No Bus Ministry?

The NT churches didn't run through the streets to gather children for church. Bus ministry can be a good tool for evangelism, but it is by no means required.

 

OK, first it is ministry not minEstry.

I wouldn't allow a church with people I didn't know pick up my child on a run-down bus and take them to church, Disney Land or the beach.

This is the 21st century, bus ministry is an old, worn out method that needs to go the way of the horse and buggy.

 

I don't have children, but if I had children, there would be no way on the planet that I'd let anyone EVER pick my children up to ride on a bus unless that bus was a school bus.

 

I think it depends on where you live. In larger cities, I would be hesitant to put my child on a Church Bus (although, in real life, I just take my son to Church). In smaller rural towns, however, you are more likely to know the driver really well.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Our church aquired an older, but in good condition school bus from another church. I said that we need to have it inspected by the State Patrol. I was a deacon at another church we had a bus, I had it inspected, actually it's the law, but it's not adhered to strictly.

Anyway at my present church they didn't think an inspection was necessary, I had it done anyway and some minor problems were found. They have been fixed. I told them I would sleep better knowing anyone riding on that bus be safer.

 

Yes, a church can be right with God and not have a bus ministry.

 

chickenlady,
Yes, a church can be right with God without a bus ministry. For example, our church has Vacation Bible School each summer. Does that mean the other Bible-believing church down the road who doesn't have a VBS ministry is not right with God? We also have summer Bible camps. Must each Bible-believing church have a camp also in order to be right with God? I could go on but I think you get my drift. There are many ways to serve God and reach people for Christ. The church bus ministry is just one of them.

 

In USA bus ministry is only for kids? Or is it for adults that live far away or does not have money to arrive to church?

 

chickenlady,

yes, a church can be right without a bus ministry.

But if it is something near and dear to your heart, why not ask the pastor if you may start one? Your boyfriend gave you an answer that there weren't many kids in his area, but you don't really know that that's the answer his pastor would have given. Could be many reasons....they can't afford to buy a bus, don't have a driver, maybe the pastor really thinks it won't work in his area. But I betcha he wouldn't mind having someone like you be WILLING to try it!

Most pastors are more than happy to have good solid volunteers who want to help.

And if you can't get an actual bus going, do a bus route with a van and have yourself a time!

 

Joman,

usually our bus routes are for the kids, but the parents are more than welcome to come along. Part of the goal is to have the parents start coming to church themselves and bringing their kids with them on their own.

I do know of a few churches who have adult bus routes, but the vast majority of adults in our country are able to get where they need to go if they really want to go there.

 

I agree a church doesn't have to have a bus ministry to be right with God, the Pastor of the church has to get direction from God on what God would have the church to do, there are many ways to reach a community, passing out tracts at Walmart, Football games, gas stations, etc. (with proper discretion-be ye wise as serpents, but be/as(?) harmless as doves).

Chickenlady, if you think that is what God would have you do, why not consider, that when you move or change locations, find some kids on your block and bring them to church with you in your car, it never hurts.

Joman, the Bus Ministry is not just for children, but whosoever will, IMO, I've picked them up from age 2 to 50 or so (I never ask grandparents their age).

Wether or not a Bus Ministry (or any ministry for that matter) is a "success" relies I believe on 1) The will of God 2) The Holy Spirit's empowerment 3) People willing to yeild to the first two.

Joseph, it doesn't matter city or country, parents will send there children to church on a Church Bus, for several reasons, mainly I think just to get them out of the house and away for a couple of hours, and I've run acroos a few that the parents have other obligations (i.e. sick releative) and send their child so they can go to church because they are unable to go, and even smaller number are actually concerned enough that their children get into church, but they don't. Where we run our buses we have a military installation, city, and rural areas, and we pick up children from all three.

