How One Man Found Our Church
On the last post, I shared the 2 questions we ask visitors at our church:
- How did you find our church?
- What made you come back a 2nd time?
I also shared that I would give you the best answer I ever heard to Question #1. So hear goes...
A man around 40, let's call him Ted, was driving in his car while thinking about his life and how far it was unraveling. Everything from his family, to his job, to his finances had or were breaking down in profound ways. He believed in God but had not been to church since he was a kid. He decided prayer might be a good call at this point, so while driving he made a deal with the Almighty:
"God if you help me put my life back together, i will start going to church".
As he was praying, the car started making unusual noises. It began to shake, slow down, and then make a complete stop. His car had just broken down. "Really God? C'mon!..." He got out of the car and opened up the hood to see what was going on. Nobody was available by cell to help. He couldn't readily identify the problem so he slammed the hood down. When he did, his eyes were drawn to a sign behind the side walk that came into view when he closed the hood. It read, "Eastside Christian Church Grand Opening here at our new location Nov 3 and 4". He had broken down in front of our new facility that we were moving into.
It was November 1st.
He took note of the service times, got back in his car and told God he would be there on Sunday. He turned the ignition. The car started right up.
It may not surprise you to know that not only did he show up, but he heard the good news and was baptized. Ted's life underwent a huge transformation. I met him as he shared this story in our 7-week discipleship training course we call The FIrst Step Experience. I was asking people to raise their hand if they found our church through a friend, or online, etc.
Ted's way didn't fit into any of my categories so he just raised his hand when I was done and filled us in on another way God can lead people to our churches: Any way he wants to.
It is good to remember that this journey of assimilation is not our own creation or a responsibility of ours to make happen. God owns it. He was working ahead of us, is working alongside us, and waiting for us and those we lead at the summit.
In the next post we'll talk about WHY God is leading people to your church. The answer may surprise you.
- Read Psalm 23, visualizing not just the Shepherd leading someone to higher ground, but you joining him as a shepherd in his effort. What new insights come to mind about your role in helping people assimilate?
- What is the most memorable way someone was led to your church?
- How were you led to your current church? What was that experience like? How does that story inform your ministry of assimilation?
