The Bus Driver—A True Asset of the Bus Ministry
Someone has donated a bus to your church or your church has just purchased a bus through a giving project. What’s next? Well, you are going to need a bus driver. Some may think that there is no glory in becoming a bus driver. To begin with, we know that this is not the correct or Biblical approach to service. Many times we have an overflow of helpers for a job that seems glorious. Most view the bus diver’s seat as one of those jobs that is not glorious. This doesn’t have to be the case.
The person in the driver’s seat is one of the biggest assets to your church’s bus ministry. Many times the first person the rider sees as he or she is getting on the bus is the driver. A friendly warm smile from the bus driver as the riders step up on the bus can make the difference between a child having a good day at church or a bad day. I have known drivers who greet the children by name as they get on the bus and then pray for those children throughout the week. Who says the bus driver can’t make a difference in the lives of those children? A simple act from a bus driver, like buying some penny candy at the store and passing it out to the children as they get on the bus each week, can go a long way in the minds and hearts of these riders. If the driver feels like he or she is not a part of the ministry, then it is the driver’s fault. As a driver you are enabling many riders to come to church and hear the Bible with the potential of getting saved.
It does cost to be the driver, but what ministry doesn’t?
2 Samuel 24:24 is a very familiar verse, which says, “And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”
It takes time to learn how to drive a bus. It takes money to train and purchase a commercial driver’s licence (CDL) How much exactly? It takes many hours of practice. And it is not always just your hours. It may be the time of someone who has agreed to help you learn. But together all should be willing to give some time to further the progress of a church getting someone ready to drive a bus. Depending on which state you live in, it could cost around $200 to get a CDL. $65 – $120 for a CDL physical; $60 for learner’s permits and licence upgrades; $100 for a CDL pretrip, skills, and road trip test.
The measure of difficulty of obtaining a CDL depends on the attitude of the person trying. Keep your spirits up, study hard, practice a lot, and before you know it you will have the privilege of bringing precious boys and girls to church.
