The Discipleship Handoff

Before I get to the Discipleship Handoff, I need to say a few more words about not cancelling church for Sunday services.  You have to ask yourself: what will you cancel, and what will you NOT cancel?

We had serious leaks at church because of ice dams on the roof.  But we worked hard Saturday-- thanks to Steve Vice, Rick Bradley, Johnnie Fryman, Dan Markwell, Jessie Mansfield and Junior Wilson for making sure the doors would be open and the church dry!

Did UK cancel the basketball game?  Nuff said.

Or not.  Sue Wells came into my office on Sunday and said how happy she was that we did not cancel church.  She said in all her time as an elementary student at Breck, as a student at MSU, and as faculty at MSU she only recalled 3 days missed for snow!  She said one Sunday there was a terrible snow and ice.  Randy said, "surely the weather is too bad for church..."  Sue said, "I asked him, 'do you think there will be work tomorrow?'  And he just went to the shower and got ready!"

Mike Adams did not cancel New Hope, our church plant in Menifee County last Sunday, and they had it worse than us.  He had to get a tractor to drag his car down to the road so he could get to church.  There was a small crowd, but a visitor came!  The new guy is in.  He was blown away they were open and that Mike would preach to 6 like he would to 1,000!

Donner had church at Headquarters.  His youth and children's ministry leaders were pumped because all the kids were there and they remembered what they learned the week before when all the other churches were closed.

BOOM!

The Discipleship Handoff.  This is too cool.  Johnny Bajusz was the first guy I baptized here, I think.  Mike Adams was instrumental in winning him to Christ.  Then Mike left to plant New Hope and Johnny had a new youth pastor, Adam Foster.  It would be easy for a kid to feel lost after the youth pastor who took him in goes.  But no, Adam fit right in.  Then Johnny goes to the Methodist Student Center at MSU, and Drew is there to pick up.  And Drew has disciple some dudes, Donner and Jacob Wilson, who helped Johnny navigate that first year.  Now Johnny is working as a youth associate at the church Donner pastors.

Those who know me well know I am no way near organized to set up a system like this.  I sure want to build on it, but the Holy Spirit is doing His work, the way only He can do!  In fact, I am starting to see it at work all over the place.  I am really going to rejoice when a kid Jessie has in children's ministry gets turned over to Adam, then to Drew, then to a call to ministry!  Discipleship is submitting every part of life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Even, especially, our kids!

You know what I really, really want?  I am praying hard for a disciple-making movement that wins (takes back!) Eastern Kentucky for Christ!  And I also want to see this church send out evangelizing and disciple-making teams all over the world.  Just going APE planting churches and winning people to Christ.  We are on the edge... we need a push over it.  We need to not fear.  And we need to make sure we never say we've done enough and it's time to stop and focus on ourselves...

Another Church That Did Not Close

So... Mike Adams didn't cancel church at New Hope, our church plant in Menifee County, even with their more significant snow.  He had 6, I think.  But they were jazzed, one family saying they thought it was the only church in Menifee County that did not close.  What if Methodist churches became known for not closing?  I have to give a shout out to Ashley Petersen, who drove from Fleming County to lead worship.  From Fleming County, when everyone else was staying home.

The Day I Canceled Church

It was the first heavy snow of my first year at my first church, a little church in the hills outside of Winchester. I had a few church leaders call me and say that normally under such conditions, they canceled service. What did I know? So we canceled, and someone knew to let the tv stations know.

No church and there was our name on the tv screen. I guess any publicity is better than no publicity.

Later in the evening, another Methodist pastor called me. It was Eric Patterson, a guy who has become one of my favorite pastors for his gentle and honest insight. It seems I often run into Eric at hospitals-- he is just that kind of guy, taking the basic work of the ministry very seriously. Let's just say I have benefited from his advice over the years and have paid for it when I did not listen to him.

“I see you guys canceled church. How did that feel?”

I had not really thought about it, but as he asked me, I had to admit that it did not feel good.

“Can I give you some advice? Don't ever cancel Sunday Service.” He went on to lay out some reasons why I should not cancel services. I lived right next door to the church, so there was no reason for me to cancel. And even if I lived some distance away, leave early and drive slow to get there. If it is really bad, then you stay the night before with someone who is close by. He went on to say that you should tell your folks if they don't feel safe, by all means do not come, but church is open. And they probably should not be at Wal-Mart or the Mexican restaurant if it is too bad to get to church. You might find that some people whose church canceled, or who may feel they actually can't get to the church they normally attend, will visit your church that day. Not for you to steal them away, but to worship.

So you will know, the church was in the wildwood. On a winding, windy, hilly road, 12 miles out of town. Many of my people lived up more difficult roads.

I never canceled church again. Miss Alice, in her 80s, suffering from arthritis, would drive from town in the worst weather. And we did get some visitors who would come because we were close enough for them to feel safe coming to church. And we did not steal them away.

There were some folks who would come in week after and say they did not feel safe coming. And that is totally cool. One family, tho, got busted when one of the kids asked why they still went to Lexington... if it was so dangerous and all?

I have to confess. I do not understand the mania to cancel church. If there is snow on Thursday, it seems they're calling church off. On a day like today, it looks particularly foolish. The roads were clear. And again, if you don't feel safe, don't go. But the way we cancel church is embarrassing.  It feels like we are looking for a reason to not go to church.  I used to mess with my boss and "call in well" on a really nice summer day when I wanted to fish.  Oh, wait, we do that, too...

I try to preach this to the fellows we are sending out in ministry, to anyone I have mentored. (Except Chad Brooks, who is planting a church in Louisiana. He gets to ride his Harley to church. In winter. The bum.) Andrew Donner, a fellow who is at Headquarters UMC, a small church farther out in the country than my first church was, had folks wondering if they would cancel. No, he said. If you don't feel safe, don't come. But we are having church. It is a small church that he is leading to growth and revival. Anyway, they normally run about 17 people. 21 today, when everyone else is canceling because there's... no way to get to church...