Fitting our call to their busy lives: just how important is our project?
People are busy. We must fit our call on their time to their busy lives, or we will not get the numbers nor quality we need. Thus goes our thinking and with it the opportunity to make the change we want.
There is a volunteer emergency guardians project that demands volunteers go through a 40 hour training over 5 weeks before they can serve. The schedule demands of them 2 evenings a week plus two half day Saturdays. They have enthusiastic people who do their work for years, and only need word of mouth to attract good, caring people.
It is commitment we need. When we set our sights on numbers, we are looking for quick answers, and these dissipate as quickly. If we get committed people, they will get the numbers we need. They will be the seed for the important harvest. That seed takes the time it takes to germinate. Forcing deforms, kills. Real change needs to do its work.
The question is just how important we think our church, community or project is? What level of importance do we place upon it? If it is of low importance compared with the other claims on people’s time, then we are right to fit around their free time. If we are only after numbers and not commitment we must avoid any hint of sacrifice. Do we hold this dream in such low esteem?
:- Doug.
