Winds of Change

I've been wanting to write this post for several weeks, but God has made me wait until today to do so. I'm continually amazed at how my timing stinks, but God's is always perfect. You would think that I would catch the drift sooner or later, yet I still think I know what's best. With that said, here we go.

I was recently reminded of a joke: "How many Baptists does it take to change a lightbulb? Change?! What's change?" That joke has always been funny to me, probably because its so accurate, but lately I've felt like it describes the state or MLBC's student ministry. For several months I have been seeking God's guidance for our student ministry. Study, prayer, more study, and more prayer have led me to this conclusion: its time for a change. Before some of you start jumping to conclusions, we are not leaving our position at Mt. Lebanon. Actually, its the exact opposite; we will be embracing it more than ever! You see, God has shown me that our students are in a rut. Truth be told, its more of a gorge. They have gotten comfortable with where they are spiritually, and there are outward signs to prove it. Our Sunday School attendance is dropping, our small group time on Sunday night is dwindling, and our worship time on Wednesday is stagnant. It's time for a change!

Now, I'm not putting the blame squarely on the shoulders of the students. I take full responsibility for what has taken place. It is my responsibility to see these students grow closer to God, and in many ways I have failed them. I'm sorry. God has convicted me of these wrongs, and I intend to follow His guidance on how to correct them. It kills me to admit fault. At times, I'm a rather conceited individual, but this isn't about me; it's about leading students into a intimate relationship with an awesome God.

With these things in mind, we are going to undertake a major overhaul of our student ministry. Some of these changes have already taken place. We are revamping our Sunday School beginning this Sunday. Our students will be going through a study called "Fuel" which calls for more of a discussion-type atmosphere. Gone are the days of "going through the motions" of teaching a lesson. Our teachers are firmly on board with seeing God destroy the stereotype of Sunday School, and seeing it turn into what it is meant to be-a meaningful time of growth.

Our Sunday night's will also be getting a facelift. "Bible Institute" will now be called "REACTION." In chemistry, a reaction takes place when one agent is added to another, thus causing a change (ugh, I'm a nerd). You're probably wondering what this has to do with our student ministry. I'll give you an answer by asking a question: What can change any situation when added to it? The answer: PRAYER. "REACTION" will be a prayer time specifically for our students and leaders. We'll pray for they're friends, they're family, and they're needs. If we want to see a change in our students, then we have to take 2 Chronicles 7:14 to heart: humble ourselves, seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways.

These are the two most pressing changes that will be taking place. There are others that we are still praying about and discussing at this time. Our next two series will be correlating with these changes...you don't want to miss them! In the meantime, I ask that you pray for our students and leadership. God wants to change the attitude and direction of this student ministry, and we want to get ourselves out of His way so He can rock our world!

Wow, I'm excited about what's about to happen!!! Labels: