Ministering for those who are present, not absent

I learned a valuable lesson one year in college. It wasn't a lesson from english, history or psychology; it was a lesson from a Bible Study that I taught. It happened to be one of those evenings when almost all of those who were part of the study were away.  There were only 3 of us present.  I made a quick decision to forgo the study and we ended up doing something else.  A couple weeks later I realized what a big mistake that was.  I found out that one of the people who was present that night really needed to connect with God. She needed people to pray with her about a situation and she needed some strength from God's word. The night she needed it most, we decided to so something else.

That is when I learned it.  I learned that in God's economy we need to  focus on those who are present.  In ministry, like in many other things, it is easy to focus on those who are away for the weekend, on vacation or doing something else.  At times, we are tempted to provide programming that suits those who aren't there rather than those who are present. 

Why talk about this?  There is a big weekend coming up. July 4 is a time to celebrate.  It is a time to remember the country we live in. It is an opportunity to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy. And it is a time to spend with family and to take a break from work.  People should enjoy that.   There is nothing wrong with taking a vacation, or having a long weekend or enjoying family.

What often happens though, is that knowing people will be away, churches plan accordingly. They plan for a small service. They plan for the fact people are away. There will be people though, who need an encounter with God and who need a church who will plan for them.

You will notice at Calvary we have resisted that temptation. We had  several special and unique elements on Memorial Day weekend.  This coming July 4th weekend, we have another amazing service planned. We believe those who are here will have an intimate and holy encounter with God at each of our 3 campuses.   We have prepared a service, like none other here at Calvary to help people see, feel and know the absolute holiness of God.

If you are enjoying vacation and rest this weekend with family and friends, then we pray that you are refreshed. If you are around here, we invite you to come prepared to meet God face to face. Take time to read Exodus 3 before you come. Let your heart and spirit be open to what Jesus has for you this holiday weekend.