When greeting a friend, people will often ask, “So, what’s new?” The start of a New Year gives us the opportunity to take a look at our life and ministry and ask this same question of ourselves. What have you planned and implemented that will improve you and your service to God in 2009? We are still at the beginning of the year. If God tarries in His coming, you still have more than 300 days to serve Him and make a difference for eternity.
The songwriter Johnson Oatman, Jr. aptly penned the words that should be our heart’s desire: “I’m pressing on the upward way; new heights I’m gaining every day.” In every area of our lives, we should be striving to do more, to reach new heights, and to grow in our effectiveness for the King of kings until He calls us home by way of death or the rapture. We should be content in our station in life, but not in our service for God. Complacency is the enemy of effectiveness, and we should always be reaching, pressing, and straining to do more than we have done before.
For those involved in the bus ministry, I would like to offer some ideas for you to consider implementing for 2009:
- Scripture memorization program
- Program to pray for every rider and every street on your route each week
- Visitor contest (prizes for riders and workers)
- Canvass a new area
- Spring, summer, and fall campaigns
- Faithfulness contest
- Visit for an extra hour at least one Saturday per month
- Salvation and baptism goals
- Add new workers
- Song boards to teach new songs
- Improve the program on the bus
- Bus teen activity
- Adult bus rider promotion
- Family picture Sunday
- Ensure that every rider has a Bible
- Involve teens in the church youth group
- Go soul winning on your route on a weeknight
- Bus worker training program
The list could go on. Every one of us has a great need for growth and improvement. McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc said, “When you’re green, you’re growing. When you’re ripe, you rot.” In 2009, may it be said that our lives, ministries, and churches are growing for God’s glory, not rotting as we become stagnant and stale in our service. “So, what’s new?”