NUMB3RS

NUMB3RS
Last year, an average of 48 different youth attended youth related activities @ Christ United Methodist Church each week. 1,770 youth attended our Youth ministry activities between Sept. 2004 and May 2005. We have 104 youth on our roster. Mailings are often sent to 70 different homes of teens. Out of the 104 on our roster, 37 are teens from families who are either members or attendees of CUMC, 48 come from homes in which their parents do not attend church & 19 come from families who attend another church. We’ve got twelve 7th graders, nine 8th graders, thirty-three freshman, twenty-two sophomores, nine juniors and twenty seniors on our roster (and if you’re wondering ‘how does one get on the youth roster?’ - they must attend at least two youth meetings -Youth Bible Study or Sunday Youth Focus - or their family must be a part of Christ UMC - then they are automatically included).

But the thing is, they aren’t just numbers. They are individuals who all need Jesus. They were all created in the image of God & their heavenly Father has a wonderful plan for them. Some have gone the extra mile to walk like Christ, while others are moving at a slower pace - but the Christian life is a long walk in the right direction and I always tell the youth,’ it doesn’t always matter how fast you are walking, as long as you are moving forward into the Light’. When we trust God, he takes care of the rest.

Ironically Jesus had only 12 followers who never understood his illustrations, seemed to abandon him at critical times and had trouble trusting him - while one of those 12 was trying to get him killed. If we’d put that on Jesus’ resume most of the churches in America wouldn’t hire him. One thing I learned recently while attending the National Youth Workers Convention in Pittsburgh was that numbers are no way to judge a ministry’s success. In Luke 7:11-16 we see an example of what ministry is all about.


11Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, with a great crowd following him. 12A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The boy who had died was the only son of a widow, and many mourners from the village were with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. "Don't cry!" he said. 14Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. "Young man," he said, "get up." 15Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk to those around him! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, "A mighty prophet has risen among us," and "We have seen the hand of God at work today." 17The report of what Jesus had done that day spread all over Judea and even out across its borders. -Luke 7:11-16

Our job as Christians when it comes to relating to the lost is this: we are supposed to see them! Jesus comes into this setting and he sees a widow who is suffering and his heart “overflowed” with compassion. We see many examples of this in the scriptures. This is the ultimate example of evangelism. St. Francis of Assisi once said “Preach often and if necessary use words.” We have to see those who are in need and then we have to shower them with compassion, affirmation and love. Our actions will mean more than any words ever will. We have to see them as individuals created in the image of God, not just a number that can be added to our attendance. It doesn’t matter how many people are in our church if we can’t be compassionate, loving Christ-like figures.

People are drawn to Christ when His followers see those in need. This may make your heart tremble just like Jesus’ heart trembles. When we can look at people through the eyes of Christ we invite Jesus in and it is his presence that will reach the lost.

It has always been my goal to look into the eyes and hearts and minds of the flock God has given me. I came into youth ministry to change kids but in the process Christ has changed me. He is helping me to realize that it’s not about numbers, it’s about compassion. I have always strived to be as real as possible to those I come in contact with, teen or other. That should be your goal, also - not because I say so, but because Jesus did so. The goal is to love God & love others and then do what’s natural.

We are given people, not numbers, to see and hold and love, not knowing where they are going, not knowing what they will do & not knowing how God is going to minister to them. Many will never remember our name or what we’ve even done for them. We may not even remember what impact we had on them but one day Jesus will sit us down and these people that we have showed compassion to will come before us again. Then Jesus will turn to us and say “well done, my good and faithful servant.” -Tim Beck

To love someone is to reveal the beauty of who they are to themselves.