Ditch the Measuring Stick
May 25, 2023 Newsletter
When I was a youth minister, I had a rule: no student would be left out of an event due to cost. The churches I served at didn’t have huge budgets for youth ministry even though they wanted to grow the budget for youth ministry. This meant that we did our fair share of fundraisers. We’d get money that way and then we’d be set.
Sometimes, though, a student wouldn’t be able to cover the cost of going on a trip or attending an event. They would pull me aside and tell me and I’d tell them to sign up as if they are paid. I wasn’t sure how we’d get the funding, but if nothing else, I’d cut something out of the youth ministry budget to make up for it. The funny thing is, though, that I never had to do that. It never came to that. Somehow, some way, a donation was made or a family would “adopt” another student’s cost since they could afford it.
One time a student told me that his family couldn’t pay for the week-long camp we were going to. I told him that he’s good to go - he wouldn’t have to pay for it. Just a short time later, someone in the church came up to me and wanted to make a pretty good sized donation to cover the cost of this camp for some students. They wanted to remain anonymous though. To this day, as far as I know, that student doesn’t know who paid for his camp that year. I love that.
Midway through a letter to the church in Ephesus, a city that had some ancient glamour and money, Paul wrote this brief statement: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21) The Ephesian church could think of some pretty great things, I would imagine. They had one of the wonders of the ancient world in their city: the temple to the goddess Artemis. They had size. They had power as a city. Paul writes to them and tells them that God can do immeasurable more than anything like that. God can do immeasurably more than anything they can ask or imagine - not because of their power but because of the power of God at work within them. To top it off, that wasn’t even the main point! God getting glory was the main point!
The same thing is true of God today. Where the problem might come in for us is that we’ve gotten pretty good with a measuring stick. We want God to do more, sure, but only 3 yards more. We have a specific number or amount in mind. We hold our measuring cups up to God to ask for a cup because that’s manageable and it still keeps us in some sort of control. All the while, God is holding a 5 gallon bucket. The result? We might just get more than we bargained for. That’s a good thing.
Case in point: this past Sunday at the Block Party. We prayed. We prepared. I’ll admit that I had a measuring stick: the number from last year (approximately 120 or so people, including Summit folks). God had more than I bargained for, though. I’m thankful that he did. From all accounts, we had 150-200 people total. God can do immeasurably more.
Maybe the best thing we can do is ditch our measuring stick. Is it scary? You betcha. Do we know where everything is going to come from? Not at all. Has God proven himself to be the giver of “immeasurably more” before? Absolutely.
To him be the glory forever and ever.
Announcements and Reminders
Graduation Sunday is Sunday, June 4. We will celebrate with an ice cream social after service! Sub sandwiches will also be provided.
There is a new life group aimed for middle school and high school students starting on June 4. It’s called “Drive Through History” and covers the people and places found in the Bible.
Starting Monday, June 5, we will offer a 6 week long elective called Becoming a Welcoming Church. Sean Plank will lead through the book of the same name written by Thom Rainer. It will start at 6:30 pm. If you’re interested, please sign up at the Welcome Desk.
There will be a children’s ministry Theme Team meeting on Sunday, June 11, following service.
The Hospitality Team will meet on Sunday, June 11, following service.
Water Wars will take place on Wednesday, June 14, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm on the front lawn at Summit. Bring water guns, water balloons, and any other super soaker type things you can think of, as well as a towel. A (mostly dry) cheering section is also welcome.
Our next church-wide destination luncheon will take place at the Summit Mall food court on Sunday, June 25, following service.
The Independence Day picnic has been moved to July 16 after service. A sign up sheet will be available soon.