Why are we doing this? Why do we have to change things? Will this really help us, or will it cause more problems? Why now?
I’m sure many of you are wondering why this is being done. Please, let me take this opportunity (though this hasn’t been the first time, nor will it be the last) to explain more of the philosophy of why we are going to this time frame.
First of all, Kouts Christian Church needed to change some of its focus –or it would die. The Great Commission of Jesus is intended to reach all people of all age groups, no doubt. But our most immediate and urgent concern was children and youth. Unfortunately, the attrition rate of Christians leaving the faith in this country is horrendous. Though many children are raised in church, the majority of them leave the church once they are “out on their own.” Our hope is to reverse some of that trend by changing both the content and style of teaching for young people.
Another reason why we are making this change is to use the time God has given us as effectively as we can. We have determined to use the time God gives us to teach children strong, foundational concepts both through curriculum and practical ministry. We can no longer treat any part of our program as “childcare” –we see it now as an urgent opportunity to teach kids the faith –and to become evangelists themselves.
We have condensed the three time slots on Sunday mornings (1st service, Sunday school and 2nd service) down into two hours. This way, if a young family visits our church, we will always have a class available for kids during both hours (1st hour or 2nd hour) coinciding with a Sunday service. We are going to use that time to teach kids as effectively as we can while we have them.
And let me just finish by saying that kids are not our only focus, but it is our immediate focus. As we begin to minister with better focus and a greater sense of urgency, we will begin to minister to every age group in better ways. So, if things seem a little disorganized and don’t flow exactly as planned at first, please be patient. This is all very new and we need your help to get the job done. As always, please pray for the church, and rather than complain, please contribute. Many hearts and heads have come together to try and get the job done better. We will adjust and change as things begin to roll a little better and we get used to some of the new routine.
Thank you for your heart-felt devotion for Jesus and for His Kingdom!
Love in Jesus,
George