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Facing reduced funding for the coming school year, the Tri-County School
Board in Southwest Nova Scotia, announced at its July 7 meeting that it has cut
34 positions from its staff, including some teachers, librarians, bus drivers
and administrative workers, a move that has left no one involved happy.According to the board, the budget cuts are the result of declining enrollment in the system's schools, which means that the board now receives less per-student funding from the province. (This same dynamic affects schools in the United States, but here, such cuts are more typically because school funding levies have failed to receive voter support.)
"Our student numbers have been -- and are, and are predicted to continue -- declining," explained board member Faye Haley. "That means, in very simple terms, less funding for teachers and increased costs to maintain un-utilized space." Haley also noted that while there is less funding, the costs have remained the same or increased. She said it costs the same to operate a bus route if there are 15 or 34 students on the bus.
Board members characterized the budget as "robbing Peter to pay Paul" and "making the best of a bad situation."
This problem is not unique to schools by any means. Similar situations occur when declining sales or increased costs lead a business to lay off employees. As much as we might wish for the supply of money to be unlimited at any given time, that is not so, and choices have to be made concerning proper stewardship of resources. The same sorts of choices occur in households, where reduced spending can lead to a lower standard of living for the household and to economic problems for local businesses.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Tri-County School Board Budget in Southwest Nova Scotia Cuts 34 Positions. Nova News Now
Library Technicians Association Giving Tri-County School Board Failing Grade for Possible Cuts to School Librarians. Yarmouth County Vanguard
The Big Questions
1. What contracts or long-term arrangements have you entered into that you eventually regretted but couldn't get out of? Were there any ways that you found to make the best of those regrettable decisions?
2. What help do you receive from your Christian faith when you find yourself stuck in an unpleasant situation from which you cannot easily extricate yourself? What might God be allowing you to learn from such circumstances?
3. Describe a situation you've confronted personally that initially appeared to be a serious setback but which, in retrospect, proved to be "the best thing that ever happened" to you. What changed your perspective on the matter?
4. What bad situations do congregations typically have to confront? Are there times when such situations can be opportunities in disguise? How can we know, and if so, what kinds of opportunities?
5. Can the ability to make the best of a bad situation be a spiritual gift? Explain. If so, how might this gift be used to help the church?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Joshua 9:14-15
So the leaders partook of their provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, guaranteeing their lives by a treaty; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them. (For context, read 9:3-27.)
These verses are from an account of the Israelites in the days following their 40-year sojourn in the wilderness as they moved into Canaan, driving out the people who lived there. Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites swept through Canaan, capturing in short order the cities of Jericho and Ai, routing and killing their inhabitants. In response, some of the other Canaanite cities banded together to fight the Israelites, but the people of one town, Gibeon, came up with a different tactic. They dressed in worn-out clothing, loaded their pack animals with moldy provisions, and, in caravan fashion, made their way to the Israelite encampment. There they told Joshua and his lieutenants that they were citizens of a far country and that they had come to make a peace treaty with the Israelites.
Some of the Israelites questioned the Gibeonites' story. The Israelites believed they had a God-given mission to take the land of Canaan, but they had no quarrel with peoples living beyond those boundaries. They were suspicious of these Gibeonites, however, even saying, "Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a treaty with you?" Cleverly, the Gibeonites replied that they had made this long trek because they heard of the power of Israel's God, and in so saying, they appealed to the spiritual vanity of Joshua and threw him off guard. The narrator tells us that Joshua then agreed to the treaty "and did not ask direction from the LORD." Thus, the ruse succeeded.
When the deception was later discovered, some of the Israelites wanted to kill the Gibeonites, but Joshua and his leadership team insisted that the agreement had to be honored. It was an oath made before God. Even though the Israelites had been deceived, that did not negate the promise, and Israel was now duty-bound to keep it.
To make the best of a bad situation, Joshua decreed that the Gibeonites would from that point forward be woodcutters and water carriers for the Israelites, but the Gibeonites had achieved their main goal -- not being killed by the Israelites. And so they remained among the people of Israel as a constant reminder of Israel's failure to consult God.
Questions: What do you think Joshua learned from this incident that he might not have learned otherwise? Is there anything you can learn from this incident that might be applicable to your spiritual life, and if so, what?
Luke 14:28-30
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, "This fellow began to build and was not able to finish." (For context, read 14:25-33.)
Jesus made this comment while talking about the cost of discipleship. He wanted the crowd around him to know what they were getting into if they chose to follow him.
In the context of today's topic, however, Jesus' example about estimating accurately the cost of building a tower can also be an example of how we get into some of the bad situations we find ourselves in -- such as paying top dollar for a used car that turns out to be a lemon or signing up for a long-term fitness center membership we seldom use, but which cannot be canceled without an expensive penalty.
Or, more in line with the original intent of Jesus' tower-building example, failure to count the cost may also be reflected in our lives where we turned down a call to serve God in a specific way because we didn't want to do it, but now consider that a costly mistake in terms of what might have been had we obeyed.
Questions: When did failure to count the cost of discipleship and mission mean that you as an individual or a congregation turned away from ministries that served God and God's people? Are there times when we use financial difficulties to excuse us from hard work we don't want to do? When we have rejected a call from God, does he have a new plan for us on a go-forward basis? How might we know?
Jeremiah 29:7
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (For context, read 29:1-14.)
This verse is part of a letter that the prophet Jeremiah wrote to some people of Judah after they were taken into exile in Babylon. Although he predicted that as a people they would one day be allowed to return to their homeland, that was far enough in the future (70 years says verse 10) that in the meantime, said Jeremiah, the people should not only resign themselves to a long stay, but should actively seek the welfare of the community where they had been taken.
