Real Ministry

I just feel the need to say how thankful I am that God led Bernie and I to a good local church congregation. We love our church. And we are excited to see God at work there. It is refreshing to walk in the doors on Sunday morning and actually sense that the Holy Spirit has been there all morning getting things ready for a great service. We love our “home” church. It does bother me just a little that God has called us to a ministry that takes us away from home for months at a time. But it’s all about His will, Amen? And it is good to know that we can look forward to the time to go home and worship with our “family” again. They are a tremendous blessing and support to us at home and on the road, probably more so than they realize. When we were on the road this summer it never failed that as I got up and into my Bible on Sunday morning, sometimes even leading chapel service, that my mind would drift back to Ohio and wonder what Brother Jim would be preaching on that morning.

There is a sad note. Before we found that church we were in another congregation not a mile away. For two years we watched them struggle. We were given the position of Youth Directors, but the youth would not take direction. And God told us plainly that Youth Director was not the job He had for us. So we stepped down. Then we had a good adult Sunday school class. People were learning and growing. The Pastor started asking me to come to committee meetings to discuss how to rebuild the church. I offered my advice about what I felt was wrong and how to fix it. Eventually the meetings were more about how to save the church. Everyone could see that it was dying. I’ll never claim to know everything. But for a year I watched it utter amazement as I told them over and over what they needed. They would smile and say thanks as they did the exact opposite. Then came the time the Pastor “retired” (I have never understood how a man could be called by God to minister and then retire from the ministry). So I offered my services as an interim Pastor because I knew the church was too far gone to afford a full-time Pastor. But they said they had it covered. I watched them slowly run out of money, resources, and congregants. It finally became too much and we left there with heavy hearts.

What were they doing wrong? Simple; it was all about them. There was no outreach. They had (and still have) no footprint in the town. Every time I suggested a mission they came up with a program. It was always a form of, “Hey. If you come to our church we can help you”. That is not ministry. And it is not the example Jesus or the first century church gave us. Then to run a business out of the church basement, at the expense of the church…I shed tears.

Today that business is closed, the programs are no longer in use, and the church is broke and clinging to a thread. But know this, I pray for them. I don’t want another church to close the doors. I pray they will find God again and find revival. The world needs more churches to experience the fire of God’s renewing. But as for me and my wife, we are just so thankful for the humble little church that is growing; the church God led us to, the local body of believers who accepted us as one of them. Thank you Lord.

Peace and blessings,

Shannon