Put 'em to work quick

We've had several people join the church over the last week. Now, as far as we're concerned, a church is not a social club any more than it is just a building. The mere fact that you go sit on a pew for an hour or three a week doesn't actually do anything for you in itself.

A church is a group of believers banded together to serve Jesus Christ. Sitting in the pew is just one of the things we do, both to worship, and to learn to serve better. So when new members join our church, we're delighted when they're willing and able to get involved.

One of the new members is fluent in American Sign Language -- she has interpreted a couple of services for us, and this lets us invite the deaf (of which there are more than you might expect!) to our services, and know that they will be able to understand. This individual has also worked with young people in the past, both in churches and professionally.

Our bus ministry has reached a couple of critical thresholds. We are bringing in too many kids for the van we are running on our shorter route -- it actually has to make two trips. We've been using the bus on the longer route, because it goes too far to make two trips reasonably. But that bus has been picking up more kids than the workers on board can handle -- the driver and one helper just haven't been able to keep control, and they have been getting discouraged. There was talk that we might have to switch to using the van on that route, and simply not bring all the kids who are willing to attend -- a heart-wrenching decision. I can't ride the bus, because I teach Sunday School, and that longer route often arrives after Sunday School has started.

Enter the new members. Pastor spoke with the couple tonight, and they are willing to start riding that bus route in two weeks. Woohoo! Up until these new families joined, we really didn't have anyone with the faithfulness and skills to do this -- you don't put just anybody on a bus full of kids and tell them to keep order. That way lies madness for the worker and lawsuits for the church. But the Lord knew our need, and just as it arose, He brought this new couple to the church. We're hoping and trusting that this will solve the problem and allow this couple to be a meaningful part of our ministry.