Will we be an Average Church?

I used some numbers and a quote from Dr. Frank Page (former president of the SBC) in a sermon a couple of weeks ago.  This is the jest of it.
Average is defined as typical; common; ordinary.  One pastor defined it this way: “a step above the worst and a step below the best”. The average SBC church (62%) has 1-99 in Sunday School and another 21% 100-199. It takes 49 Southern Baptists to reach and baptize 1 person each year.  The average age of the worshippers is 49 and 23% of Southern Baptists are retired.  Frank Page states that if these trends continue by 2030 50% of our churches will have closed their doors.
That begs the question, “How do we avoid this”?  I don’t want us to look at it from a defensive posture, guarding against this outcome, but from an offensive  mindset.  Can I tell you that if we do what the Lord has called us to do that will not occur (Matthew 16:18).  So we ask not what we need to do to guard against this prediction, but what we need to focus on to continue to grow and be relevant.
One, we need to love the Lord with all our hearts and being (Matthew 22:37).  If we love Him we need to be faithful to Him in our church attendance.  Not just from the standpoint of our personal walk with God, but the community is watching to see if we are faithful.  Obedience is another sure sign of our love for God.  If we don’t love Him enough to obey Him and keep His word, then do we really love Him at all (John 14:21, 1 John 5:2-3)?  Are we willing to tell others that we love Him and that He loves us?
Secondly we need to love others.  I don’t think a church that loves others will ever find itself irrelevant in today’s world.  How can SBC love others in our world today?  I think it’s more than having community outreaches, giving to needy causes, and mission efforts; even though those are important.  I think the grassroots of it is, “are we willing to sacrifice and serve others in our church and community”?  It’s being willing to serve in the nursery one week a month so that young mom and dad can worship the Lord unhindered by a little one clinging and crying throughout the whole service.  We need a Nursery Coordinator to schedule folks so that we have every Sunday covered.  We need some able bodied souls who will work (yes, I said work) in Children’s church to not only accommodate young parents, but to teach those little ones God’s love and design for them.  Do we love others enough to do that (Mark 10:13-14)?  Can we sacrifice that others can come to know Him?
What will Second Baptist be in twenty years if the Lord tarries?  What we do today will determine what we are then.  Let’s love our Lord with all our heart and others as ourselves and watch what He does.
It’s a joy to be your Pastor!

It's a New Year!

We typically think of January as the start of a new year and in many ways it is. But if you think about it September is really a month of new beginnings in a lot of ways.  It’s the new school year, maybe a new school, or school for the very first time, a new church year, new ministries begin.  It’s an opportunity for growth, to meet new friends, to start afresh.

With our new church year come many opportunities for a fresh start and to change our world for Christ.  We have graduation day on September 2 for those moving into a new class.  We have those assuming new positions to serve as an officer, teacher, or on a committee.  I hope too that we have some classes who are looking to birth new classes in the near future.

With that in mind we are going to be having a Sunday School Revival November 3-7.  One of the major things we will be looking at is the grading of our classes.  I have asked our teachers to determine what age group they want their class to be, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, etc.  Grading is so important to put adults in a class together that are in a common position in life, with common interests, challenges, and needs.  We send our children to school to get an education by grades and then we forget this principle when it comes to churches.  You wouldn’t put a six year old in a class with teenagers nor would you put a teenager in a class of eight year olds, so why do we have someone in their forties with two teenage children in a class with newlyweds?  We will be asking, not forcing, everyone to put themselves in the proper class for their age group and stage of life.  This will also help us to see where we need new classes and where to put guests as they attend our church.

Here are just a few other things on the horizon.  One, we are going to start a New Members Class during the Sunday School hour beginning September 16 and lasting four weeks.  We will be inviting and urging all those who have joined our church in the past year to attend.  We will be asking those contemplating membership to attend.  And for anyone interested in just learning more about out church we would love to see you.  Two, we are going to start a ‘Men of Russellville’ Breakfast every Tuesday morning at the Colonial Inn beginning September 11 at 6:45 am.  We will have a buffet breakfast for $5.99 and then we will have a thirty minute Bible Study.  We will be finished by no later than 7:45.  This is not going to be a Second Baptist outreach, but a ministry for all the men of our community.  What better way to start each Tuesday than for men to gather to fellowship and study His Word.

God wants to do some great things at Second Baptist and in our community this year.  It’s a new year, our question is will we let Him?