The Catbird Seat

Numbers have been a pretty big topic of conversation around my house lately.

What kind of numbers? You might ask.

The kind that represent people. I’d answer.

Using numbers to measure people, particularly in ministry, is a tricky thing.

Why is that? All you have to do is count ‘em! You might be thinking. It’s just that simple.

And it is.

It’s just that simple if all you want to know is how many people attended.

However, if the question you want answered is, “Did people enjoy or like the event in question?”, then it’s the wrong question entirely. If you’re trying to find out the impact your ministry/event is having on a group of people, then it’s part of the answer, but not all of it.

It’s like me constantly checking my site meter to try and glean the answer to the question, “Do people like my blog?” Seeing that 40 people came to my blog tells me that I have an audience and numbers it. It doesn’t tell me that I’m liked, that I am a good writer, or that I’m making a difference in someone’s life. (my real hope!)

Now, some people, seeing that 40 people visited my blog, would extrapolate that if those people really liked my blog, they would encourage their friends to read it, and my readership would increase.

Certainly that is true.

But that’s only part of the whole picture. First of all, what if my audience isn’t the same from day to day? What if my 40 viewers are like a revolving door, with some part of them leaving (never to return) and being replaced with new viewers? What if some part of my viewers do refer their friends to my blog, only to be ignored? Or what if they refer, and their friends visit, but only once? They might love the one post they read, and feel no need to return for future enjoyment!

See what I mean? Numbers can lie.

Now, before I offend someone that really likes to count people (me!), let me say that knowing how many people come to an event or blog or whatever, can be valuable information to have. It is an important measure. It’s just not the ONLY one, and it’s not always the “right” one for the question we’re asking.

You’re probably wondering why I’m writing about this.

Well, in planning the Women’s Retreat for this past weekend, the Women’s Ministry Team really wanted a large number of people to attend. We planned what we thought was going to be a bang-up retreat, and we wanted as many women as possible to come and be blessed by it. We thought if a lot of ladies came, then the retreat would be a success.

Due to a series of misadventures with scheduling, people’s expectations, and a whole host of other competing issues, our attendance was disappointing. Only 38 women ended up attending the retreat.

38.

And quite a few of those 38 were practically cajoled to come.

The Ministry Team thought we had failed. Had we not promoted it well? Did we not have a church-wide reputation for putting on great events? We knew the date was an awful choice, but did that account for all the lukewarm responses we got?!

Our assumptions were great. First, we assumed that the number of people that signed up equaled success for our ministry efforts. Second, we assumed that because it was going to be very God-centered, that many people needed to come. Third, we assumed that God Himself wanted a whole bunch of women to attend.

I must admit, that is a pretty big assumption. Not to mention that we assigned our expectations to God. Which is, in my experience, generally not a good idea.
God tends to show people that His Ways are not our ways.

What we removed from the equation was God’s Sovereignty. If God is in control (Praise His name He is!), then the perfect number of people would come. And so it was.

How does she know that? you’re no doubt asking yourself.

I know that the perfect number of people came because of something that happened with a sermon illustration that we intended to use this weekend. Let me tell you about it, because it could ONLY be God that orchestrated such an amazing thing.

We were going to read statements from our real lives that showed ways that we make God small in our life. [An example from the retreat was, “I prayed for healing for my mother’s cancer. She died. You don’t heal people of their diseases.”] The speakers for the retreat recruited friends, family and other ministry team members to write as many statements as they could think of. We planned to read all of them at the first session.

After weeks of compiling and editing the statements, we completed the list. The final tally? 38.

38. One for each woman there. How cool is that?

Now, for some of you, this probably seems like an elaborate coincidence or me grasping for straws of Divine intervention. To you I say, “Leave me to my understanding. I will not be swayed, and I don’t want to be!”

Want more proof? Just ask one of the ladies that attended this weekend. If we had more women come, it wouldn’t have been nearly as personal and close-knit as it was. Any less, and it would’ve felt like a glorified “small group” and the fun games and fellowship may not have been as loud and boisterous (part of the fun!) as it was. The room would also have felt empty…which we all hate. I know this because I asked several of the women myself.

I have often thought that God doesn’t care about how many or how few people come to church events, services and ministry initiatives (or even my blog!).

But He does.

He cares to the extent that He will exert His Sovereign Will to insure that the perfect number of people attend. No more, no less.

The perfect number. A successful retreat! To the praise of His Glorious Name!

Filed under: General, Catbird, Like a fire on May 23rd, 2006