Home: "How do you measure success?"

This final post is coming to you from White Oak ARP.  We are back from a wonderful trip.

Thursday morning saw another fantastic day at VBS.  We enjoyed singing our songs, making our crafts, and teaching our attendees about the design that is so evident in God's creation.  Once again, our youth did a fabulous job leading and teaching.

After VBS all our kids, their parents, and the Hill City pastor enjoyed hot dogs in the Park.  As we were winding down, I had a lady who had brought the large church group to VBS ask me an interesting question.  She asked, "How do you measure success?"

I thought for a brief moment before I responded.  How do we measure success in our ministry at VBS and at White Oak?  Is it some number, whether a number of attendees or a number of children who answer a question regarding their salvation in a particular way?  Is it how much we learned?  Is it how good we felt doing what we were doing?  Is it whether Hill City was encouraged?

My response was simple: our trip was successful if the Gospel was clearly proclaimed.  It doesn't matter if we saw any immediate fruit (even though it is always nice to see it!), it doesn't matter how many children came.  If one person was confronted with the saving reality of Jesus Christ, we did our job.  If we were faithful to the Great Commission, conducted ourselves worthily, and didn't shrink from the opportunities before us; we have accomplished what I would consider a successful "missions trip." Think about that next time you're considering a church event, or the "success" of Sunday morning worship.  Are you looking for a number?  Are you after a certain "feeling"?  May all of our ministries be guided by the simple presentation of the Gospel, which, as Paul tells us "is the power of God for salvation." May each day of our lives be "mission trips" where we seek to do exactly this same thing.

Thursday was a quick turn around, departing Rock Hill and heading down to Winnsboro to visit Pastor James McManus in his new charge at Bethel ARP.  We were able to enjoy some time in the pool with the Bethel youth, and we got to explore our ARP heritage.  The Old Brick Church, near Winnsboro, is the site of the 1803 formation of the ARP Synod of the Carolinas, which was the first iteration of the Synod that still exists today.  In the very old building, we sang of God's goodness, and shared a little about our trip with the Bethel folks.

Thank you for your prayer support during this weekend.  Keep your eyes out for a chance to hear more about our trip!