welcome to the story.

A response in my online class to the question of how should we organize our ministries in today's world. Me: Today�s families are always going, going, and going some more. Their jobs, bosses, friends, family, school, and coaches are always demanding more, more, and then some more. When I was a kid I used to be able to go home after school and play war with sticks as guns with my little brothers. Today�s students have three hours of homework Monday-Thursday and some more on Sunday night. Mixed in with that, most work around 20 hours a week, participate in school activities, and try to have some kind of social life. No wonder they want to sit in front of a tv just to let their mind go blank for a few minutes. With these increasing demands on their schedule and the schedule of their parents (mostly split parents), the church would be wise to tailor the ministries that they offer and when they offer them. At my church, we don�t have any Wednesday night activities for children or students because we do not want to be an extra �thing� that kids have to pencil in there already busy schedule. I don�t think its wise of us to demand more of their schedule by making them feel guilty if they don�t come to Sunday morning Sunday School, Sunday morning service, Sunday night children�s or youth choir, Sunday night service, Tuesday night visitation, Wednesday night programs, and a weekend event. So maybe we should be more strategic and intentional with 1 night a week instead of spreading ourselves and our excellence in ministry thin over 4 or 5 nights a week. Another side note . . . the more we offer at the church, the more the ministers are required to be there. And the more they are there, the less they are at home with their families. Streamlining some of what is offered from a �programming� standpoint might not only free up the congregation, but might also free up the staff to build a family and not a ministry. I�m sure there are some pastor�s kids in here, and my best friend and roommate is a pastor�s kid, but he�ll tell you that pastor�s kids are often so �bad� because of the lack of their father�s influence on their life because of their over-commitment to their ministry. Maybe in streamlining our ministries we can free up pastors to be fathers again, thus being ones who can model for other parents how to raise a family. It seems odd to listen to a pastor preach about the lack of family values to a congregation when he only leaves the church to sleep. That�s why I applaud pastors who are able to balance the tension of leading a church and a family and who do both well. Those guys are far and few between but they give me hope as a future father and pastor. Michael McCartney�s Reponse: Josh, you point out some very real problems affecting the church, but I'm not sure I agree with the solutions. all the activities you mentioned consume 3 to 4 times more time than the average Christian spends in church, yet they find time to do them. I think the streamlining should be done on behalf of the people not the church. Scripture tells us "do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another: and so much the MORE as ye see the day approaching" (Heb.10:25). I don't think cutting out services is a Biblical solution, nor do I think it really adds much family time. most that stay home on Sunday night & Wednesdays sit & watch tv, while kids play video games & get online. I think people should find what's important to them & do it. If the church isn't one of them they shouldn't blame the church for having to many programs. as to busy pastors, there is no doubt it is a demanding call. the pastor must prayerfully find a balance with God, wife, family, & ministry. I think perhaps Andy's dad had a bit more on his plate than most pastors. not only did he lead one of areas biggest churches, but was pres. of SBC, had speaking engagements all over the world, and found time to write several books. I'm sure if we laid our lives out on a spread sheet we could probably find several areas that could be streamlined before we start eliminating church services for those of us that enjoy a midweek boost. Me: Thanks for the conversation Mr. McCartney. You made some excellent points! And please don't misunderstand my comments. I'm not advocating cutting every single program we do out because people are busy. I'm just suggesting we take a good long look at what we do it and why we do and if we can better combine the resources, time, energy, creativity, etc. that we use 3 nights a week into 1. I can only speak out of experience. I work with students every week. We have no Wednesday night service. We have no Tuesday night Visitation. We have no youth choir. We have no weekend events. We have no events outside of our yearly camp and our mission trips. We don't go bowling as a group. We don't go to Braves games. We don't do anything. The only thing we offer is on Sunday nights. During this time, we pour all of our resources, creativity, time, prayers, etc. into this 2 and half hour time. We have a worship time, a master teaching time, and then we have small groups. And I would take the average student from our ministry and put him/her up against any student from a ministry that offers things 5 nights a week. I'd take the top 10 students from our ministry and put them up against the top 10 students from any other ministry in the country and I'm confident that our students are grounded in Truth, leading their friends at work, school, and on their sports teams. I'm confident that these students have as much character and depth, if not more, than most students in youth ministries that offer something every night and an event every weekend. And we do it all on one night. And in that, we have not "given up on meeting together as is the habit of some". We just choose to be very strategic and intentional with the time that we do offer. And because we do this on a Sunday night (we don't have adult Sunday night services), every student who is there on Sunday night is there because they want to be there. Granted my church is rather large . . . too large if you ask me, but on Sunday nights we have over 500 high school students alone worshipping and studying together. And to show the depth of our students, I have the privilege of leading over 200 volunteer students who serve on Sunday mornings in the Children's, Preschool, and technical ministries. I don't say any of that to brag or to elevate some church to some higher pedestal than what it is . . . a corporate servant of God, but we only offer one night a week, and it works. And it works extremely well. As for your example of Dr. Stanley, he indeed found time to lead a large church, become president of the convention, speak all over the world, and "find the time" to write several books. But it also cost him his marriage. While I am in no way attempting to slam Dr. Stanley, I think my point is well taken that in our attempt to offer something 8 days a week and be everywhere 8 days a week, we may have missed the point somewhere along the way. Finally, why do you think it is that people don�t want to show up on Sunday nights, and Tuesday nights, and Wednesday nights? We think the answer is that their priorities aren�t in line (which is probably true) but maybe the reason they don�t come is because they don�t connect with God there. Maybe they are unable to feel any life there, only deadness. True, in the New Testament and Acts in specific, they met every single day. But when they met they all had smiles on their faces. They all connected with their Heavenly Father. And they enjoyed each other�s company. Hardly sounds like the church we have today. Maybe that is the reason why people don�t come every night. Maybe we need to blame our poor programming and environments before we blame people�s priorities.