Every Town Needs a Church
I sometimes joke with people that I grew up in a small town on Long Island . Our town was small by Long Island standards with about 50,000 people. Not quite what most people would consider a small town!
My love for small towns began with visits to my grandparents’ small town of Arlington , Vermont . Norman Rockwell had an art studio in West Arlington and my grandparents knew many of the people found in his paintings. As a young boy, I witnessed firsthand the quality of small town life often portrayed by Rockwell.
Since that time, I have lived in many small towns, both before I became a missionary and after. I have experienced a broad spectrum of small communities, from Linneus , Maine to Fernwood , Idaho before becoming a missionary and from Finchford , Iowa to Red Feather Lakes , Colorado , after becoming a missionary. Carole and I thoroughly enjoyed living in places with a population less than 500.
There is nothing quite like entering a local restaurant and knowing most of the people there. I enjoyed serving on the local fire department and feeling that my contribution made a difference in the community. We knew the teachers, the parents, and the children at the local elementary school. When someone in the community experienced a problem, the entire community pitched in to help. I am glad that my current town of Dallas , although very large by my standard (it has a Wal-Mart), still has a small town feel to it.
I appreciate most the centrality of the local church in a small town. In Finchford, the church alone provided community life, especially after the local mercantile store closed. The church, I believe, has a much greater impact in a small town if she takes seriously her witness for Christ. All may not attend but most will in some way look to the church, especially when they are in need. I observed the atmosphere of Red Feather change as the church grew in its outreach. When our church burned down, the entire town reached out to us.
It is critical, therefore, that Village Missions advance in its God-given ministry of bringing the gospel to primarily small places. Many small towns in North America lack a church that announces the good news of Jesus Christ. Every small town I have lived in had a church. God used those churches in my life before becoming a Village Missionary to cause significant spiritual growth. Please pray with us that God will call many into service as Village Missionaries. Please pray also that God will call financial partners so that we have the resources to place missionaries. Many small towns across North America are waiting.
