What Did I learn from VBS 2009 at Macedonia

How does one measure results? By what tangible proof can you tell whether or not something was a success or not? I have been reflecting for days now after the completion of our VBS to determine whether or not it was a success. The attendance was great, pastors commented to me that they thought either a church meeting or a revival was going on so they were amazed when they found out "It was just VBS". I am encouraged but I still see the ones who were missing.

The discussion was great, uplifting and very revealing. Church members commented that this was the best VBS they have attended in a long time, they wished we had more time in Bible class and how it refreshed them to see an open dialogue between the Pastor and the Pew. I am encouraged but I still see the ones who never opened their mouth.

The attempt to break up hard ground due to inactivity, cold hearts, hard rocks of tradition and dry spirits due to no refreshing from God's Word was hard work. I felt a burden not to preach at or teach at but try and break up the soil of their hearts so that God's Word, THE SEED, could enter in. I am encouraged and yet there is something about looking at a dirt field that is scary.

I know I planted the seed; I know it will come up, I know that God's Word will not return void and yet it still is dirt. No cracks! No breaks! No sprouts! Nothing but dirt, forget harvest, I would take a vine or a leaf right about now.

The Music discussion was enlightening. It demonstrated the intro I used between the Traditional Church and the Contemporary Church and the need for Macedonia to become what I feel the Lord is leading us to do and that is being a Blended Church. The video from the last blog caused quite a discussion. We were only scheduled to talk about music for 30 minutes on one day, We talked about it for 3 days.

Some were adamant that the church should be separate from the world. There should be a difference between what we sing and what the world sings. The secular and the spiritual should never cross paths, but just to aid the discussion I told them James Cleveland's Song "Jesus is the Best Thing that ever Happened to Me", at one time was considered secular because he changed the words to Gladys Knight's song "Best Thing that Ever Happened to me". "O Happy Day" was considered secular, now its a traditional standard. While the Message Never changes or should Never change, the Medium or the Methodology may change in order to serve this present age.

What amazed me was the fact that the people who were most adamant about this were people who participated in ministries or activities that until not long ago was considered "secular" or "taboo", mime, praise dancers for young and old, dramatic plays, skits etc.

I had another faction that "whatever it Takes to bring the people let's do it". Their attitude was if it draws the people, do that. If it gets a crowd, do that. Again, advocating discussion, should we do anything in the name of drawing a crowd? Just because a thing can be done, Is it necessary for it to be done? Let's have a Christian dance class where 1st Sunday it's the Electric Slide, 2nd Sunday its the Cha-Cha slide, third Sunday (youth Sunday) it's the "Stanky Leg class" fourth Sunday it's the baptcostical two-step, 5th Sunday it would be "So you think you want to be a Pastor's Wife auditions, It would draw a crowd, but everyone who came to see Jesus do a miracle did not stay around to perform ministry.

Last point for this blog, I told the church, I didn't want to come off as a hater. Many times when a Pastor is against something, it is not necessarily spiritual. Many preachers who are against closing, celebrations, whooping, can't do it, therefore they talk about those who can. I am not a singer, if the Holy Spirit dumps out an ocean of His power to go along with what He has put in me, I can keep a note but I am not a Lance Mann, Joe Carter, Elliot T. Ivey, B. Bailey, etc who God has blessed with that gift. They can sing without thinking, it is as normal as breathing to them. That's not my gift but just because I don't have it, I shouldn't hate on preachers with that gift.

If any result was had by this VBS week, it is simply, breaking ground is hard work. The ground is hard, the work is hard and even the best of tools can become dull or even chipped or broken due to the elements you are working in; however, if you want the seed to take root, you must dig deep, keep watered, tend to the weeds, spray away the bugs, put a protective net over the fruit and harvest will come.

I am still in the breaking up stage, please pray for me. God won't break the people's heart as long as my heart is still hard and stony. Please God remove the rocks out of my life that I might be more useful to you.