Develop a Definition of Success

Lately I have been thinking about the strategy that the church uses as a means to encourage the spiritual formation of others, specifically children. The following is a continuation of articles that attempts to understand how we can do this (better).

With any strategy, a teacher must have some way of knowing when she is reaching or has achieved her objectives. The church must, therefore, have a simple way of acknowledging whether it is being successful or not. Barna suggests three such standards for defining success and the author will give another. The first is “widespread parental involvement in the spiritual development of the children.”[1] This is a simple way for determining whether the children’s ministry is successful or not. One could simply take the parents of the participating children and determine how many of them are involved. The second is “strategically equipping parents.” One could observe how many equipping opportunities are available for parents, and of those available opportunities, how many parents took part in the training. A third measure of success would be “the transformed life of the child.” This measure is very subjective because it is hard to determine what is going on in the heart of a child by watching the behavior in the limited time a teacher has with the child during a class or other activity.

Proverbs 4:23 states, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well spring of life.” The way a person acts is an expression, a wellspring, or overflow of the heart. The heart determines behavior. Mark 7:21–23 says, “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’” Luke 6:45 says, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” A strategy of the church must address the heart (what is going on inside) along with expressed outward behavior.

In addressing a similar issue Tripp says, “A biblical approach to educating children involves two elements that you weave together. One element is rich, full communication. The other is the rod or correction (See Proverbs 23:13-19, 22, 26.)”[2] The didactical writings of the Bible, specifically the Law of the Old Testament were given to make the people of God see the impossibility of keeping it and to cry out to God for mercy.[3] The law must be followed (telling the truth, honoring one’s parents, etc.), but it is only when one’s bend is toward God that they can keep the intention of the law which is a dependence upon God. If that bend is away from God, a person becomes like the Pharisees. Matthew 23:27–28 references this type of outwardly religious but inwardly rebellious person; “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” If a church focuses only on correcting outward behavior, but does not communicate enough with the children to determine what is transpiring in the heart, they have not successfully ministered to children. This is not a suggestion that the church should “bear the rod” of correction but only that the church should emphasize relationship and communication in its educational endeavors with children.

The Pharisees looked religious and obedient to God on the outside, but their hearts were far from God. The measure of success should not be proper behavior alone (sitting quietly in their seat, saying “yes ma’am or no ma’am,” etc.) but a heart reliant upon and sold out for God. Discipline in the classroom and the home must be carried out to show specifically where the child has displeased God. It is this process of showing the child, according to the Bible, why what they have done is wrong that the child makes the decision to follow God and not the world. If the parent or church stops at only correcting behavior alone, and giving no explanation of why a standard of behavior is required, then they are raising Pharisees not true worshippers of Christ.[4] Again, the earlier this process begins, the easier it is for the child’s heart to be bent toward God and away from their natural heart’s desire to sin.[5] This is the heart of Deuteronomy 6 where it discusses a constant conversation with the child. This ideally is to be accomplished by the parents during their daily living, not one hour on Sunday morning by a teacher.

Romans 1:18–20 states, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.” In the language of Romans, a child will either respond to God by faith or they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. In his rebellion, he will actually hide the truth from himself. It is the parent’s and the church’s responsibilities to guide the child toward faith in God (through teaching and correction) and to point out when the child is worshipping something other than God, thereby suppressing the truth in his life.

A fourth way of defining success is to have a diagnostic test of some kind that would effectively measure the knowledge of the child as he progresses through the years and stages of the ministry. One such test could be a life application challenge given in the classroom. For example, if the lesson is on “Spending Time with God,” the life application challenge could be for the child to have a daily devotional time. The teacher could then ask the child in a nonjudgmental fashion, “Did you have a devotional time this week?” When this information is received and reviewed, it can become the goal of the church to increase the total average over time by trying different strategies. Actual numbers and data give the leadership and parents something to work with as a basis to project realistic goals. Regarding this issue Barna has said, “In order to meaningfully operationalize these (or other) desired outcomes, we start by tying our search for clues (for spiritual growth) to the means of measurement. Here are some means through which we can evaluate outcomes: Formal evaluation tools – written tests, oral tests, essays, competitions and homework assignments. Self-report evaluation tools – surveys, inventories and profiles. Conversation and dialogue – language used, reasoning skills, foundational worldview expressed and interactive engagement. Observable behavior or perspectives – attendance, volunteerism, invitations, donations, professed beliefs, memorized beliefs, physical condition and body language. Inferences from choices – character of friends, media preferences, spending habits, social activity, attire and appearance.[6]

Assessment can be formal or informal. At the more formal extreme are written tests of ability and knowledge. On the informal extreme would be casual observation. Both of these measurements can be used together to give an administrator a more complete picture.

