You probably already know that the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. The challenge of rural mission and evangelism is great and can sometimes seem daunting, but taking it one step at a time is the way to go.
We often find that some rural churches do not have a clear strategy for mission because there is so much they would like to do but have so little resources. They end up doing nothing or very little. Last year, I wrote Mission Can Be Fun which has an exciting and bold vision for discovering all the resources within a congregation, and then using them to match the needs and opportunities in their local area.
The only thing wrong with this vision is that getting to this ideal from where most churches are, is quite a step. We are now encouraging village churches to take just one small step, rather than accomplishing it all. A small step with a small group is better than no progress at all. We have people who could help your church take that one small step.
Another aspect where we are thinking about small steps involves our mailing lists. For some time, I have been concerned about the need for a significant change in our administration. Recently, we have become aware of a problem that has developed because of changes in the organisation through which Praise & Prayer News has been sent out. Consequently, we are moving from using Mailchimp to MailerLite. That should be a simple step and you will not need to do anything.
When we first started using Mailchimp it seemed to offer a lot more than we needed, and this was overwhelming. But it has been a good learning exercise. In moving to a new agency, we are exploring the potential it offers but we are determined to take one step at a time.
Another small step we are taking is to combine two separate mailing lists into one. This will put an end to those annoying duplications of information that some have been receiving. But there are two important things about which we want to assure you.
The first of these is that your contact information will remain secure. We do not give that away or sell it to anyone. The second is, that you retain control over your information. At any time you can ask to see what we hold about you and could ask us to delete it. You are in control. Where using an agency such as Mailchimp or MailLite we ensure your information is secure.
So, two small steps will make changes that we will notice in our offices, but that you will hardly notice. But they are steps that make progress.
We like to think that everyone on our mailing lists is a praying friend. But some are more engaged than others. Some also have several other Christian organisations, their church, and their friends and family to pray for. So we have already started to think about some more steps we can take that will ‘tailor’ the frequency of news for thanksgiving and prayer to fit with your prayer habits. So, watch out for some more simple steps we can take together soon.
The theme of ‘journeys’ recurs throughout the Old and the New Testaments. But each journey had to start with the first step. That is usually a decision to move away from where people are, towards where they want to be or should be. Abraham was asked to leave Ur to discover Canaan. The children of Israel had to leave Egypt to get to the Promised Land. The first disciples had to leave fishing boats and nets or to leave tax collectors’ booths. The call to ‘leave’ is a call to take a first step of faith. But what awaits discovery will never be gained without that first step.
The call to become a follower of Jesus today still starts with a call to take a first step. In every case it is the step away from a lifestyle that displeases God. We call it repentance. But stepping away can be difficult sometimes. Abraham compromised and took his nephew, Lot, with him. Lot’s wife found leaving Sodom and Gomorrah difficult and became a pillar of salt. The children of Israel soon bemoaned everything they had left behind and almost turned back. Timothy turned back home on that first great missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas. Demas, once praised by Paul, later turned back because he loved this present world.
So the first steps are just that. They are meant to be the first among others. That is why the writer of the letter to the Hebrews urges us to keep our eyes of Jesus the beginner and completer of our faith. This is why Paul writes about forgetting the past and pressing onward towards the prize.
Applications:
Having taken that first step in following Jesus, are you pressing on or looking back?
Is God calling you to something new, are you ready to let go in order to move forward?
Is your church stuck where you are because of an unwillingness to let go?
Will you pray for village churches to call on Rural Mission Solutions to help them take simple steps into mission?
Thank you.
Barry
