教会很有效率吗？

最好的效率就是说尽量用最少的付出换取最大的收益，是吗？

最近看到的一句话“当宣教被增长所定义” 人数的增长定义了宣教的成与败。

最近，一年一度的政府大学新生又要报到了。每年我们教会都会去做接待的事项，比如新生第一个落脚处，带新生去认识这个新环境，给他们讲学校的事，等等。

随着几年的过去，校方对接待新生越来越有经验，非常的细心，那绝对减轻教会服侍的工作量。从以前一下飞机教会就得接新生，安排他们吃，住，行，到报到当天，帮新生把行李送到他们orientation暂时的宿舍直到orientation week 结束，帮他们搬到新宿舍，一系列的事项的确让服侍者累，而且随时需要应对突发状况比如生病啊，ic 不见啊，行李不见啊，穿错报到的 dress code 啊，宿舍没水啊，还有一些自己安排报到行程的新生临时说找不到酒店啊，找不到哪一个报道地点啊，等等等等。校方都在这些事情下功夫解决了。教会接待的服侍慢慢从解决这些问题到如何把新生安全送到学校手中，和更多精力的为过后的迎新日活动做准备。越来越有效率了吧。

值得思考的问题在于。教会在迎新日服侍中要扮演什么角色。这点可以从新生为什么找教会探讨？难道只是为了解决人生地不熟的环境问题吗。那么久了到时这里有熟悉的朋友和环境了就不需要去教会了咯。还是家长说每个礼拜都必须去崇拜所以孩子必须找教会。那么家长都不在身边了，还管得住孩子无拘无束精彩的大学生活吗。

耶稣说他是好牧人好牧人认识他的羊，他的羊也认识他。若教会是基督的肢体当让他的羊认出祂。那么教会活动和其他课外活动／团体应该要有什么分别呢？

约13:35 你们若有彼此相爱的心、众人因此就认出你们是我的门徒了。

那么迎新会是要帮助新生解决到学校的问题呢还是要预备一个累了就想回的家给新生。让他们愿意来到这里有机会聆听神的话。

许多新生尤其是家里排行最大的，第一次离家，父母都免不了牵肠挂肚，许多不辛劳苦，拿假期，买机票，都要陪孩子来报到。可能在我们看来会觉得怎么那么不放心啊，孩子大了自然要离开，要独立。家长在孩子的电话中知道教会有为他们安排确实会放心，就算是非信徒听孩子有教会照顾也必会放心。

那么教会的角色是要做

1有什么事情第一个想到教会呢还是

2自己先解决问题，不行没办法才找教会呢

3还是择中教会帮会助你遇到什么问题要找哪一方解决，没办法才做你最后的帮助。

应该没有教会会选2吧。若在资源充足下，1绝对是最好的选择，但在资源缺乏下或许3是一个考量。

但是(Luke 15:4)

你们中间，谁有一百只羊失去一只，不把这九十九只撇在旷野，去找那失去的羊，直到找着呢？

在讲求效率的时代，时间就是金钱，就是资源可能1%的损失算不了什么。找回1%使用的成本不合经济效率。

但是(Luke 15:8)

或是一个妇人有十块钱，若失落一块，岂不点上灯，打扫屋子，细细地找，直到找着吗？

在讲求效率的时代，时间就是金钱，就是资源可能10%的损失也算不了什么。找回这10%使用的成本可能还不合经济效率。

但是(Luke 15:32)

只是你这个兄弟是死而复活、失而又得的，所以我们理当欢喜快乐。

在父神的眼里看来却是一个都不能少。

没有但是了，我相信我们所有的都是神所赐，必然充分足够，必不缺乏。上帝必赐我们聪明智慧来管理祂所赐下的。

如经上说的，(路6:38) 你们要给人、就必有给你们的．并且用十足的升斗、连摇带按、上尖下流的、倒在你们怀里．因为你们用甚么量器量给人、也必用甚么量器量给你们。愿上帝赐福给甘心乐意奉献的双手，把所需要的信心、人力、物力加给有需要的。(箴10:22) 耶和华所赐的福、使人富足、并不加上忧虑。愿上帝去除恶者所添加的忧虑，让我们放胆去为主做光做盐。(诗90:17) 愿主我们神的荣美、归于我们身上．愿你坚立我们手所作的工．我们手所作的工、愿你坚立。祷告俸主耶稣的名求的，阿门。

Translated english version

Is the church efficient?

