A Number Of Years Ago, Gladys And I Were At A ...

A number of years ago, Gladys and I were at a church where we worked, usually without help, trying to bring in the children and youth of the community. We would pick up and teach children on Tuesday afternoons. We picked up and taught youth on Wednesday afternoons, and then had prayer meeting on Thursday nights. Most of the children and youth we taught and brought in were kids off the street, or out of the arcades, or pool hall. 2 of the children had parents who owned and ran the local bar.

I never will forget one of the dear members of our church who once said, “Brother Gene, what are we going to do about all these children coming in? What are we going to do when they wear out the carpet and the building? How will we replace what we have?

Let me tell you, today that church has a nice, new building, but they are no longer reaching the children in the community. They are no longer reaching the youth of the community. They are sitting there enjoying their building because they have forgotten that the church is not a building. It is people. Ephesians says Jesus laid down His life for the church. Jesus died for people. He didn’t die for buildings.