Numbers

This past weekend was Easter.  We had 809 people show up to 3 services.  First let me put that number in context:

• We have been averaging 425-450 people for the last several months
• The last several weeks we have crept up to around 500 in regular attendance.

I know what many of you are thinking.  It’s not about the numbers, right?  I’m going to stick my neck out and give you my opinion... IT IS MOST DEFINITELY ABOUT THE NUMBERS!  That number represents people... people that need Jesus.  We want large numbers to come so we can tell them about Jesus, that they were created on purpose and God has a plan for their lives.  He wants them to be a part of His family.

A couple of random things about the number:

• We limited advertising this year and depended on our attenders to invite their friends.
• We believed God was going to do something big and acted on it.  Our senior pastor, Scott Flippin, mobilized a team to build an additional classroom in an unfinished part of our building to handle extra children.  Those involved didn’t question or doubt what God was going to do.  The room was put together (framing, wiring, drywall, painting, lighting, furniture and decor) in 10 days.
• We are not in competition with other churches.  I was hesitant to even publish the number for fear that it might sound like that.  We are in competition with culture (television, sporting events, leisure activities and doing nothing).

This afternoon I was reading in Deuteronomy 9 and God was telling the people of Israel that He wasn’t giving them the promised land because they were so good.  No, His focus was on the current inhabitants of the land.  He didn’t bless us this weekend because our church is so great or the staff did such a good job with preparations or because the volunteers were inspired to build a new classroom.  No, His focus was on the ones that don’t know Him yet.  That’s where our focus should be, too, down to the last number.