Long Stays in Little Places
Recently I’ve received some links that have been a blessing to me and I pass them on to you.
A retired Village Missionary passed on the devotion in Our Daily Bread for January 24, 2009 entitled Small Is Beautiful. The title says it all. I know for a fact in meeting Village Missionaries that He has sent “His best workers to labor for a lifetime in some small place.”
Breton Murphy, Village Missionary in Nova Scotia, sent me a link to an article on SermonCentral.com entitled “Six Benefits of Not Changing Churches” by Dean Shriver. Discussing the first benefit of a long stay Shriver writes:
Unfortunately, our cultural disregard for commitment has infected the American Church. As pastors, we loathe the consumerism and the “what’s in it for me” attitude that causes many to drift from church to church, seeking “God-honoring music,” a better youth group or a place where they can finally “be fed” (whatever that means). But in a day when pastors on average change churches every five to eight years, is it possible that we’re part of the problem, too? Where can believers see what long-term commitment looks like if they can’t see it in the example of their pastors?
Finally, John Adams, Village Missionary serving Hauser Community Church in Hauser, Oregon sent me this insight about long-term stays:
This is from Western Seminary’s quarterly newsletter: The executive director of the Association of Theological Schools, Dr. Daniel Aleshire reports that by a conservative estimate, a pastor who spends 30 years in congregational ministry will likely touch the lives of up to 100,000 individuals. I’m sure a lot of that influence is second-hand and generational, but it’s still a tremendous impact for the Kingdom.
So, keep on keeping on and do so even if God has placed you in a so-called little place!
