Better Than One

When VBS time rolls around, it will either be one of the most exciting weeks of the year or one of the most dreaded.   Having been a pastor, I think I have experienced both extremes.  Could it be in our planning, we have overlooked the potential of VBS?  Do we not understand that many of our people who come to faith in Christ at a younger age do so during or as the result of VBS? 

But what about the results of VBS in our own lives as adults?  Much of what I know about the Bible, I would not know today if it were not for the diligent and faithful teaching during VBS.  Where else would I have learned the books of the Bible?  Where else would I have learned the value of memorizing scripture?  Where else would I have had the plan of salvation presented so simply that even a child could understand?  All of this is precisely what VBS is all about.

Of course, pastors, staff and teachers will be required to be patient, kind and undertanding to kids that have never been taught how to behave in church.  Yes, you will be responsible for safe transportation and insuring everybody gets to church and back home in a reasonable time frame.   Be absolutely sure no children  are left on buses or vans.   Have enough workers to ride each vehicle to insure safety and order.   Yes,  pastors and VBS Directors will at times need to be the referee for some of the workers that simply “can’t take anymore.” 

But, with all the challenges, what would life be without Vacation Bible School?  In fact, you might think about having multiple VBS’s in your church this summer.  Perhaps an off-site school would be blessed of God.  Determine up front that your VBS will be one of the highlights of your church year and do everything possible to make it so.  Where our boys and girls spend eternity may very well depend on it! 

In Stetzer’s and Dodson’s book, “Comeback Churches,” they did not want “leadership” to be the number one factor in churches making a comeback.  However, research spotlighted “visional leadership” as the #1 factor.  As I contact and visit churches in North Central KY, I have found this research to be right on target.

A week ago, the University of Kentucky’s new basketball coach, John Calipari, was the main emphasis on the sports page.  From his first public interview until now, it is no secret that Calipari knows who he is, where he is, and where he is going.  The previous coach at UK did not know who he was, where he was, or where he was going.  However, Calipari does not have to put down Gillispie to help himself look better.  Many leaders tend to diminish or put down the person they followed thinking it will build them up.  Calipari needs no help in standing tall.

A pastor with visional leadership helps a church to know where it is going and how it will get there.    Therefore, they have a vision and strategy.  Vision is imagining the future you want.  A vision should be stated in a meaningful and memorable way.  Here are the tests:

• Can the statement be memorized in three minutes or less?
• Is there more than one punctuation mark?
• Can it be easily explained and understood? 

Vision examples are:  “To honor God by making more disciples for Jesus Christ”  - ”That all people have a loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ”.  Recently, I worked with a church that was trying to put together their “Clarify the Win”.  Andy Stanley in his book ” 7 Practices of Effective Ministry” uses this term to help a church find the most important thing they do and what they can cheer about.  Calipari understands that the most important thing at UK is being one point ahead of the other team at the end of the game.  Calipari’s brief strategy is Dribble, Drive, Defense.  A church’s strategy needs to be steps it takes to get to the win or to enable a person to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.  Some strategy examples are:

• Gather, Commit, Serve 
• Come, Connect, Grow, Serve, Go 
• Lead, Equip, Send. 
• Membership/Belonging, Maturity/Understanding, Ministry/Connecting, Missional/Practicing

John Calipari is not a perfect image of visional leadership, but he has reignited an excited following of UK basketball and he is restoring UK’s brand.  People want to win and not lose in a church.  They want to follow a visional leader.

P.S. 

Calipari wants to have  Midnight Madness at Commonwealth Stadium with 65,000 people watching a basketball practice.  What big thing are you trying that only God can do?