Breakthrough

Some really good things have happened with this little church. We were a safe haven for wounded and bewildered clergy, missionaries, and others in the aftermath and process of all the upheaval in the Episcopal church. Many people were healed and loved to health in our gatherings. We performed some powerful outreach to other churches in town (although it was sometimes perceived as sheep-stealing missions - completely untrue). We learned much Bible. Two took what they learned at our little church and went forth to love and serve the Lord, better equipped. One woman led several women to Jesus within a few months of moving to a new state. One man is currently ministering to the deaf in South America. We put down some deep spiritual roots.

But we got stagnant and had to make a move. The move out of the house was strongly confirmed as the right thing to do by events that followed in that house shortly after we moved. We intentionally began the grief process of our losses from the move (comfort, intimacy, etc.) with two Sunday services dedicated to that topic. We continue in that grieving process.

God sovereignly provided me a ministry/church planting coach. The first session revealed two major problems. (1) This group had a "remnant mentality" versus a "church plant mentality" and the coach suggested these are completely incompatible. (2) We had no outside intercessors for the church. I immediately recruited intercessors. Eleven people volunteered to intercede for us (people in Kentucky; New Mexico; Pennsylvania; Washington; Texas; New York California; Arizona; Siberia, Russia; and Columbia, South America).

I mentioned the "remnant mentality" versus a "church plant mentality" at church last Sunday, and that had a profound impact on several in the congregation. We had what was probably our best ever Vestry meeting later that afternoon, and they even approved a $200 per month raise for me. Wow! What a difference intercession makes! Competent coaching makes a big difference too. I highly recommend it.