The bus ministry (in order to be effective) takes alot of work. It takes faithful bus captains who desire to see souls saved. When it becomes a hassle and a job, it falls apart. Sat. morning visitation, eventful campaigns, prizes and rewards are mandatory to the ministry's "success."
The bus ministry nowadays seems to be more of a struggle than it ever has been. There's too much going on and kids have too much - riding the church bus does not have the "lure" that it once possessed.
I grew up in a church with an active bus ministry, and now I find myself heading up all areas of our outreach. The numbers have dropped over the decades, workers have come and gone, but the effects of the ministy will carry on throughout eternity.
My pastor would never give up the bus ministry - his heart is in it. Just the other week a first-time substitute driver gave a testimony of how his heart broken when he saw kids coming out of their homes with a piece of bread in their hand for their breakfast. He said that spending one week on the bus route has changed his previous view of the ministry. He recommended to the church that each member ride the bus some Sunday morning to make sure that they don't lose touch of the reason that we reach these kids.
I was able to use his gripping testimony and shift the emphasis from helping their poverty to reaching their hopeless soul. Tears were in the eyes and many renewed their desire to reach the lost in our community via the bus routes!
|