Before You Say No

Before You Say No

About 30 years ago, there was a men‘s meeting of the Cairo (GA) church of Christ to determine who would take on several tasks. Going by my prior experience in other congregations, I thought these assignments might be a once a year thing, and if we wanted to change what tasks we took on, we could do it later. Instead, that meeting set the organization of the Cairo church for most of the 17 years we were there.

We needed an education coordinator. They asked if I could handle it, and I said I would think about it. Over the next two weeks I compared the potential teachers in the congregation with the list of classes for all ages. I asked nearly every baptized believer if they would consider teaching a class at some point. These days, I can‘t remember if anyone said yes. All I remember is that, time after time, I got a flat no.

Next time we met I went in with my list of classes and no teachers to go with it. I declined the opportunity to coordinate the education program of the church on that basis. I regret it now, because I would never again be asked to do that in Cairo. What I did instead was to say yes myself and, like others who taught in the children‘s classes, took a class knowing that I could never find a substitute teacher or hand it off and take a break.

All these years later, I am privileged to be serving as a shepherd with general responsibility for the education program of our congregation, with the assistance of three good deacons and a Bible faculty that is second to none. Because of my reluctance and glass-half-empty response all those years ago, I have no experience working with an education program except what I am getting now. Yet, I have to believe that God has given me another chance and a great opportunity to work in this capacity.

I am writing this to tell you what I think I should have done instead, all those years ago. I could have made a great impact on the Cairo church by taking the job, no matter how hopeless it looked. It is al-ways good to scout around for sound, uplifting Bible teaching materials and guides. Churches need to know what‘s out there and what‘s good. I‘m not saying I didn‘t do any of that, but I could have done so much more if I had been motivated by that purpose.

I now believe that the education coordinator calls on a lot of the same skills as an effective involvement minister, using relationships to help others in the church realize that they are qualified and very much needed in front of a Bible class. I realize there could be huge adverse circumstances keeping some people from teaching, but I must cling to the idea that obstacles can be removed and prospective teachers can be developed from among those who ordinarily would never think of themselves as teachers.

Whether you‘re talking about classroom space, materials, teachers, or adequate leadership, the saying holds true: As the Bible classes go, so goes the congregation. The church will prosper because of teachers who say yes, now and in the future. As I look at the task we have, I agree with the apostle in I Cor. 15:58, and I encourage our education deacons, ladies‘ education chairs, and teachers to be steadfast and unmovable in their commitment, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our work is most definitely not in vain.

So, if you are coordinating a class and have been turned down by someone, do not be discouraged. Build relationships that will change hearts going forward. Any no answer is a no right now, but I can‘t imagine that very many of those are a permanent no. Even my iconic no that I‘ve since regretted might have simply been a cry for some extra encouragement and support, rather than an absolute. And folks, if you‘re asked to teach, think long and hard about those nail scars before you say no. That‘s what I‘ve learned.