I am convinced that almost anyone can build up
a church in the city! When you have a large population to draw from, growth can
often come quite easily. Create the right atmosphere with the right appeal and people will come!! But
it takes something special to build up a church in a RURAL, sparsely populated,
community!
Our daughter, Michelle, recently sent us a
video and simply said, “It’s you dad!”.
The
video is about a couple who moved out of the city leaving behind a thriving
city church and took over an old rural church on the verge of closing with only
a handful of people. They weren't there very long until everyone left them!! It
was like they were left standing alone! There was only he and his wife and the
Lord. But they knew that God had called them to this rural community with only
a population of 88 people and they decided to stick with it! Sunday after
Sunday they would still go to church and the Pastor would conduct a service as
though the church was full! One by one they began to lead new people to the
Lord and one by one God began to fill the church again. It took some time but
eventually they had 130 people in their church. Then the Lord directed them to
replant churches throughout the surrounding rural communities. Today there are
13 churches that have been planted or replanted!! All of them are full!!
It is apparent that Esther and I have been
called by God to Rural Québec! And it’s been an interesting ride!! Some, whom
we thought were “with us” in the beginning turned away! And that’s okay!! We have determined that this is where God has
called us and we are determined to win people to the Lord one by one!! We covet
your prayers each day that God will lead us to hungry people in rural Québec! I
told our people this morning in church, “Wouldn’t it be a "first class slap" in
the devils face if we could resurrect churches in all these outlying rural
communities that have closed in the last 15 years! I began to
list rural communities within just a few kilometers from us that have closed churches.
Brownsburg alone has closed 7 denominational churches in the past 15 years!! I
spoke of Harrington, Grenville, Calumet, Saint-Andre, Montebello. And those are
just a few of the surrounding rural communities!! In years gone by, some of these
communities had strong spirit-filled churches in them and today they are closed. Would you join your
heart with ours as we endeavor to push back the darkness over rural Québec? RURAL QUÉBEC….HERE WE COME!! IN JESUS
NAME!!!!!