The Bus Ministry is a tool, but who ever is in charge of/oversees it needs to make sure it stays a tool of evangelism and not a tool of just plain numbers. That is the great trap I see, the drive is to reach as many people as possible, why, because the more you bring in the car/van/bus makes the it more cost effiecient(sp), so we keep track of that by counting heads, which there is nothing wrong with that, I like to keep track for a themometer to see how we are doing, and so I know how many little Johnny's and Susie's need to get back on the bus so I'm not leaving one

I hope I answered the questions and objections well, I've only been involed three years with the bus ministry, and I'm sure there are people with a lot more experience who can testify to what they have seen. I have only mentioned what I have seen.

God Bless you all

Alan

 

Bus ministries are a thing of the past, and they did stem from a man centered focus on evangelsim (not that they are totally wrong).

A church an be perfectly right without having a bus ministry, in some ways today they are better off without one.

 

4His_glory,

tell the 6 bus routes of kids at my church that they are a thing of the past, k?

It is NOT an outmoded style of evangelism, and man-centered? They are salvation-centered. If an individual pastor starts a bus route purely because he wants to boost his own ego with how many people he's getting to church (which I find highly unlikely, though not out of the realm of possibility), than the kids are STILL getting saved! Its still a good thing for them!

However, there are MANY many bus routes, with nice, clean, well-kept-up buses, going out and gathering in people from all over their city and/or area. It is vital for all bus ministries to get permission slips from parents these days, and not allow anyone to ride unless they have one....but I think thats probably the only difference now from what it used to be years ago.

From many of your posts, 4His-glory, you seem to count any ministry that brings in large numbers as being "man-centered." Just because its got large numbers involved does not mean its man-centered.

 

Bus Ministry is an amazing way to reach children, and families, for God.

It may be that your friend's church cannot afford the bus, or is fearful of the insurance liabilities involved.

At one church I visit with a friend from time to time there is a woman who wanted a bus ministry and was told that there was just no budget for buses and bus drivers, so she gathered up a group of adults and said, "Let's do it ourselves." They got out their SUV's, drove through the city and when they saw kids playing in the street said, "Please ask your Mom and Dad if you can go with us to church." She went from 4 kids to 15 to 35 to a bus ministry.

NOTHING that reaches people for Christ is wrong.
NOTHING that reaches people for Christ is "outdated."

That said though, it isn't wrong for a Church to go in another direction with their church's outreach. God uses different churches different ways.

 

amen chickenlady!

Our church's music director is a young man straight from our bus ministry. And I can name many other families in our church that started out with the kids coming on the bus. Im sure they are glad that we didn't think a bus ministry was outdate or man-centered evangelism.

 

bapmom let me clarify.

In MOST areas, a bus ministry will not work. Parents are not willing to let there kids go with perfect strangers. Also, I have seen to many churches built on childrens ministries, this is not a healthy church. A healthy chruch will seek to reach entire families.

What I mean by man-centered is that the focus is off. Our focus is to glorify God, and yes evangelism is part of that. Put we should not seek to evangelize because we simply want to win souls, but because we want to glorify God. We focus to much on methods rather than on our faithfulness to Christ.

Good results never justify wrong motives or methods. God's work must be done God's way. I am not against bus minstries per se, in some areas they are useful. But way to much emphasis and expense has been put into them.

What I mean by man-centered is that the focus is on getting men saved rather than glorifying God. If we are passionate about God's glory, then we will be passionate about spreading the supremecy of God's glory to others.

I will quote John Stott:

“The highest of missionary motives is neither obedience to the Great Commission (important as that is), nor love for sinners who are alienated and perishing (strong as that incentive is, especially when we contemplate the wrath of God…) but rather zeal- burning, passionate zeal- for the glory of Jesus Christ… Only one imperialism is Christian… and that is concern for His Imperial Majesty Jesus Christ, and for the glory of His empire.”

That is what is lacking many a church today.

 

Then why are you asking the question if you already now the answer? If you are so "committed" to bus ministry, why would you even consider going to another church that didn't have one! What about the children, is a 4 month relationship worth forgetting the children!?!?

Please ...typical fundamentalist nonsense; do as I say not as I do!