Attractive or Effective?

Imagine...Your neighbor is in his driveway washing his newly purchased vintage 1967, mint condition, stingray Corvette. O, it is a beauty. It shines...it glistens...it looks too good not to be noticed. You go over to congratulate your neighbor on his new ride.

"That is one good looking car," you say as your neighbor finishes drying it.

"Thanks," says your neighbor. "Since you are here can you help me push it back into the garage?"

"Sure," you say, "Still has some work, huh?"

"Well, it doesn't run, if that is what you mean by work, but I do not plan to do any work to make it run again."

"What? Why not?" you ask.

"I bought this corvette for how it looks not to drive it."

"So, you are going to just look at this beautiful '67 Corvette...you aren't going to ever drive it?" you ask in astonishment.

"That's the plan," says the neighbor as he shuts the garage door.

And you walk away thinking its not just the car that is not running on all of its cylinders.

As ridiculous as that story sounds, the reality is we are encouraged every day to buy into what is attractive but not effective.

You have heard John Colegrove share the statistics on youth ministry in the U.S.--75% of church kids walk away from their faith after they graduate from high school never to return to Christ again. So, then why is the church at large still doing what does not work? Because, while the youth ministry that is producing these negative results is not effective, it is very attractive. It is attractive because it makes parents feel like someone else is taking care of their kids spirituality and because kids say it is fun.

Living Hope's leadership has decided we will not be satisfied with attractive. We want our ministry to teens to be effective. But, frankly, it does not matter what the leadership decides...what will truly decide if we will have an effective teen ministry is if every parent, teen and person God calls steps up by attending one of the three informational meetings, the first of which is tomorrow night at 7 PM at LH. The decision of having an attractive or effective teen ministry is now in your hands. And from where I sit, knowing the heart you have for the next generation, I know our teen ministry is in good hands.

Furthermore, every day, we are told as parents of young children to settle for what is attractive. We are told that as long as our kids are happy and entertained, then all is well. As we buy into this lie we find we have lots of children who are spoiled brats who throw fits every time they do not get their way, show disrespect toward anyone and everyone in authority and are so used to being served hand and foot that they have no sense of personal responsibility let alone any sense of God's call to serve rather than be served.

Can I be honest? (If your answer is no, please stop reading at once :-). If I hear one more parent say they will ask their child if he or she wants to participate in, for example, Vacation Bible School this weekend I think I may very well blow a gasket. Since when do we ask our kids if they want what is good for them now and for eternity? We give them what they need even if they do not want it (Interesting side note--we do not let our kids not go to school or not eat or not bathe, just because they do not want to, so why do we feel like what is good for their soul should be entirely their decision?). This is why we are doing Vacation Bible School in a new format. The old way was attractive for getting a big crowd here, but that crowd was mainly kids from other churches and it was primarily used as a babysitting service so parents could have a break. This new format allows our LH kids to be discipled and to invite unchurched friends (our neighbor and child are coming this weekend) and it requires parents to engage with their child in faith building activities.

As a parent, I know why we have settled for the attractive over effective parenting: it is easier. I did it last night. My daughter began to whine and I just gave in ...I even said to her, "Does it feel good to know you got what you wanted because you cried about it?" (By the way, that is why I am attending the Parenting on Purpose class tonight at LH, 7 PM, child care provided-- I need to learn to be more effective as a parent). You see it is easier to just keep your kid happy and entertained than to intentionally prepare your child for life.

Attractive or effective? It is a question that applies to all of life--work, education, church, health, relationships...everything...Jesus sums up the attractive vs. effective debate in one question. It is a question that cuts through all of our excuses, objections and so-called reasons. Jesus asked, "What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his/her soul?"

This is my prayer for me today..."Jesus, I need to hear this today as much as anyone. As the urgent of this day demands my attention, give me the wisdom to make what is important most important. Give me permission to let the less than best take a distant second place. Give me the courage to go after what is effective even if it would be easier, with the rest of the world, to just be happy with what is attractive. Thank you, Jesus, that you lived, died and rose again to show me how to live for what matters now and forever. As it is written in your word, "These three remain: Faith, hope and love." Help me to make those three my priority today because that is where life becomes more than a pretty car to look at in the garage. Faith, hope and love are the engine that drives a life to effectiveness. Amen."