The World is Waiting!
Church Member you can make a difference!
Reaching a lost world and missions starts right at your local church and it can begin with you! (Acts 1:8)
In November our church took a short term trip to Arequipa, Peru to work along side of nationals in the building of a church. Oh, what a joy it was to stand on another continent where most of our people could not speak the language but the unity of Spirit of God was so strong that we all sensed it. We laid cement block which became the walls to the church.
One of the teen girls looked at me and said, “Pastor John, this is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done in my whole life!” We were standing in a worksite that was filthy, conditions were not at all to “US” codes, but this 16 year old girl got a glimpse of what God can do when you just give your life to Him.
All this started because one faithful man in our church got a vision of going to the field and visiting one of our national missionaries. He came to me about two years ago. “I would love to go to Peru and see first hand the work that Daniel Araujo is doing in Arequipa. It seems like he is doing so much with so little, could we go and see the work and encourage them in some way?”
As a Pastor, my response was that of most Pastors, “Well, let’s pray about this together.” This man never let it die! Soon I had a second man coming to me who had been to South America on a mission’s trip. He said. “You know Pastor, we can do this, and God will provide the needs. You never know what this will do to our church when we get our focus off of ourselves and on to the world!”
By this time the ball was rolling and many were exited about the idea. The big question was we have never done anything like this before and our church is too small? We serve a big God who wants us to step out of our comfort zone and do great things for Him!
In retrospect God wants us to trust Him and see what He can do with each church member yielded to the Savior. You can make a difference in this world!
Results of yielded church members:
In the beginning the thought was that a small group would travel to Peru to visit our missionaries that we have supported for 3 years. At our first meeting the response was overwhelming 12 people from our church felt lead of the Lord to make the trip to Peru. We had no money in our church budget for such a massive undertaking. Each person prayed and asked God to provide the needed funds to make the trip. Letters were written to family and friends, others worked and saved. In the end God provided the funds for everyone to travel with no money coming from the church for any of our members.
The time came to make the trip and we had no funds to do the project (building the church). At this point the rest of our church was asking what can they do to have a part in what God is doing? An offering was taken the Sunday before we left and enough money was given on one Sunday morning to completely build the church in Peru! ($7,350)
Oh, how we praise God for yielded church members who have impacted me the Pastor, have impacted the church as a whole and have impacted the world for Jesus’ sake.
Don’t think that you as a church member can’t make a difference in your local church and in the world. The only limitation is your faith and your vision. Trust God and see what He can do when you yield to Him, pray and then share your vision with others.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.