About a month ago or so, I was fortunate enough to be able to go before the facility manager (i.e. top dog) at my place of employment to present some business strategies I thought would be helpful for us to implement.  Turns out I was the first guy at our location to ever request such a meeting with the brass, and instead of being with one guy it ended up being with the top four.

In the midst of my presentation, the facility manager said something to me that in all honesty I was expecting him to say, but the question relates to the Body as much as it does in the realm of business.

"So tell me, how do you get people to care?"

In the fellowships, in online forums (such as this one), in personal relationships, the story is a sad one -- a whole lot of people just don't care.  At fellowships, people want to drop their kids off at dayca---I mean children's ministry, go get their weekly shot of Churchicillin, go re-collect their kids and hit the nearest buffet they've been thinking about since halfway through the sermon.  In online forums, we search through all the stuff trying to find our favorite flavor of stuff, largely ignoring the stuff that's probably better for us but -- like our kids so often do -- we push those off to the side like a pile of soggy veggies on our dinner plates.  And in personal relationships, we end almost every one with the infamous "I'll pray for you!" tagline, which so often means "I'm too busy to really do or say anything about that right now, so I'll put it off till later...but I'll probably forget about it altogether."

We don't care.  And I hate that about us.

If there ever was a group of people who should put temporal things aside and make time to care about our brothers and sisters as well as those struggling to find their way in the dark, it should be us. Don't think my above comments are slams -- they're not -- but rather they're mere repetitions of things others have expressed to me about myself and others at various times during my time in ministry.  They're things that, quite simply, we've just allowed ourselves to get accustomed to.

Jesus said

and

How can we love each other if we don't care about each other?  We're all busy, and as my pastors have been fond of reminding me (thankfully so) so many times, "we're all given the same 24 hours, but it's up to usto choose wisely how we spend them."  Kids take time, work takes time, spouses take time, and relaxation takes time -- this I understand all too well.  But perhaps we're missing something.

I have absolutely adored my time in children's ministry.  There's something about a child so young and innocent earnestly desiring to know more about God that's totally precious, and when their eyes light up with understanding after you've explained something to them...what a blessing. :)  I also have thoroughly enjoyed my time in youth ministry, when kids are at their earliest times of really comprehending some of the deeper truths of the kingdom.  At that crucial time when they're trying to tread through the whats and whys and hows, it's truly a blessing to be there to explain, encourage, and exhort them in all manner of life and godliness through the teaching of the Word.

I've seen grown men, well-established in their careers and home lives, decide after much prayer that they want to devote the rest of their days to childrens ministry or youth ministry after simply being there and experiencing the joy of teaching the next generation about the One who so loves them.  Once they experience this blessing, they gain a fresh perspective of what really matters in life, and they willingly (and of their own volition) choose to set aside things that are not as important to devote more times to what is more important.

This is not an ad for childrens ministry or youth ministry...those are just two examples of worthwhile time-investments.  What it is supposed to be is an encouragement and exhortation to do something.  You might not think you have any giftings whatsoever, or you might doubt that the Lord could use you to positively impact the life of another, whether a child, a youth, or an adult...or quite honestly, you might not have any desire at all to serve in any capacity or to even try to make a difference.  At this point, it's better to be truthful about where you're at so you can do something to, if necessary, change it.

It is said that the church has been slumbering, though in reality it's much worse than that.  The church isn't slumbering, the church is indifferent.  It is also said that service and tithing have near-exact statistics in the church: about 10% are providing the blessing for the remaining 90%.  This is why people get burned out, why some people feel overtaxed in ministry, and why some throw their hands up in despair and quit "the whole thing" -- not just their church, but from following the Lord altogether.  I've watched it happen with my own two eyes, and it's a tragedy.

Back to the original question of "How do you get people to care", in all honesty I believe it revolves around each individual person's heart towards the Lord.  I cannot make anyone care.  I can do a lot of things, but only the Lord can prod people to care...I learned a while ago that trying to make people care only a) pushes people away, b) shames some into serving though their heart isn't in it, and c) makes me more frustrated that even after being presented with opportunities, the majority still shake their heads, offer their explanations, and walk away.

I thank God there are so many of you here that care.  My sincere prayer is that more would join in, that more would care, that more would choose to step up and say "Here I am Lord, send me!"

I pray that the numbers would flip, that it would be looked upon as strange if a person wasn't serving.

Together with you in His service,
jason