Stereotypes

‘A small village is just that: small!!! There is no ambition for growth; people move there for their last days and a minister in a place like that will be doing more funerals than outreach…’

That was one of the things said to me when I shared with someone that I was called to serve in a small village church. When I joined, less than a year ago, the membership was that of 20, and mainly an ageing congregation. Those thoughts and comments suddenly starting flooding into my brain… WHAT HAVE I DONE??? This is a small church! I am an EVANGELIST! I feel called to outreach… GOD… what have you done calling me here???

Those stereotypes of what a village church is, and should be, started creeping in. But then, God’s word came into play. In 1 Samuel 16:7 it says this: ‘But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”’

This particular account is when Samuel is sent by God to anoint the next leader, the next King. And while Samuel was looking for the strongest, biggest, most physically perfect man, God was looking at the heart.

It’s the same thing with Gamlingay. And so, I started looking at the heart of the church, of the people. The heart is a big one: to grow, to see children, young people and families in the church, in a relationship with Jesus.

I decided to ignore the stereotypes and let God do God…

So I prayed and showed up. Then I prayed some more and showed up again. And in less than a year, we are a membership of 29 now. The local school has opened its arms to us, we have built a relationship with the Anglican brothers and sisters down the road, we’re seeing more people walk into the church for other events, such as Holiday Club, movie nights and so on. There is a long way to go (and always will be in the Kingdom of God, regardless of the size of the church or congregation). But you know what, God works regardless of the stereotypes!

In fact, if History is any indication, God uses the element of surprise through that of stereotypes. Look at the different revivals through History. Asuza Street Revival, the birth of the Pentecostal movement, came from a small little, disused church, that had been used for all sorts from a lumberyard, tombstone shop and as a stable. But God moved in this place mightily, and saw unity among different races (something that at that point in history was unheard of in the US), it saw miracles, people coming to know the Lord… It was AMAZING! Yet, it was not the way it should have ‘stereotypically’ happened.

Or we can talk about the Welsh revival, led by Evan Roberts, which again, came from a small little place in Wales, where many would have thought nothing would have happened. However in one year, 100,000 people came to faith and many were called to mission, all over the world.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that Gamlingay will be the centre of the next big Revival, though I have to admit, I am praying for it! I am praying it,  not for me, but for the thousands that don’t know Jesus in our area…

My point is, our stereotypical views of things in life can stop us from moving in the direction God is calling us. Had I gone with the stereotypical view of Gamlingay Baptist Church, I would not be there as the minister, and I would not have been blessed by the relationships I now have there.

What stereotypes of the world are stopping you from moving in the direction God has called? What are you judging based on the outward appearance, as opposed to based on the heart? What would it look like for you to move forward, in the direction God has called, potentially against that of stereotypes?

ORIGINALLY USED AS PART OF A 4 PIECE REFLECTION SERIES FOR BBC RADIO CAMBS.