Pastor Nervously Biting His Fingernails: THEN THE MIRACLE!

As the pastor of small church every week becomes a surprise. One family doesn't show up and attendance is down 10%.
"Who is going to show up?"
"Who isn't?"

This past weekend was even more of the same anxiousness. Before church began, I sat in a chair in the front knowing that attendance would be extremely sparse (it's probably a sin - I know, but it's the way I felt anyway).  

That was because the women were away on a retreat.

Serving as a Pastor on staff of a large affluent church in Southern California, here is one of the many things I learned. When we send 300 women away on a retreat... attendance is down TRIPLE that number. Wives aren't home to help get families out the door on Sunday and it is easier for dad's not to show up. Motivation dwindles and it's easier for men to sleep in - wash the car - watch the kickoff...tipoff...or catch up on the backlog of chores.

Who would show up, I wondered?

I prayed and asked God to do something special and tried to ease my anxiousness and asked for His help to trust Him with my expectations.

Time for church to begin! The numbers were low, as I expected. God helped me through the feelings of disappointment.

A new family returned.
Another new member returned.

Okay God!

Then the Miracle! 

Our numbers were reasonably okay... but we had 5 new un-churched people show up.

This was no accident. Their choice to come, was not as a result of a spontaneous spur-of-the-moment decision or as a result of an recent invitation, rather it was the product of long-term, intentional relationships that stretched back over a two year period.

In tears, three of them prayed to accept the offer of God's grace through the blood of Jesus' sacrifice and put their trust in Him as Savior. The young lady (who had invited her mother and friend to join her at church) had recently suffered a physically debilitating crisis in her life. At Starbucks (maybe a year ago or so ago) a faithful man of God, lived his faith in front of his co-workers. He prayed for this young lady who was suffering a migraine headache and subsequently felt some measure of relief. He has since moved on and had no idea of the effect this incarnational encounter would have. He left Starbucks without seeing visible fruit of this intentional living out of his faith.

The other couple came as a result of one man who was committed to building a relationship with the neighbor who lived directly above him. One year... then coffee.. then church! It is like building equity; it doesn't happen all at once and it takes time. It requires long term vision and trust in God for the results.

In an society of instantaneous everything; we want the results of evangelism and formulas that happen in a minute.

These lives having been changed by the gospel was a result of relational evangelism that wasn't instantaneous that took the investment of living out the gospel right where God had put both of these faithful people who had the patience to live and to walk Christ into their present sphere of influence (Acts17:26-27).

It takes Vision and it takes making a Decision!  

We can change the world one life at time... with the long term transformational strategy (Acts 1:8) of living Gospel Formed lives...  Join the Movement.. One year!  One life!

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