I hate some decisions. Some decisions are dead easy to make because they just don't fit with what we do or our mission or our capabilities. But the decisions I hate are the ones where it is a good thing but in order to do it we have to kill another good thing. That is just the dilemma we face at the moment.
Since we moved where we meet to Hayfield Lane Primary School God has blessed us abundantly in our partnership with the school. Now not only do we do assemblies every three weeks and RE lessons as and when. But we've been able to run toddlers from the nursery which has been fantastic, and we have run a football club with some of the children getting to know both them and some of their families well, due to restart in March. Now here is where the challenge comes because we have opportunity to run a coffee morning in the school once a month and have also been asked to consider running an after school club focused on the bible.
That is a staggering opportunity, to be asked to do that by the school. But here is the issue; we are a small congregation. At most 40 adults and 20 children, with some of those adults elderly, lots with young children and many with full time jobs. Here is the bit I hate we simply can't do everything and so this week will be spent doing a number of things:
Praying for more workers for the harvest field
Jesus tells us the harvest is ripe and it seems to be here, lots of needs, lots of opportunities, lots of good gospel conversation opportunities and yet a shortage of workers. So this week will be spent praying for workers, for God to solve the dilemma of choosing between goods by sending us workers so we can say yes to more things and seek to introduce more people to Jesus.
Looking at what we do and how we do it
It will also be spent prayerfully looking at what we already do and if we could do it more efficiently to free up manpower and resources to multiply what we do. Or if there are others with giftings we could involve who are not already serving.
Prayerfully considering that 'no' may be the right and godly answer
I have to confess that I'm not good at 'no's. I probably incline more towards burning out rather than saying no. But I need to spend time prayerfully considering saying no. But which no? 'No' to a coffee morning to build relationships and try to shape community in a place lacking a communal space? Or 'no' to a club which might afford us the chance to teach in fun, loud and creative ways who Jesus is?