You are currently browsing the monthly archive for December 2007.
A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to
write a book about churches around
the country. He started by flying to
San Francisco and started working
east from there.
Going to a very large church, he
began taking photographs and
making notes.
He spotted a golden telephone on
the vestibule wall and was intrigued
with a sign, which read ‘Calls: $10,000
a minute.’
Seeking out the pastor he asked
about the phone and the sign. The
pastor answered that this golden
phone is, in fact, a direct line to
heaven and if he pays the price he
can talk directly to GOD.
The man thanked the pastor and
continued on his way. As he
continued to visit churches in Seattle,
Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago , Milwaukee,
and around the United States, he
found more phones, with the same
sign, and the same answer from
each pastor.
Finally, he arrived in Kentucky,
upon entering a church in Greenup,
Kentucky, behold – he saw the usual golden
telephone. But THIS time, the sign
read ‘Calls: 35 cents.’
Fascinated, he asked to talk to the
pastor, ‘Reverend, I have been in
cities all across the country and in
each church I have found this
golden telephone and have been
told it is a direct line to Heaven
and that I could talk to GOD, but in
the other churches the cost was
$10,000 a minute. Your sign reads
only 35 cents a call. Why?’
I love this part……………….
The pastor, smiling benignly, replied,
‘Son, you’re in Kentucky now …… You’re in
God’s Country, It’s a local call.’
American by Birth,
Kentuckian by Birth and Choice
There are times in ministry when you ask yourself, “What am I really doing here? Am I really making a difference or am I just spinning my wheels?”. As I am approaching my one year mark in serving with the IMB I have started wondering what will I be leaving behind. Well, God answered my question this weekend in an unexpected way during our Hhohho Youth Rally.
I’ve planned several events before; it was actually part of my job prior to coming to the field. I’ve also helped to plan ministry events, but I’ve never felt quite so unprepared as did this weekend. At first I wasn’t quite sure why I felt this way. I thought perhaps I just wasn’t spiritually prepared or perhaps I wasn’t organized enough. In the end what it really came down to was that I didn’t have the answer to every question about the event. I wasn’t sure about every little detail and I simply wasn’t in control. I was allowing my regional youth committee to organize the event and make the fine details come together.
As we were closing out the event I rested against the wall by the window and I felt the warmth of the sunshine along with the cool gentle breeze. I looked out and I saw almost 50 youth, adult, and children in attendance. Mostly I noticed those from Nkhaba, a new work area and our location for the event. The regional youth committee had decided to have Nkhaba as the event location in order to further reach out the community. We had even planned to prayer walk the week prior but due to the rain weren’t able to go out.
One of the makes, sSwati for a woman who is either married or as respect to someone is older than you, began to speak and share about what the event meant to her. I couldn’t understand most of what she was sharing because my sSwati is poor, but I could feel and see her heart as she expressed her gratitude and encouraged the youth. Thinking back about that moment and recognizing this lesson from God I too have hold back my own emotions.
I was there when the University team came to the communities of Hawane and Nkhaba in June of this year. I was with them as they prayer walked throughout Nkhaba and without knowing I visited the Prince’s home. Having the opportunity to see this from the very beginning and how God is moving in the community truly touches my heart. I feel as if when I leave I will be able to say I helped to start this church from the ground up.
While I was in Virginia for orientation so many of our sessions revolved around church planting and often I wondered how can I be apart of planting a church. My thought was, “I am single female who’s never been to seminary what difference can I make. I now see just exactly how I have made a difference as a single female and helped to start a church”. I was there to prayer walk and plow the ground. I was there to attend the bible study as Steve taught the lessons and simply show them that I cared. I’ve been there to help plant seeds in the hearts of the children as I teach on Saturdays. I’ve even be able to plant seeds among the adults as I’ve taught when Steve has been unable to attend. To see the children there at the youth rally as they listen intently moved my heart. This is the future of Nkhaba.
I’ve recently been able to visit with our team leaders, Wayne and Barbara, and I’ve been able to learn a lot from their almost 20 years of experience on the field. I’ve learned from Barbara about the importance of a children’s program in a church plant. I’ve heard stories of how she’s been able to work along side Wayne and start churches where the children she once taught are now leaders in the churches.
Children in Swaziland are looked down upon and not seen as having any true value until they reach their teens, but often by that time it may well be too late. When I began the children’s bible study at Nkhaba I didn’t think this will be the future of the church. I simply knew God had laid Nkhaba on my heart for a reason and for me to be apart of this new work I needed to start a children’s bible study.
All of this to simply say, I’ve recognized what I’ll be leaving behind. Yes, I’ve be leaving a part of me. Yes, I’ll hopefully be leaving behind a church. However, more than anything I pray that I will be leaving behind young believer who will one day lead and start new churches throughout Swaziland and quite possibly all of Africa. If this is all I ever accomplish in my life then I can still leave this world satisfied in knowing that I have been used by the Lord in a great and mighty way.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV
