Noob Evangelism

During the month of January, the student ministry at Vero Christian Church is cleaning the church building. The crew that cleaned today as usual had a great time while working around the building. In fact, one member of the crew, who shall remain nameless, gave me a good back slap. Of course, the back slap included a name tag which reads, "My name is NOOB." Great fun when you are hanging with teenagers.

I took the name tag off my back, and put it where it belongs: on the front of my shirt. We finished up the cleaning, and I left for a quick stop at the bank. Now, I had already been to my favorite branch of the bank once earlier in the day. I have teased around with one of the tellers for several years, we call each other "trouble" and ask if each other has been behaving. Of course, we haven't. Now, there is a relatively new teller who sits next to my "fave." I always ask her if she is making sure my "fave" is behaving, just trying to draw her into the friendship, raise a smile, etc.

When I came in this evening still wearing my name tag, the newer teller called me over to her window, by calling me by my name tag. I laughed and said something about my students loving me, casually mentioning that we had been cleaning the church building. Newer Teller looks surprised, and asks if I am a minister. Busted, I tell her that I am an associate minister working in the area of music and students. She can't believe that I am a minister, saying she thought I was a "heathen." My "fave" and I both get a big laugh because she has known I am in the ministry for at least five years now. I laughingly respond that I am gonna have to pray for the teller over her "heathen" remark, and by now I have the attention of all the tellers...being the only customer in the bank and all. One of the other tellers even jokes that she had some oil if we needed to anoint the new teller and pray over her. We all shared several good-natured laughs. Then, the conversation turned a little more serious.

After letting them all know that I serve at Vero Christian Church the newer teller says that she had been thinking about coming to our church to visit, since she lives in the neighborhood right across Oslo Road from where the church building is located. While saying that she would be out of town this weekend, she declares in front of her co-workers that she was going to tell her boyfriend and they would come for a visit to VCC next weekend.

All because I wore a name tag declaring to be a "Noob." All because one of my students slapped it on my back in jest. Who knows, "Noob Evangelism" might just catch on.