Church Work is Hard

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I didn’t anticipate exactly how God would stretch me and grow me as His disciple here in Mexicali. I thought that the ESL program would be it. Sure, I knew I’d have to be flexible and expect some surprises and changes, but I never thought that within the small church body, we would come together to face problems and bring about change. It took a few months to get around to addressing the fact that Iglesia Peniel had no members outside of the family, and that it suffered from lack of vision, mission, etc. Now that the problems been brought into the light, we few are doing what we can within the abilities and resources of the church to breathe new life into Peniel.

 

 

 

 

I took a class last year at Concordia University called “Evangelism in the Life of the Church.” I’ve been skimming my class notes for inspiration and direction with Iglesia Peniel, and while there are a zillion relevant points I could share, this list sticks in my brain:

 

“5 statements regarding membership and outreach:

1. Growth is a congregational issue

- synod and district can help

            - ultimately the congregation must decide

2. There is no magic pill

            - no one tool, program or gimmick can turn this around

            - we need to be in mission to the unchurched where we find them

            - we must seek the answers in the context of our local community

            - some things will work and some things won’t, we need to encourage really good

failure

3. Size is not the issue

            - we can glorify the size, either largeness or smallness

            - congregational health is not related to size in any way

4. Numerical growth is not the issue

            - our focus is on service to those beyond our own membership

            - growth must be seen as a byproduct or natural result of health

5. No program or activity will make a lasting difference if the congregation has not decided to be in mission and ministry beyond its own membership.”

 

I share this list merely to provoke your own meditation on outreach. Personally, I like to read and reread these points for perspective as we round out our second week of Pastor Luna’s suggested plan for change. Here’s a quick review of the plan: 1) before both of the services on Sundays and Thursdays, we go out into the neighborhood to pass out flyers and invite people to church, 2) pray on Saturday mornings from 8 – 9 A.M. wherever we find ourselves, and 3) have a meal after church on Sunday in the front yard of the church. Since we started this plan, we have had at least two visitors at every church service. It is also improving the overall morale of the existing church members and creating unity. Most likely, it’s because the congregation has decided to “be in mission and ministry beyond its own membership.”

 

Ron Aramburo spoke one word to me in a conversation about Iglesia Peniel, and it’s proving itself extremely useful with this particular challenge: consistency. This is the key in our humble efforts, but I observe that consistency is very difficult in this church. I am learning when to provide helpful encouragement and input (regarding the importance of having the meal every Sunday, for instance, and not just when everyone feels like it) and when to be still and watch how the Holy Spirit is going to lead these Christians to transform their church. One more point from my class notes regarding consistency: “Hopeful foresight: ability to see how things MIGHT be if we just make some changes. Are we willing to make the change and carry it out for a LONG period of time???”

 

I have a confession to make: I’m a hypocrite. I have stepped into the realm of inconsistency in the ESL ministry by canceling the morning class. Attendance continued to be weak and I lost heart, even though I had two committed students. I feel a bit confused about the decision to cancel, but at the same time I feel a heavy load lifted. I was demoralized with a class that had dropped from nine students to two or three, but now I wonder if I should have kept the class going for the two interested ones. I know they are not Christians, so they would continue to benefit from the touch of God through me, the Luna family, and the Bible verses, prayers, and songs in class. This is why I feel a bit confused. Church work is hard, but I rest assured that God is in control in the midst of my clouded efforts.

The Lunas have been practicing the dramas to do with the VBS team.

 

 

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