Several months ago, we were going through the following Scripture at church…
James 4:2-4
“You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
At the time, there were areas we were wanting to grow and had been stagnant. I spent a little time praying over what areas we should want change and the motives behind them and then introduced some new prayer times in our Sunday morning gatherings. Each week we started praying over four areas to grow in…… people, resources, spiritual depth, and influence in our community.
About a week ago, my family was out for lunch after church and something hit me. I grabbed my copy of the receipt and a pen and started jotting down observations on the back of it. It was a reminder that sometimes we need to stop and look to see what God is doing to catch it all.
From those notes, I shared with our church this week some changes we have been seeing that we wanted to celebrate God’s faithfulness in. The following our those celebrations…
People
At the time we started the prayers, our church had about 30 people coming to the church and we put out about 40 chairs for church. I put out 60 chairs and told our community that each of the extra chairs represented real people in our mission fields who do not know the Lord that we are called to reach. We started laying hands on the chairs around us and praying each week for God to move us to reach others for Him.
Since that time… an additional 19 teens and adults now call The Fellowship home, an additional 5 kids come that partake of our Lamb’s End Kids Ministry, and while we were unsure the future of our Youth Group at the end of the last school year due to lack of participation…. we have over 10 teens attending and visiting the “One for the Son” Youth Group.
Resources
Again, as a small church, we live on faith when it comes to resources and God has always been faithful. However, since we have started the prayers, we have seen some great testimonies.
Several people in our church have taken faith steps in this period to be faithful in tithing that held back before in fear as well as some areas of our budget that were fluid have become stable due to some decisions and we have seen positive movement there.
The big news in the area of resources was in the area of property tax. About four years ago, we applied for property tax exemption and have been waiting ever since to hear a determination. When we got the word back, we were surprised to find out that while we were approved, they did deny exemption for the “house and the property it sits on”. The back tax was a whopping $3900 that we did not have.
We started praying and exploring and here’s what God did as He moved. First, we appealed the “late fees” since we led to not pay on the sales tax while they reviewed our application all those years. While they were resistant at first, the final outcome was they backed those out which left $3119. Then we received a gift of $2000 a couple months back from an unexpected donor that, while we hoped to use those funds for other purposes, we put towards the fees (the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away). This left the amount of $1119.
We then took it to the church family even though human logic would suggest that since most of our church family is struggling financially that coming up with this money would be tough. Within a week and a half, the money was raised! People found themselves with extra money they did not expect, one took on a one week babysitting gig and donated the funds, people who don’t normally give stepped up and more! Not only did we raise the funds, at this point we have $100 during the property tax bill coming in a couple months as well!
We are still far from rich and doing the things we dream of but God has been taking care of us in major ways!
Spiritual Depth
This is the most exciting news as we have been very blessed in this area! While numbers never do justice in an area of passion like this, it does give a small hint of what God is doing through his people!
In this time, we have seen 2 first time decisions, 5 baptisms, another baptism coming up Thanksgiving weekend, multiple rededications, and seeing major faith steps in the lives at our church. The last 4 months, there has been a power in our studies like never before as the Spirit moves and I love seeing changed lives!
Influence
We have always been blessed to be able to do more than a church our size would logically be able to do. God has been gracious and continues to do so. We see several new areas growing as well. Rather it be a new movement through both our men and women that will start new groups for each in January, serving through our food pantry and clothing closet ministries we support, a coupon ministry that is growing new relationships while helping others,people finding refuge in our community that felt out of place before, excited about the efforts individuals are doing within our church family including the program “Bridges out of Poverty” and more. The youth group has been jamming and seeing great relationships and community building there as well!
We also have three men going through discipleship courses through me that will lead to one being a church planter, one who is men’s ministry, and one who is in youth ministry.
This past Sunday, we were blessed to host an event for “Donate Life Sunday” where we welcomed a staff member from “Lifeline of Ohio”, a testimony from a local man who was saved by a liver transplant, and the original Lifeline of Ohio quilt. The opportunity was given for our folks to become organ donors as well.
This week we are hosting a representative from the Gideons speaking on their efforts to spread the gospel and how we can be a part! We are very blessed as God moves and we wish to follow!
We praise God for each of the things we are seeing in these areas He placed on our hearts. It is so easy to just keep going with the pace of our lives and miss His blessings.
So what’s the point of this post…..
What are the desires in your life that you aren’t seeing movement in?
Have you been asking Him to move in those areas? If so, what are your motives pure in those areas to make sure they are God driven?
If so, have you stopped and taken note of the answers to those prayers? It’s easy to miss them if you’re not mindful….. Praise Him today!
Tom, this is very inspirational and one of the best things I have read in a long time. I wish your church well and your mission driven attitude is contagious!