives. You will know the enormous impact your life will have just by being there.

3.Playful Spirit. The best volunteer is someone who can laugh and smile. It takes someone willing to get down on the floor and play with the kids. Take time to talk to them about their lives and listen to their many stories. But even if you do not serve in this area, then please have a playful spirit about those who do work there. Encourage bright colors, loud noise, and fun. More than once I have encountered a person in Church who gets angry about the noise and the mess the kids are making. Relax and enjoy it, in fact, encourage it.

4.Patience. Working with kids is like tending an orchard; it may take a long time to see some fruit. One week kids are excited and the next they are bored. One week you think you are making progress and the next you feel like you are failing. Even though you may not see big decisions made every week the seed of faith is still being planted and taking root under the surface. Who knows what it will one day produce?

5.Pick up. Children’s ministry is a mess. Toys are lying on the floor. Snacks smashed under the table. Full trash cans abound. I know it can be a headache to clean up after a group of kids, but I am thankful that a group of young people were present and learned about the Lord. The book of Proverbs says that where there are no oxen, the stable is clean. The problem is a barn is not made to stay clean but to house oxen. The same is true for children’s ministry. Embrace the mess as a sign that God is using your Church to reach the next generation.

I often hear people look at children in the Church and speak of them as the Church of the future. I honestly believe they are actually the Church of today. They are the ones who need our teaching and our example right now. We dare not wait until they are old to teach them the way of Christ, we had better start now. Children’s ministry is serious business.

I believe in children’s ministry, and I try to support it in every way I am able. I pray you will too.

Being transformed into Christlikeness is manifest in ways you might not expect. One of them is seen in who eats the last piece of pizza.

Let me explain the situation so that you understand.

Yesterday a group of people at our Church stayed after worship to set up for Vacation Bible School. We had a little over five hours to transform our entire Church building into a kid-friendly environment for maximum impact. While I did not get an exact count on the number of people I am going to guess it was around thirty total adults who stayed to help. Some were moving chairs, others were preparing food, some were getting ready for registration, activities were being set up, and there was a lot of decorating happening.

Our Church building was full of people scurrying around while preparing for well over a hundred kids who would attend our VBS. These people were selflessly giving up their Sunday afternoon on behalf of children. Many of the children these adults would not know in any way. Still, they served without payment or recognition.

As a small treat each year for this group of wonderful people, the Church buys pizza for lunch. Everyone eats, drinks and fellowships while enjoying a few down moments to refuel before going back to work. Each year it is always the same with these people. A few kids run up and grab some pizza first and slowly everyone else lines up and gets a slice or two. Then a few people go back for another slice, and the boxes empty rapidly.

Finally, we reach the last box, and the pizza disappears down to a final piece or two. Those pieces just lie there looking undesired by anyone. Every year the same thing. The last piece or two of pizza is the hardest to give away. (I usually end up eating them, but that is another story)

Typical logic would tell you this happens because everyone is full. Through the years I have found a much deeper cause for the neglected pizza. The reason is a matter spiritual significance. No one wants to take the last piece because someone else might want it.

The Bible teaches believers to consider others better than themselves (Philippians 2:3). These people are walking the way of Christ and living selflessly. That is what motivates them to give up their afternoon to set up for a VBS where kids they do not know will come to learn and enjoy. These people care about others.

That last piece of pizza will sit there because someone else may want it more. They may need it, and they can have it.

A piece of pizza lying in the box at the end of Church event is not a sign that everyone is full. It is a sign that people are being transformed by Christ to care about others.

Here is a slide for your Sunday afternoon. At 6:00 pm tonight we kick off our VBS. On Thursday night we will have a party with a bounce house. Praise Jesus 🙂

Here are some of the best articles I have read lately. A couple of them are specifically about children’s ministry. They seemed fitting with VBS starting this Sunday. Enjoy.

VBS Is Worth The Cost

3 Reasons Kids Ministry Is Important

The 5 Most Misused and Abused Bible Verses

A Letter to the Church, from a Pastor

Why Is It Important to Be Part of a Local Church?

3 Big Problems With Running A Church Like A Business