A recent survey published in USA Today indicated that 66% of kids in American today are playing on two or more sports teams at the same time. The key to understanding this statistic is the last part of the sentence…“at the same time.” Young families are busier than ever, and not all of it is due to work schedules.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand the challenges such busy schedules create for families. They do need to say “no” to a few things and that includes not letting their kids do everything their kids want to do. We did it when our kids were growing up and playing sports. We were still busy, but would have been even busier if we had not said “no” to a few things.

But let’s face reality for a moment. Many parents are not going to say “no” and that’s their right. As a church, we can’t turn back the clock to a slower time when kids did less and the church was the center of the community. Thinking we can is to live in a fantasy while the real world if full of people who are busy and lost without Jesus Christ.

Families who love the Lord and are active members of our church struggle with this issue and many of them are choosing to say “yes” to some things at church while saying “no” to other things at FBC. We can fuss and say they should do such and such…but reacting that way won’t change anything. All it will do is alienate some parents and cause us to keep operating under an outdated model for doing ministry.

That is part of the reason we believe God led us through our unhindered process to streamline and integrate some of our ministries at FBC. In the fall our schedule will look different. The only regular Sunday night activity at FBC will be SEBO, our youth worship service. We’re freeing up time for mentoring programs and small groups that will be a part of our future strategy. The children’s programs have been integrated in ways that will allow us to accomplish our purpose with fewer times kids have to be at the church.

Will everything we try work? No! Will some of it work? Yes! And that’s ok. I’m thankful to be Pastor of an established church that is willing to face reality and make changes. At least we’re trying to find ways to be effective in today’s world because our mission is to reach lost people who live in today’s world.

Pastor Steve Hogg