The Disruptive

The majority of bus riders we've dealt with have been children whose parents have no interest in God or church. The ratio of children per worker can get overwhelming and workers can get burned out easily trying to make a big group of youngsters behave in church, not to mention, people won't get spiritually fed if there are lots of distractions from the bus kids.

If the bus ministry is an old sacred cow that's no loger effective, we need to be flexible and find another program that works better. We've found Upward Basketball to be more effective than bus ministry because there's more time one-on-one with the kids and the parents who won't attend church will come to a ballgame and hear the gospel there. Sports events are just one of many programs that can be used to reach the lost.

If you were an unchurched bus kid, which would attract you more:
1. An hour a week in church where you have to sit still, be quiet, and have a sermon shoved down your throat while on "their turf."

2. A personal friend who played ball with you in your undesirable neighborhood, fixed your mother's leaky faucet, and gently nudged you to Christ by modeling true concern and godly behavior.

 

Bus ministries would be difficult to become just a sacred cow as they provide transportation for those who otherwise would have none. And I love number two.

 

It is not about repecting God's house. It is about disrupting the worship of God. and that should never happen.

 

When I was growing up, I was involved in the bus ministry because I was picked up by the bus and taken to church. I grew into helping to lead, visit, and make contacts. This was back in the late 70's and early 80's. As a college student, I helped at my church one year by picking others up on the van route.

I have to say that I am glad people were patient with us. I am who I am today because they were patient with process.

 

Perhaps I've misunderstood. From the op, I figured you were getting fed up with the bus ministry because the kids were being disruptive, and you wanted to know if it was ok to tell them not to come if they were going to act up. If your bus ministry is fine except for "big days" maybe the kids just need more adults for supervision?

You mentioned older riders. Are you mainly working with children or adults? I think age would make a difference in how disruptions are handled. We never had much trouble with the adults who rode because they really wanted to be there. There were some who weren't quite right mentally, but not really dangerous. Usually the parents sent their teenagers and younger kids as a free babysitting service and the kids caused problems. In that case, a word to parent can work wonders because they want their free time on Sundays!

 

I believe you misunderstand me. That is not what I said at all. What I said was that we need to minister to these lost souls not just transport them to a meeting and back. They need more than a ride to church, they need someone who cares. That one on one presentation of the gospel and that one on one interaction is powerful, often more powerful than the preaching.

I have been active in bus ministries and I have seen them done right and I have seen them done wrong. I have heard Curtis Hudson's story about the gas can, WHEN HE WAS MY PASTOR!. Don't make assumptions about peoples background on this board when you don't know.

I am not opposed to bus ministries and we run a bus at my church now but bus transportation without a caring ministry to go along with it is a waste of time and a distraction from the work of reaching souls. The changes in our world since the 70s and 80s have left most bus ministries ineffective and created great liabilities. If that is what you are called to do then great, I will pray for you and I hope you reach many for the Lord, but make sure that is God calling you and not some preacher's ego.

What exactly did you want me to get out of Luke 14? Going out into the highways and hedges and bringing people in? Yes I am all for that. But before we start lets consider the cost. Go read Matt 22:1-14. We need to not only bring them into the feast but we also need to equip them with the wedding garment. To me that means the we not only put them on the bus and bring them to church but we also spend the time ministering to them so that they can be saved. Otherwise even though they attend church they are still lost.

I think we are on the same side brother. We both want to reach these kids for Christ. And I am not against giving them a ride to church. I just want you to remember that your responsiblity does not end with a bus ride.

OK, I will sit down now.

 

Right. My point exactly.

 

Why do we worry so much about one Sunday service when there is the rest of the week to minister??

Forget Sundays for now. Have a week day bus ministry and deal with the children after school and teach them well. Then bring them in on Sunday.

 

That is exactly what I am talking about. One church that I pastored we did a Thursday afternoon Bible Study. I forget what we called it. I want to say Neighborhood Bible Time but I think that is something else. Anyway, we did not even have to bus there, I could literally walk around the neighborhood of the church and we would have 60-70 latchkey kids who were home alone after school there for our bible study.

 

Good idea. We have Kids's Klub every Thursday afternoons in a local sports centre. This is key to reach out to kids and it opens the door to bring them to church.

 

No it's not. NBT was started out of Boulder, CO and is now headquartered in Schaumburg, IL. NBT has never had anything to do with Moody.

 

I checked, we did call in Neighborhood Bible Time, but it was our own thing, nothing to do with Moody or Schaumburg or anywhere else. We were not using anyone else’s material so I don’t think we were breaking any copyright laws, but I don’t really care either. It was a good program and several kids and families were reached through it.

Your right of course Salamander, it is Hutson, not Hudson. In my defense I was copying your copy of Rev Mitchell which are both also incorrect on pages 1 and 2 of this thread. Anyway, he was always preacher to me, I was too young to call him brother and I think I distinctly remember him saying he did not like to be called Dr. but put up with it because he knew it was meant with respect. Do you remember him talking about how people would hear that and then ask him for medical advice? Anyway he was a great man of God and is sorely missed.

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