Something I've Noticed

For the past several months, I’ve been noticing a trend at our church that has my attention and should grab your attention as someone who cares about the health and welfare of our fellowship.  Our overall Sunday School attendance has been on a downswing for a while now.  Truly, I’m not one to sound unnecessary alarms and can be as patient as anyone while trying to diagnose the true underlying cause(s), but there’s really no good reason for a church with our resources and potential to have become such underachievers in this area. 

Several years ago, I asked a church going through similar issues the same question I am asking each of you to consider at this point:  “Is Sunday School worth our time and efforts to continue to invest in and support?”  I hope you realize that this is somewhat of a rhetorical question, but if you need a little nudging to realize Sunday School’s importance, here are a few areas in which our overall church’s ministry is impaired:

• We have few opportunities to build kingdom leaders.
  
• The development of soul winners is greatly reduced.
  
• We cannot be organized to win the lost (A healthy Sunday School, by the way, has been proven to be the most effective organized evangelism activities a church can have).
  
• There is a decreased level of assimilation of new members.
  
• We are not mobilized for ministry.
  

The list could continue, but I don’t want to belabor the issue.  Needless to say, if we are to live up to our potential in the kingdom of God, Sunday School should never take a back seat.  Here are some points to ponder as you think about and prepare for next Sunday:

• If you are a teacher, show up early and make sure you’re ready to begin at 9:45.  Nothing will kill a class quicker than a teacher who habitually shows up late or not at all.  And nothing is a more certain guarantee of a guest never returning than for them to show up for a class when there is no class.
  
• If you are a student, show up on time so that 1) the class can start on time, and 2) you aren’t an interruption for a class that has already begun.
  
• Be faithful to your class, pray for them regularly, and contact those who are absent.
  
• Invite a friend.
  
• Be as warm, friendly, and open to new people as possible.
  

Again, the list could continue further.  These are only a few short exhortations and a gentle reminder that Sunday School is among the most important things we do.  There’s an old saying that states, “As the Sunday School goes, so goes the church.”  I’m praying we can get back on track.

For This I Went to College?

If you would have told me when I was in college (which sadly, is over 10 years ago) that I would be getting a degree in Middle Grades Education and never use it professionally, I would have said you were crazy.  If you would have told me I would be married to a pastor (especially the one I'm married to) and a stay-at-home mom with 2 kids, I would have thought you were even crazier.  I probably would have said you were crazy even before Nathan was born and I finally realized how fun being a mom could be.

At any rate, here I am.  Learning every day that life is about the people in it and it's a process that has more twists and turns than any of us could imagine.

At church, I'm leading a Bible Study on Elizabeth George's A Woman After God's Own Heart.  Originally I helped pick the study, but someone else was supposed to be leading it.  I love Elizabeth George, but I'm guilty of often reading her books imagining that one day I can be the wife and mother described and then getting distracted by the things of the day rather than focusing on the woman I want to be for my family.

So today, I made some efforts that quite frankly are unlike me -- at least to all be done in one day.  I helped Nathan make cookies for his PaPa so he could deliver them at lunch time.  As requested by David, I added things to our family calendar so he could sync the computer and his iPod.  I made sure Nathan had picked up his toys and had the TV off when his daddy came home and dinner was ready to be served when David walked in the door.  Also when David walked in, the kids were both quiet -- which is saying quite a bit as much as Nathan talks and as Carleigh has taken to high pitched squealing often for no apparent reason.  The kids were even both asleep by 9 so David and I could watch TV together.  David couldn't have been happier about all of it, though he did admit that he hardly knew what to think.

Funny how your priorities and your definition of a successful day change.  Don't get my wrong, I wouldn't trade my college experience for anything.  But this isn't exactly what I had pictured when I was stressing over English Lit.  

Sometimes I think about what I'm missing out on as I see what my college friends are doing now -- doctors, Bank VPs, etc.  But I have to admit.  I wouldn't miss out on David and the kids for anything in the world.  I may not be changing the whole world, but I hope I'm making it a better place for the three of them every day.