Fourteen months ago, I wrote in this space about the "mission field" they were starting to build across the street from our church campus. At that time, many local residents were complaining about the lack of infrastructure to support 400 new apartments in our area, and the anticipated increase in traffic to George Roy Parkway.
I said at that point that those concerns were very real, and "progress" always brings challenges, but that I thought it would be a net positive for our community to provide more affordable housing for singles and young families in a growing real estate market. But more than that, I shared my excitement that the Lord would be sending all these new people to our doorstep, ready to be ministered to and reached for the gospel.
And now we look across the street and see them putting the finishing touches on the first phase of those apartments, and the possibilities are getting very real. If our facilities are to be a launching center for ministry in our community, what an advantage to have hundreds of new "homes" and perhaps thousands of new people directly across the street. We have been providentially positioned for connecting to those folks, and it will be a matter of stewardship for how we handle this opportunity. Will we be faithful in serving and ministering to the people who will live there?
This is part of what I wrote last year:
I have already been praying for those that the Lord is going to lead our way. And as I do I think of people that I have not even met yet, but will one day be my brother or sister in Christ. How many families will come across the street to worship with us? How many children will be a part of our Vacation Bible School? How many students will come to our youth group? How many young adults and singles will we have the privilege of sharing the love of Christ with? How many people will come to know Jesus through our church's witness?
When you see things with an eternal perspective, it changes how you look at everything. A little extra traffic congestion? That will be worth it if we have greater opportunities to reach people for Jesus.
The word is that they will begin leasing apartments at the end of December/beginning of January. That means we will have new neighbors within a few months. The staff and leadership and missions team of our church have already been planning for the opportunities that will afford us, including helping with move-ins, providing welcome packets, possibly hosting a small group or Bible study on-site, and doing a few more block parties in our parking lot to invite new residents to come across the street to get to know us.
But most importantly, we need to be actively and fervently praying, for the Lord to open doors, to give us favor with the apartment complex management, and wisdom and insight for how we might be able to connect with the new people. We need to pray that He will prepare our hearts for receiving new folks, and loving them in the name of Jesus. And we need to pray for those unknown tenants-to-be, who very well may be sitting next to us in worship just a few months down the road.
And, we need to make ourselves available to serve Him, by serving them. These new opportunities for ministry will sometimes push us out of our comfort zones, and very well may stretch our resources. We must be selfless and servant--hearted as we live out our mission where the Lord has positioned us.
Of course, we don't have to wait for them to build an apartment complex across the street to reach out to our unchurched neighbors and friends with the love of Christ and with the gospel. There are thousands of people all around us just waiting for us to care enough to point them to Jesus. Let's be about our Father's business, and let's get to those fields, which are white unto harvest. (John 4:35)
I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for our church in the years ahead as we serve Him together. I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
--Pastor Ken
