God's Seasons

[clein]

We track our numbers all the time. We don’t measure our success by the numbers but we believe but we do track them. The point is to figure out where we are falling short, where key ministries might need to be shored up, where efforts may need to be redirected. There have been times where colleagues have accused us of being all about the numbers. So I was pleasantly surprised one day to find a prayer to our Lord who counts. He counts the stars, He counts our days and our years, He counts the numbers added in the book of Acts. He counts the 99 and 1. He seems to be concerned about the numbers too.

That makes a lot of sense when you think of God as a shepherd. If we as humans care about every one then how much more should the Good Shepherd.

One of the easiest numbers to track is average Sunday attendance and it’s always interesting to see how that number varies by season. There are times of momentum building and times where attendance wanes. I’ve always looked at it from a demographic or marketing perspective. I often see it as a by product of weather or school calendar or community events – external factors. But this pastoral image provides a different perspective on it – God’s “breeding season�. His time to maximize His fruitful reproduction in His church.

Counting is a good thing. God counts. But it’s always helpful to be reminded that changing the count is done in His time and in His ways