The Kerusso – November | 2018 Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”
Emory Street Church (Flora, Illinois) – Roof Repair Project Pastor George Coble and the members of Emory Street EMC in Flora, Illinois wish to express their appreciation for the hard work of some special volunteers who tackled the task of replacing the roof on their fellowship hall. Last month, on October 1st and 2nd, a team of our EMC men traveled from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Missouri to “climb” into the project. Superintendents Wes Mackey and Brian Hammond, Pastor Brian Gordon, and Brian Booth worked hard over the course of a few days to remove the old shingles, repair any roof damage, and then give it a brand-new shingled surface! Pastor George and one of the local church members, Wesley, worked on the ground while Emory’s own Miss Pearl worked in her kitchen providing these hungry men some great food! What a special gift of sweat-equity by these brave and willing men! The fellowship hall and porch were completed, while the more steeply pitched sanctuary remains in need of replacement. We’ll keep you posted as to how that will be approached. It will almost surely require a professional crew. Emory Street EMC is not a large congregation. They are a delightful church with a love for their community, but their Sunday worship numbers are not in the hundreds, nor the dozens. When they gather to praise, pray, and look into God’s word, their attendance is 10-12, but they truly love God and love people, and as we surely know, JESUS LOVES THEM.
Small Churches Matter All we need to do is read the story of the widow’s mite to be reminded that God isn’t impressed by big numbers. Instead, he is moved by big hearts and big sacrifice. Understanding this principle clarifies that the roof project in Flora is about more than just a few pastors, lay people, and superintendents doing some physical labor. It is about the fact that God cares about each church regardless of their size or statistical report. And because HE cares, it is vitally important that we do as well. While it seems to be the larger churches that consistently make headlines and capture broad attention, every single weekend in this country more people worship in churches that are less than 100 in attendance. A 2016 study conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religious research reveals that nearly 60% of American churches are small congregations. Now, it should be said that we do not glorify “small” any more than we should glorify “large.” Truth is, we WANT growth in the kingdom; growth in our people; and growth in our churches. But we rejoice in people. Every single person matters! *****
Remember to Reset Your Clocks on November 3 rd If you live in an area that observes Daylight Savings Time, don’t forget to reset your clocks on Saturday night, the 3rd. You wouldn’t want to show up for church an hour early J. But if you do, you could always spend the extra time praying!