Minister’s Letter – September 2018
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3: 20-21 NIVUK)
It was the week before this years Holiday Club, and I asked how many children had registered. I was told 3, with the assurance that, “that’s 2 more than we had this time last year”.
I confess that I began to feel increasingly anxious about the attendance at the Holiday Club, fearing that it would end up feeling like a bit of a flop. I, therefore, began to pray, “God, if we could just get 30 children, like we had last year, that would be fine”.
Wonderfully, by the end of the Holiday Club week, I believe we welcomed around 70 children in total, with the highest attendance going to 48 on the Wednesday. I was in awe – not only had God answered my prayer, He had done so beyond what I had asked, or even what I imagined might be possible.
What can we learn from this?
The first, I think, is that prayer works! I have been wondering why we had such a successful and well attended Holiday Club. We didn’t really do anything differently this year: we planned the same, advertised the same, held the Holiday Club on the same week.
So, what made the difference this year? I believe it is because we had a much greater and concerted effort of prayer before the Holiday Club. This, for me, is a very powerful example of the fact that prayer works, and God answers prayer!
The second thing is that, not only does God answer prayer, but He does so beyond out imagination or expectations. If you’d told me that we would engage with 70+ children in the same breath as telling me we only had 3 registered, I would not have believed you. I would have thought it impossible. Yet, God confounded my expectations, and did a much greater thing than I could imagine.
I believe God is trying to show us what He can do when we turn to Him and earnestly pray for the ministry of our congregation. He can help us achieve things beyond our imagining!
I hope this example can act as an encouragement to us, to marshal our prayers and seek God’s hand in the ministry of our church. If we do, we cannot begin to imagine what God will achieve, for it will be immeasurably more; not so that we can glorify in ourselves, but so that He will receive all the glory throughout all generations, forever and ever!
May God bless you,
Stuart