How do we count success?
At some point, while suffering through the frigid weather last week – I think it might have been in the middle of Steve’s sermon on the abundance of creation – I wondered “How many snowflakes does it take to make a snowman?”
Google said it takes 10,000 but that sounds like way too few. Of course, it depends on the size of the snowman, doesn’t it? Snowflakes in a snowman seem like a tough thing to count.
It can also be tough to count “success in ministry.” Traditionally we count three “b’s” – bucks, buildings, and backsides. (ABC’s – attendance, buildings, cash.) That doesn’t really get to it because we are actually interested in fruit. We might invest a lot of money, steward fine buildings, and involve a lot of people, and not see any fruit.
I’ve been thinking about how we might count fruitfulness at Cedar Hills. (Things traditionally never on anyone’s radar.) What if we counted:
- Shopping carts…
- Butt cans (for cigarette butts)…
- Pizzas consumed (or donuts)…
- French reporters asking about our politics…
- Intergenerational conversations…
- Prayers (and pray-ers)…
- Meals shared with one another…
- Hugs…
These may or may not be things expected in ministry, but they are all part of ours – and part of our success in the past year! We like to count and we like to measure success. What would you count as a measure of our success? (Let me know!)
The Lord be with you,
Kent Landhuis
Pastor of Teaching & Leadership
