“I’m not a numbers guy”, yea, but are you?

Have you ever waited by the door at 7.05 silently pleading for cars to arrive? Have you looked around at the empty chairs in the room with that sinking feeling? Have you tried to explain attendance figures away in a colourfully worded report? Have you felt a gnawing press of guilt in the back of your mind when people just aren’t showing up and you don’t know why?

Yup? Me too.

We don’t care about numbers, but we do care about numbers.

There are some genuine reasons to care about numbers. We genuinely want more young people to know Jesus! We care about these kids and believe we have something good for them. We want them to connect with a healthy, loving community of people who know God and want the best for them. Of course, we want more numbers!

There are, however, obvious places where it’s not ok to worry about numbers. We’re not in the ‘bums on seats’ business. Filling seats to please the congregation or the pastor, or to justify a pay rise or bigger budget, or to simply feel better about ourselves and our reputation, just isn’t cricket. We’re called to who we’re called to, whether that’s three, thirty, or three hundred.

So, when I feel like this, I try and remember three things:

1. Jesus said ‘I have others’

In Jn. 10:16, Jesus, speaking to the Pharisees, says He is the good shepherd who has the responsibility for His sheep. He says that He has ‘other sheep that are not of this pen’ and that He ‘must bring them also.’ He’s talking about those outside the Jewish community, the Gentiles, and that He has a plan for them too.

One application we can take from this is these are not our kids they belong to God. We are to make ourselves fully available to Him a tool, but it’s His job to wield us how He wants. He’s got this, and He isn’t neglecting others because they don’t yet come to our youth club. We are one piece in His much larger plan. Our job is to be faithful with what He’s given us.

2. Jesus wasn’t a crowd teacher

There are actually very few places in the Gospels where Jesus specifically addressed a crowd. Even in those odd places where He did, He tended to only speak directly to a small group with a crowd listening in.

Almost all of Jesus’ ministry is done with individuals and small groups. He commits Himself to the twelve (and mostly just three; Peter, James and John), and He spends almost all of His time conversing, healing, and performing miracles in very small groups.

3. Three young people can change the world

If you spend fifty years as a youth pastor running large-number crowd events and as a result see fifty young people become a Christian every year, that would be amazing. There would be 2500 new believers, the size of a large school, when you retire. Fab!

If, however, you spend two years with just three young people – committed yourself and your resources fully to them, and then taught them to do the same – then two things would happen: First, you’d get fired. Three young people after two years work is a rubbish looking youth club! Second, you’d see the entire population of the world saved in half of your lifetime.

Care about numbers

This is where it makes sense to care about numbers. Care about the small number that God has given you, and don’t resent it. Jesus started with the few who showed up and He fully committed Himself to them. We can do that too!

As a result, we will see deeper, longer lasting growth in maturity, and even a slow but steady increase in the number of believers too. Why would we care about big numbers in our youth groups when this is the alternative? Let’s get on it!

This doesn’t mean don’t go out and do evangelism or mission events. We should! The great commission needs us to; but in the everyday grind, our job is to commit ourselves to those who show up, and hand them, and the others ‘outside’ back to Jesus. They belong to Him anyway.

Happy Saturday!

Photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash