Counting without Numbers

In my effort to see what God is doing in my community I stepped into a new church recently.   As I walked up to the front door I was warmly greeted by the pastor, who I had met previously.  He recognized me, reached out his hand, welcomed me with a "it's great to see you Nathan."  Then he added, "Oh man, we are missing so many people this week.  It is just going to feel really empty in there."  

I cannot say this surprised me.  I have been a part of churches that counted heads in every service and would have weekly totals, monthly totals, yearly totals of numbers of people.  And of course in  church planting we can't help but feel somewhat validated by numbers.  But when did numbers of people become the measurement of success?  When did we become so shallow?  I wonder if that pastor would have delighted in 10,000 in attendance that particular Sunday if he had to preach a heretical message to get them there.  I wonder if he would have cared about the broken marriage in his midst, or the homeless man in the front row, or the young man who was broken over his sin, if there had been a full church.  

Numbers are such a deceptive means of measuring success.  I find it very curious that in all Paul's many letters to churches he never once gives or asks for a report on the numbers.  Paul is a forerunner in church planting, and if ever he needed to validate himself, or validate others would it make sense to get a feel for numbers?  I suppose, if that is how he were measuring success, but he didn't measure that way.  It is a much higher bar for him.  He says in his letter to the Colossians that the ministry he does is to the end that he may present these people to whom he ministers "mature in Christ" (1:28).  When is the last time we got to know those we minister alongside, let alone those who sit in the seats every week?  

I am beginning to marvel at the work God is doing in the lives of the people I am getting to know and ministering to/alongside of.  I rejoiced as Steve, Jan, James, Jodi, John, Emily, Loren, and Kelli recently gathered to open the Word, share their hearts with one another, and pray together, and eat a meal together.  These are real people, and a number is not worthy to talk any bit about them. 

We need to engage with those God brings our way.  We need to put away our pens and papers used for counting numbers (as though people are just numbers).  We need to know these people, their stories, their pains, their growth...  We need to strive to see Christ formed in them and in us.  Anything less just ends up becoming about us, and ultimately draws attention to us.  But may we learn to draw fixed attention to Christ, the only worthy.