Cub scout cuties!

Jaden and Josiah on the verge of their first scout camping trip!

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le prince de chocolat

Bon jour, Capitan Chocolat!

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Our ministry on a graph

One of the most laborious tasks for our ministry here is “numbers day”. Newly required by our district is a breakdown of “numbers” due on the 11th of each month. By numbers, I mean attendance records for our classes, Bible studies, and events as well as monthly numbers of baptisms and church attendance for our internationals. “Numbers” also include how many home visits, emails, interactions, phone calls, etc. were made in the last month.

As you can imagine, I disagreed immediately with the impersonal reporting of our ministry.

How can you understand a fluid and dynamic ministry by looking at a list of numbers? Why not come and see instead? It seems an inaccurate account of what really happens every month.

But Toby, who does the reporting, has reminded me that although it is a quantitative way of looking at spirituality, it does have its qualitative benefits. The first benefit is accountability. We are accountable to someone else for the ministry that we do here.

The second benefit is reflection. At the beginning of each month, we have a chance to reflect on the previous month. It has taught me to praise God for all the wonderful student interactions that sometimes get lost in the weekly schedule. We can reflect on how God is working through our ministry and the the ministry of those God has chosen to help us. It also reminds me to pray for those people we see every month.

The final benefit is follow-up. Looking and reporting on numbers reminds us to follow-up with those people who have attended a Bible study or who were baptized. It reminds us that our ministry is continual and relationship-based.

So although I have always preferred a more qualitative approach to assessing ministry, I have learned to appreciate “the numbers”.

And now, please enjoy a few qualitative artifacts from the last month of our lives.

Good-bye party for Shuying and her family

Po-shan, Huei-wei, and Brian

Dale and Dewen

Reuben stuck in a corner!

Pre-K Karis and 1st grade Josiah

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