- Too often the very programs trying to ground our young ones in the faith suffer from a lack of willing volunteers.
Since the beginning of the year, I have been doing a good bit of travel for various kinds of speaking engagements, not the least local church revivals.
A revival, for the uninitiated, is typically a multi-day meeting where a special speaker is brought in to inspire the congregants to deeper devotion to God. I just wrapped one up in Ironton, Ohio, last week and will be at a church in Campton, Kentucky, this coming Sunday through Friday.
Taking a cue from John Wesley, I have begun to approach these gatherings a little differently than the typical evangelist who swoops in, preaches with fervor, and then departs… hoping that something good might continue to happen. Wesley refused to preach in locations where he could not follow up the preaching with a robust program of discipleship.
And so, we have begun, and are still perfecting, the process of challenging the congregation with a program of preparation: preceding the meetings, six weeks of devotional readings, prayer emphases, pulpit preaching, Sunday school lessons, and Scripture memorization…all on the theme of the coming revival.
And afterwards…a plan for following up on commitments made, geared to three or four measurable outcomes mutually agreed-upon by the evangelist and church leadership and implemented by a select revival committee. Revival isn’t merely a one-time response to the preacher’s message; it’s evidenced by a deeper commitment to holy obedience that continues to transform long after the speaker is gone.
At the end of the final service in Ironton last week, attendees received a response card on which they could indicate any or all of the following: 1) I want to participate in a new discipleship group, 2) I want to be involved in a regular compassionate ministry in the community, 3) I want to have a face-to-face meeting with my pastor about how to go deeper in my walk with the Lord, and/or 4) “Our children need discipleship. I feel called upon by God to help.”
The pastor insisted upon including the last one. “We have a fair number of kids,” he said, “but no one seems to want to work with them.” The children’s ministry was extremely short-handed, and the problem was becoming acute.
He is not the only pastor to bemoan this predicament. Too often the very programs trying to ground our young ones in the faith suffer from a lack of willing volunteers. Apparently many want to be fed, but few want to feed. Yet research shows how critical this emphasis in a church really is:
- The Barna Group reports that 43% of Christians make their decision to follow Christ before the age of 13 and are far more likely to remain committed to that allegiance throughout adulthood than are those converted later in life.
- When children choose to follow the Lord and maintain that commitment, it results in higher life satisfaction in and beyond their youth. They are less likely to experience depression or suicide, use drugs, or be sexually active outside of marriage. On the whole, children who have been discipled in the faith have far healthier life habits entering adulthood.
- When parents are choosing a church to attend, they typically look for one with a strong program for children.
A few weeks ago, I was speaking in Waverly, Ohio. A friend with whom I attended seminary decades ago heard I was in town and showed up. As we reminisced, he told me about an incident that occurred when an older, outgoing president of our school got his car stuck in the snow. He somehow made it back to campus, but his vehicle was still in the ditch. So he parked himself at the campus bookstore and began accosting young men as they walked by: “Hey young man, you got a hernia?” The student would, befuddled, admit that no, he didn’t. “Then you’ve got no excuse not to help me. Get over here.” With about six students who didn’t have hernias, he managed to rescue his car.
After telling the story, my friend revealed that one of our other pals – currently a bishop – was among those enlisted to get the car out of the ditch. Early in his preaching career he wrote a sermon with the theme “Hey, you got a spiritual hernia?”
No? Then volunteer to help with a children’s program. It’s eternally significant.
Matt Friedeman