The best efficiency means using the least effort to gain the maximum benefit, right?

Recently, I saw a saying that "when evangelism is defined by growth", the growth in numbers defines the success or failure of evangelism.

Recently, it's time for the annual government university freshman registration. Every year, our church will do reception work, such as being the first place for freshmen to stay, taking them to get to know the new environment, telling them about school matters, and so on.

As years have passed, the school has become more and more experienced in receiving freshmen, being very attentive, which has definitely reduced the workload of serving at the church. From the past when the church had to receive freshmen right after they got off the plane, arrange their meals, accommodation, transportation, to the day of registration when the church helps the freshmen carry their luggage to their temporary dormitory until orientation week ends, helps them move to their new dormitory, a series of matters do tire the servers, and they also have to be ready to deal with unexpected situations such as sickness, missing IC cards, missing luggage, wearing the wrong dress code for registration, no water in the dormitory, and even some freshmen who arrange their own registration trips temporarily say they can't find a hotel or they can't find the registration location, and so on. The school has made efforts to solve these problems. The church's reception service has slowly transitioned from solving these problems to how to safely deliver freshmen into the hands of the school, and to prepare for more energy-intensive activities for the welcome day. It has become more and more efficient, hasn't it?

The question worth pondering is, what role should the church play in serving on welcome day? This can be discussed based on why freshmen come to the church. Is it just to solve the problem of being unfamiliar with the environment? If that's the case, then when they get used to it here and have familiar friends and surroundings, they won't need to go to the church anymore, will they? Or is it because parents say that they must go to worship every week, so children must find a church? But when parents are not around, can they still control their children to have a wonderful college life without restrictions?

Jesus said He is the good shepherd and the good shepherd knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him. If the church is the body of Christ, His sheep should recognize Him. What should be the difference between church activities and other extracurricular activities/groups?

John 13:35 "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

So, is the purpose of welcome day to help new students solve the problems of getting to school or to prepare a home where they can return when they are tired? Let them be willing to come here and have the opportunity to listen to God's word.

Many freshmen, especially the eldest in their families who leave home for the first time, cannot help but worry their parents. Many parents have to take leave and buy plane tickets to accompany their children to register. We may think it's not reassuring, as children naturally have to leave and become independent. If parents know from their children's phone calls that the church has arranged for them, they will definitely be reassured, even if they are non-believers.

So, what role should the church play?

Do you think of the church first when you have a problem, or

Do you solve the problem yourself first and only look for the church when you have no other options, or

Do you choose the church to help you when you encounter problems, and only seek help from the church as a last resort?

That being said, the question remains: what role should the church play in welcoming new students? This can be explored through the reasons why new students approach the church. Is it simply to address the issue of unfamiliar surroundings? If that is the case, then once they become familiar with their environment, they no longer have a need for the church. Or is it because parents insist that their children attend worship every week, and therefore they must find a church? In that case, once the parents are no longer around, can the church still keep the students in line and ensure that they lead a meaningful university life?

Jesus said that he is the good shepherd and knows his sheep, and his sheep know him. If the church is the body of Christ, then his sheep should be able to recognize him through the church's activities. What distinguishes the church's activities from other extracurricular activities or groups?

In John 13:35, Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." Therefore, is the purpose of welcoming new students to help them solve their problems and get to school, or is it to prepare a home for them to return to when they are tired, so that they are willing to come here and have the opportunity to listen to God's word?

Many new students, especially the eldest in their families, are leaving home for the first time, and their parents cannot help but worry. Many have to take time off work and buy plane tickets just to accompany their children to report to school. While we may think that they should learn to be independent, the parents naturally feel uneasy. If they know that the church is taking care of their children through their phone calls, even non-believers would feel relieved.

Therefore, what role should the church play? Should it be the first place that new students turn to when they encounter problems, or should they try to solve the problems themselves first and then turn to the church as a last resort? If resources are plentiful, then the former is undoubtedly the best choice. However, if resources are scarce, the latter may be more appropriate.