My pastor tells a great story about how he led a former church to hold a “program funeral” to get rid of an old, beloved, but no longer working church program. They actually wrote it’s name on a paper, placed it in a box, and buried it in the ground! They sang songs, talked about the good ole’ days of that program, mourned it’s loss, and then moved on. BRILLIANT, I think!

Jay Vineyard, with the Georgia Baptist Convention, said at a workshop at our church recently, “Structures (ie, programs, sacred cows, and “family pets”) are temporary and are valid only insomuch as they are serving the mission.” Amen!