It’s been almost a year since our church started meeting publicly. Time has passed quickly. The seasons have cycled. People have as well.
In the ebb and flow of every church body people come and people go. Visitors have joined us: some made the choice to stay, and others made the choice to leave. I have decided to not make it my mission to find out why. Many books have made speculations, but I’m not sure that any of them have pinned the tail on that donkey yet.
I do know the type of person we want to stay though – an unselfish Christian. Those who currently come fit that description. They are servants. God is their King. Their lives are characterized by service to the Lord, service in our church, and service in the community.
How do I know this? Why else would someone come to an urban church plant? Our children’s ministries are still developing. We make do with what we have. I work bi-vocationally, so I do not have as much time to add “polish” to my sermons. We have setup and takedown for each Sunday gathering. We rent our space.
But, while we lack for financial and numerical resources, that is far dwarfed by a tremendous zeal and passion for where God has placed us. Our people are unselfish. They give and give some more and do not expect much in return. They have been captured by the grace and love of Christ and know that they can never give enough in return for the great gift that Jesus gave them.
If you visited, you would sense the love for God and others that permeates our gatherings. You might not stay. You might be looking for a certain ministry or anonymity or better resources. If you stayed though, you would continue to feel loved and you would continue to see Christ in our midst. You would grow in your relationship with God and others.
So, if God has prompted your heart, we encourage you to join our adventure here in Allentown. God has called us to the task, and He has equipped us with everything we need for the work. Now, we get to stand in amazement as we continue to watch Him do marvelous deeds. What a mighty God we serve!
4 Comments
Rick,
This is a great post-I can sympathize with much of this. I pray for you often, and hope that your church will continue to grow and develop for the glory of God. May God give you the strength and wisdom to not only have, but also develop unselfish Christians in your church.
Rick,
What a wonderful statement about Allentown Bible Church.
We are praying for you and your group.
We love the vision you have for your church. It is exciting to see what the Lord is doing, in and through you and Kristin. We pray for Allentown Bible Church. Thanks for your vision. Wish we lived closer, so we could be a part.
I found Allentown Bible church or they found me their very first public sunday at the east side youth center. My family felt the holy spirit working in their midst and with much prayer my family felt lead by the holy spirit to continue to attend– It has been a blessing to get to know the people of ABC over the past year.