Church in the Wildwood

Part of being a missionary is visiting churches and telling them what you do. In part this is to encourage them to become financial supporters, but more importantly, it is encourage them that God is working in a ministry that they are praying for. I am learning to really enjoy this aspect of ministry. What I like the most is when I have the opportunity to not only share about my ministry, but also to preach. It is a joy to see people encouraged through the Word of God.

Last night we visited a little church called Church in the Wildwood. I had no idea what to expect. I had been told it was small. And it definitely was small. There were three pews in a building that couldn’t be more than 200 sq. ft. Apart from Teresa and I, there were 8 people at the service. The bathroom was...an outhouse (but it was a pretty nice one!)

At first we were unsure--We were 5 minutes early for the service and no one was there. In a frantic effort I called the pastor. He said that that was typical. Everyone would show up right on time. And they did. Once the people were there we felt welcome and at home.

The whole evening could not have put me in a better mood. Everyone smiled and greeted us. We sang hymns that I haven’t sang in a long time. We sang some hymns that I didn’t know. There were no announcements. A few prayer requests for friends and families. Nothing fancy. Just a small group of people that gathered together to worship God and encourage each other. When I got up to preach I felt like I was talking to old friends. Sometimes I wonder in churches if anyone is listening or cares about what I have to say. Here, I could look into the eyes of each individual. Share a smile. Share a nod. Share the love of Jesus in a tiny little church.

Will the Church in the Wildwood ever become a multi-campus, technological, trendy church, with a rockin’ band? Probably not. However, when they gather together and sing hymns to the acoustic guitar played by Dan, and someone steps up to preach without a microphone or a power point, Jesus will be pleased--because His people love Him. And they want to be together and worship Him.

I am reminded of the song I sang when I was little “Come to the church in the wildwood, oh, come to the church in the vale. No spot is so dear to my childhood, as the little brown church in the vale.” It doesn’t matter what a gathering of Christians looks like or sounds like. It matters whether we gather in the name of Jesus, just like the do in the little brown Church of the Wildwood.