Illustrations
Reflections On Touching A Community
In the fall of 1968, my wife and I moved to Hibbing, Minnesota, to reopen a church that had been closed 2 years. Two Assemblies of God families living in the area agreed to join us in this city of 21,000 located in northern Minnesota’s iron range.
As we viewed our new surroundings, we realized that for a growing church the people must come from within the community. Not many people moved to Hibbing. No other Assemblies of God churches were close enough to us to receive any transfer growth, and only a couple of struggling evangelical churches were in the area at that time.
We began with a simplistic philosophy that time has proved — namely, 95 percent of the ministry is getting along with people. After 40-plus years of pastoring, I have learned that besides the call of God and the Holy Spirit’s anointing, a main key to successful ministry is in the relationships built in the church and community.
With that concept in focus, we began by making as many friends as possible, whether or not they would come to our church. Then we would walk through the doors God opened for us, sensitive to the Holy Spirit and not forcing doors not yet ready to be opened. We tried not to close an opening door by pushing too hard.
Missionaries to foreign lands would never think of going into a country to begin a new work without first studying the culture. Many have told me how they consider such things as what the people eat, wear, and say lest they offend them and destroy their chances of being heard. They seek to find ways to present the gospel so it can be accepted and understood, realizing that if they begin by alienating themselves, it will be difficult to find receptive hearts.
As we looked at our community and prayed about how to reach the people, we realized that they would not respond to some traditional methods of evangelism — door-to-door witnessing, street meetings, or handing out tracts. We may win one or two but alienate most of the city. It is much easier to reach people when you do not need to tear down walls of hostility and resentment that you may have built first.
How then could we reach them? As we walked through our city in those early days, we found individuals who were waiting to be reached if someone only cared about them, their families, and their concerns.
We began listening to what the community was saying. We listened to community leaders, read editorials about various aspects of the community, heard school officials and parents, and listened to others in and out of our church. As we listened, we learned about areas where we would have open doors of ministry. We found we were more effective when we plugged in and helped instead of fighting all the areas with which we did not agree.
As we listened, we heard a cry for help. These are some of the things our community was saying:
1. We are lonely and need friends.
2. We are afraid of the future because of hard economic times in our area.
3. We need help raising our kids. Fifty percent of our junior high children are coming from single parent or split families.
4. We need someone to work with our boys because many have no stable male role models.
5. We want something for our teens after the football games — wholesome activities besides wild parties.
6. We need someone we can trust. Can we trust the church?
7. We want to be a part of something positive and uplifting.
8. We want to know if anyone cares and understands our needs.
9. We are a unique and proud community. Understand us but do not criticize us or look down on us.
10. We are tired of flashy fad churches; we are looking for a good solid church.
11. We are looking for reality.
The people did not want to be preached at, but they allowed us to touch them in little, caring ways. As we took advantage of the doors God opened for us, more opportunities came our way — slowly, ever so slowly at first. As trust was earned and we proved we would not push too far, the doors opened wide.
After so many years, we had moved from the church that had no impact to one that was an integral part of the community’s heart and soul. We no longer had to search for opportunities to minister. Opportunities knocked on our door. We were asked to help in areas we had only dared to dream about in years past.
Your community is probably much like mine. It needs to be reached but does not know it. The result is it resists many efforts to touch it with the gospel. However, if you will listen to what it is saying and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in walking through the open doors, you will be surprised at the things God will do in and through your church.
Clarence W. St. John
