"Jesus Loves the Little Children"

It's Sunday morning and I walk down the halls of the children's Sunday School rooms in my church.  Everywhere I look evokes memories.  Over there is the room where my Grandmother taught me "Deep and Wide" from her lap.  In another corner is the room where Mrs. Minerva Young taught me about  blind Bartimaeus.  I can close my eyes, and still see my children running out of a Sunday School room with cotton-balls glued to construction paper saying, "see what we made?"  Fruit juice, animal crackers, play-dough, and glitter-glue permanently stain the short tables in every room, but the sound of children singing "Jesus Loves Me" can no longer be heard.  Our Church has no children.

We have about 175 regular Sunday morning attenders, but no children.  Concurrent with the exodus of ALL our young families, we have experienced an influx of elderly people, exiles from "purpose driven" sister churches in our area.  On one hand, I love the way our church ministers to Seniors.  I love everything those Seniors bring to our church.  They are talented, spiritually mature, and willing to serve as much as their tired bones will permit.  And they are GIVERS!  Even with the great exodus of young couples, our budget is in its best shape ever.  Our covered-dish cooks are also wonderful, which is a good thing since we're serving a lot more funeral luncheons.

To be completely accurate, we do have about 5 children.  Where have the rest gone and why did they leave?  Pride.  Stinking pride.  I've made some observations, noted some patterns, and flat-out asked every family who left our church to tell me why they left.  I've found that the reason someone gives for leaving a church is never the reason they left.  Instead, the reason they give is usually the last straw in a series of offenses for which there doesn't seem to be a "re-set" button.  There is more to be said about this, but it will have to wait to another day.  I hope anyone who stumbles by here will take a moment to pray for us as we move forward.