I would like to put this out there for pastors
and church leaders. In Matthew 4:23 it says; “Jesus went throughout Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and
healing every sickness and disease among the people”. News about him spread all
over Syria, and large crowds followed him everywhere. What do you suppose the
people were saying as they followed Jesus? I think they were saying - WOW!
Churches ought to adopt the goal of causing
people to say wow! The worship service, the preaching, the teaching times, the
physical building, the music, the children’s ministry, the grounds around the
church, literally everything ought to cause people to say wow! Do you know that most churches cause people
to yawn? Let me tell you something, churches that have a “wow” way of doing
things don’t have attendance problems! They don’t have financial problems! They
don’t have conflict problems! What they do have are parking problems; space
problems; and problems related to growth. Those are problems I would like to
tackle! Has anyone been in a “WOW” church before? Have you ever heard “WOW”
preaching? Have you ever heard “WOW”
music?... I must say this however, in order for a church to be a “wow” church
they need to set aside some “wow” money every year to maintain and improve the
“wow”!Don’t forget the kids. It all goes something like this; “The parents decide to take their kids to church or Sunday School for whatever reason. ( Sometimes the kids go kicking and screaming!) But, then they pick up their kids from church or church activity, and WOW! The kids are beaming. You would think they had just been to Disneyland! They got to eat some cookies, play some games, watch a cool video, and have a great time! The amazing thing is that they have managed to learn something in the process. The clincher however, is when they say to their parents: “We have to come back next week because…we are going to (a.) have a party! (b.) have a special guest. ( c.) go on a field trip ( d.) make something really cool! Get the picture?
One of the quickest ways to become a Velcro church instead of a Teflon church is to have a children’s program so incredible, so irresistible, that kids want to come back! Listen, Disney does it. McDonalds does it. They do it for the money…Don’t you think we could do it for the Kingdom of God?
Kids of all ages like teaching they can touch, smell, hold, and feel! When we talk about “loaves and fish” we ought to have some bread and fishsticks to pass out! Kids love props! When was the last time anyone checked to see if we have any Christian clowns, or magicians, or ventriloquists in the area willing to come for a freewill offering? I/m just pointing out that WOW churches are creative in all they do.
The message in Galatians 6:9 says “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”! There is a story told of a Chinese bamboo tree. You can plant this bamboo sprout, and for 4 or 5 years nothing happens. You can water it; fertilize it; but you don’t see any evidence of growth. But then, about the 6th year things begin to change. In a 6 week period the Chinese bamboo can grow to be 90 feet tall! The World Book Encyclopedia records that one bamboo plant can grow 3 feet in a 24 hour period. It seems incredible that such a plant can lie dormant for years, then suddenly explode with growth. But, I believe that if we focus on fulfilling the vision and purpose of the church; and keep watering and fertilizing; and cultivating; God will grow the church when He is ready; to the size He wants it to be; and at the rate that is best for each one.
A bright yellow truck was parked along a quiet city street. Two men got out and began to work along the boulevard. The first man would take his shovel and dig a hole…take three steps and dig another hole… take three steps and dig another, and so on down the street. A few minutes behind him would be the second man, who would fill in the hole and tamp the dirt…move to the next and do the same. A lady came out and asked what in the world they were doing? One of the workers explained that they were on an urban beautification project. “Well what’s so beautiful about a bunch of filled in holes” she asked? The man explained that the government had been cut back by one-third, and the man who planted the trees was laid off!
This ridiculous story is to show us that different people play different roles, but everyone has a part to play as part of the team. There has never been a pitcher that has won a “no hitter” in baseball by himself. There has never been a quarterback that has won the Super-bowl by himself. It is always a team effort. The Pastor can’t do it alone. The board can’t do it for everyone. It takes – as scripture says – “all parts doing their part!”
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