[1] Barna, Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions, 101.
[2] Tripp, Shepherding A Child’s Heart, 74.
[3] Rom 3:20
[4] John 4:24
[5] Ps 51:5
[6] Barna, Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions, 130.

The art presented here was inspired from the verse, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:52. It reminds me of how limited our time is here on this earth and how at any moment Christ could return to take us to glory.

Last night I attended a friends ordination service. It was an evening of pastors and others seeking to impress the gravity of the calling into ministry and recognizing and affirming him to this calling. The presenters were given the assignment of telling a young man entering ministry what he needed to know, and they were limited to one minute. I was asked to be a presenter so I have thought about this for weeks. In the end, I decided to do three things with my minute. 1. I read what I felt was the most important verse for a pastor to remember, Matthew 22:37 “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Jesus was asked the same question by the way. Above all else a man of God must love God with every fiber of their being. 2. I gave a practical tip that I have learned along the way and it is this: There is no short cut, no magic bullet, no secret formula. Success in ministry is to faithfully do what you have been called to do, and it will be hard. Don’t quit. 3. I prayed for him from the pulpit. Every ordination typically ends with the laying on of hands, but I wanted to pray for this young man, the way I wished men had prayed for me. I believe that he needed to hear men of God praying for him.

Also, that evening took me back to when I was seated in his seat. It was the first time I really began to feel the weight of ministry placed upon my shoulders. Perhaps it was the men leaning on me as they prayed, or the Holy Spirit using that moment to impress upon me the importance of my task — but I do remember and still carry the weight. There has never been a time when I desired to be rid of the weight, it is very precious to me, but there are times when I have wanted a sabbatical from it. It never goes away, I am always a called man of God where ever I go, whatever I do — it’s there.

So “in the twinkling of an eye” Jesus could return and I will have to give an account of my actions and how I have managed His church, the Bride. You already know what i want Him to say. . . “Well done good and faithful servant.” Then I will be rid of the weight and can rejoice before my King. but for now, it’s Monday and time to write Sunday’s sermon.

We were up early this morning getting everything ready for the kids to go off to school — well all the kids except Joshua. He had an oral surgery scheduled for this morning. Granny, aunt Janet and cousin Susie all came over to get the kids on the bus so that Kimberly and I could take Joshua to the surgery.

After about fifteen minutes of instructions for post-operation life (like not smoking, driving, drinking alcohol, etc…) Joshua was taken back, put under anesthesia, and as of right now Kimberly and I are waiting.

This is the second time Joshua has been put to sleep for surgery and Kimberly and I have found ourselves “waiting.” It is not a very comfortable feeling placing your son into the hands of another (no matter how well qualified.) Both Kimberly and I both brought “stuff to do,” but there is a quiet distraction that really keeps us from being truly focused. We are trusting the doctor with our son, and there is nothing that we can add to the process. It will take the time it takes, it will cause Joshua necessary pain, and in the end we are trusting that it will be for his benefit . . . so we wait.

Isaiah says, 40:31 “. . . but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” So we know what it means to “wait on the doctor” in the “waiting room” but is this the same of “waiting for the Lord?” It is where we recognize that life is out of our control, and we trust/place it into the hands of another who is far more qualified to take care of it. If we wait, for the Lord, then in the end, our lives will be better off.

So Kimberly and I sit, waiting.

4-19-10 Update
Joshua is doing wonderful and is back to normal activities. Thank you for all the prayers and phone calls. Some of you have asked what he had done:

He has many, many teeth on the bottom, so two were removed to make room for the teeth to align naturally. Also, on the top Joshua had a tooth that really wasn’t a tooth at all (a bony growth that would never change) so it was removed. And he has a tooth impacted way up in his gum. So a gold chain was attached to it, drawn through the gum and attached to his upper set of braces. This will slowly pull the tooth down as the chain has increased tension. I am beginning to understand the angst in my mother’s voice as she would correct me as a boy not to open bottles with my teeth, cut items with my teeth, etc…

Thank you volunteers and parents for letting us share life with your beautiful kids.