Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About the Bus Ministry

If you are new to the bus ministry it can seem very overwhelming.    You may have many questions.  Get your answers from those who have been in the ministry for years.  There are churches that have run buses for over 10, 20, 30, or 40 years.  These people are willing to help you.  Every working bus ministry loves to see another church getting a bus or a van and starting a bus ministry.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How much of my time will the bus ministry require? The bus ministry requires time.  We are not going to sugar coat anything.  You must be dedicated and sold out to the cause.  David in the Bible said, “Is there not a cause?”  You must ask yourself the same thing.  As I look around me I have to answer, yes there is most certainly a cause.  You will need to get up early on Sundays so that you can get the bus rolling down the streets well before church starts.  Then Sunday afternoon you will need to get the children back home and maybe even do a fun activity with them on the way like stop at a park or have a water balloon fight or something similar.  To make your route successful you will need to put in hours of visiting and door knocking.  You could easily put in 4 to 5 hours on a Saturday and maybe even 2 to 3 hours during the week making visits to find new riders.
• How much will it cost the church to run a bus ministry? This ministry is not cheap.  Your main cost will involve purchasing and maintaining a vehicle to provide transportation.  Unless you get something donated it could cost $5,000 to $10,000 to secure a good bus or van.  Repairs to buses are not cheap.  Parts alone can set the church back by a lot.  Try to find a mechanic in the church or community who is willing to donate some time to fixing the bus when it brakes down.  Keeping up on the maintenance will pay off later.  If you let little things brake before fixing them the bill can grow rather large and seem overwhelming.
• What do I do with the children as we ride around town picking up other children?  You must run a program on the bus to keep the riders occupied.  It will be very similar to running a jr. church class.   Have a list of songs to sing and teach them.  Learn a Bible verse each week.  Play a game with them.  Tell a Bible story as the last rider gets on the bus and you drive to church.
• What are the rewards of running a bus ministry?  It could take years to see results.  You most likely are starting a bus ministry because you have heard of the success and results of other churches.  Those stories no doubt could be yours also but it takes time.  A lot of those churches have been at it for years.  But as you develop your route, witness, and bring people in you will have opportunities to win people to Christ whom you may have never met otherwise.  Not all will get saved, but some will.  Your church can then see those baptism waters stirred and maybe it will stir the hearts of others in the church to come out and witness and bring people to Christ.  The bus ministry will bring life to your church with all the young children running around.  It requires a lot of effort, but it is well worth it.  “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.”