They were to work for the good of Babylon! They were to not forget who they were or where they came from, but neither were they to think of themselves merely as visitors. In effect, they were not only to make the best of a bad situation, but also to make the situation better for all concerned, including their captors.
Questions: When has making the best of a bad situation helped not only you, but also others around you? What does "seeking the welfare of a place in which you find yourself" mean in your life?
Matthew 1:18-19
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. (For context, read 1:18-25.)
Here's a case where what looked like a bad situation was actually part of God's plan. Certainly when Joseph learned that his bride-to-be was pregnant out of wedlock, it seemed to him like a bad situation, especially in that time and culture. Joseph could have brought public shame upon not only Mary, but also her family, but in an effort to make the best of things beyond his control, Joseph resolved to "dismiss her quietly" -- end the engagement without drawing attention to Mary's "sin."
But, as we know, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him the facts of the situation, and he proceeded not only to marry Mary, but also to be a father to her child, Jesus.
It's likely that for more than one reason, Joseph would have said that proceeding with the marriage was "the best thing that ever happened to him."
Question: Have there been times when, in retrospect, you ought to have taken the quieter course when seeking a solution to a difficult situation?
Philippians 4:11-13
... I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (For context, read 4:10-14.)
Question: How do these words from Paul apply to today's topic?
For Further Discussion
1. Remember the old adage about "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade"? With that in mind, read and discuss the young woman's story found here.
2. Comment on this, from TWW team member Doug Hargis: "School budgets reflect what the school board values. What was not cut by the Nova Scotia group tells us what they value most; what was cut tells us what they value least. The same is true for church budgets. What a congregation will spend money on is what they value -- pure and simple. The church budget tells where the congregation's values are and how the church has chosen to be about the business of Kingdom building. The Nova Scotia school system is weighed down by excess buildings and space; many churches are closing because they can no longer afford the building and its space. The church has gotten away from its primary mission and become trapped by its trappings (pun intended.)"
3. Discuss this, from TWW team member Shelly Turner: "I understand that when budgets are cut, people get stressed. Budgets have had to be cut continuously over the years. Sometimes, though, these bad situations end up being a great way to reinvent the way we do things or to realize where the 'fat' really existed. Volunteerism normally increases where school budgets are cut to make up for the lack of funding/staffing. Hurricane Katrina was a great example of communities pulling together to get back on their feet when funding hadn't come through yet. I think our grandparents' generation did a much better job of making the most out of any situation instead of the continuous complaining/blaming that goes on today."
4. Respond to this, from TWW team member Ed Thomas: "My loving wife of 21 years loves tent camping. She says that shared conflict is a great way to build memories. Essentially [for me,] tent camping is making the best of what is often a bad situation. I've grown to love tent camping for the simplicity. My back often disagrees. I understand that tent camping is not the equivalent of the baddest of situations; but for many of us in the first world it can be a reminder of varied living conditions."
5. Discuss this, from TWW team consultant James Gruetzner: "A number of years back, a pastor who'd been serving our congregation took a call to another church. We were 'vacant' (without a pastor) for some three years, and that somewhat scared some of the members. In retrospect, that vacancy was one of the best things God has ever done for us. We decided that we would not reduce any of our ministries, including those that were traditionally the pastor's job. Although members of sister congregations thought we were being punished or that we were 'hard on pastors,' that vacancy showed us (1) that God provides members with gifts; (2) that it's not all 'the pastor's job'; (3) that a loving and caring pastor is a 'pearl beyond price'; and (4) that God really looks after his own. Among the active laity, I see a noticeable difference between the members who joined after the vacancy and those who suffered through it. It was tough, but I say again, this was one of the best things that God has ever done for our congregation.
Responding to the News
This is a good time to consider what we can learn from the bad situations we get ourselves into. Here are some ideas from a sermon by TWW team member Stan Purdum:
"One thing bad situations remind us of is that two wrongs don't make a right. I heard this principle from my father several times while I was growing up. He usually said it to me when I was about to lower the boom on one of my brothers who had done something to me that I didn't like. My father was asking me to not make matters worse, and of course he was right. The fact is, there are times when the real measure of our character is shown by what we do not do. Bad situations can be good opportunities to grow in spirit and demonstrate our confidence that God has larger purposes for us than getting even with someone who has wronged us. In fact, bad situations are exactly the right circumstances for practicing Jesus' instruction to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Jesus said that we should do that so that we may be children of our Father in heaven.
"A second good thing that bad situations can yield is growth in character. Have you ever prayed, 'O Lord, make me a better person'? If you have, then you may want to consider how God answers such a prayer. We don't become better people by means of some magic formula recited over us. We have the opportunity to grow in character as we deal with the situations life brings to us, including the rough ones. When we have made a foolish or inconvenient commitment, how we then honor that commitment and whether or not we keep the promise we made, even if it was ill-advised, often is a determining factor in whether or not we become better people. The late J. Oswald Sanders, a Christian leader and author, once wrote, 'God frequently allows the results of our compromises to run their natural course but uses them to serve our spiritual development.' Or, to say it another way, bad situations are good opportunities to become better people.
"A third thing that bad situations can yield is a helpful challenge to our haste to backpedal on poorly considered agreements. I've talked to more than one married person who admitted to having made a blunder in their choice of spouse. They got caught up in the romance of the relationship and never took a good look at how well suited they actually were to a life together. But some of those same people have said that they decided to stick with the commitment they made, and in the long run, the life they made together was a good thing. A bad situation can be a good opportunity to think carefully before hitting the 'undo' button."
Closing Prayer
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