Paul Walker of Cornerstone, Dubbo N.S.W. writes to OIKOS
“Excerpts I thought you might be interested in, from a book I’ve just about finished; “An Army of Ordinary People”, by Felicity Dale. I am greatly heartened & encouraged by this ordinary stuff. I hope it does that for you too.” (This book is available on the OIKOS web site)
HANK’S STORY
God uses ordinary people to do the extraordinary
JUST AN ORDINARY GUY…
Hank is an ordinary kind of guy. Introverted and unassuming, his friends used to joke that it was a real achievement if the could get him to say three words. He didn’t go to college or seminary, and he’s not a pastor. After graduating from high school, Han went into the military. At the time this story begins, Hank managed the produce section of a large grocery store.
Hank’s spiritual life recently had been revitalized when a friend found out he was no longer attending a traditional church, and invited Hank to visit his church that met in a home. While there, he reconnected with Doug. Doug was a friend from years ago when he and Hank played in the worship band at a local church. He now was a pastor of a traditional church, as well as the one who led the group that met in a home.
“A couple of us guys get together at Starbucks every week. We read some chapters out of the Bible during the week. Then on Fridays we get together to hold each other accountable for what is going on in our lives and to pray for our friends. We call it a Life Transformation Group. Would you like to join us?” Doug asked him.
So began the transformation in Hank’s life. Each week, the three of them would devour whole books of the Bible. Over coffee they would confess areas of their lives in which they struggled, and pray for their non-Christian friends. And things started happening.
The first was devastating. Hank’s wife of more than 20 years left and then divorced him. It was a tough time. At this point, Hank chose to throw himself even more vigorously into what the Lord was doing in his life, & he began growing spiritually like wildfire.
“I’m not sure what’s going on,” Hank admitted to Doug one day. “At work, for no reason that I can see, some of the other employees keep asking me to pray for them. They never used to do that. There are others around who are much more vocal about their faith than I am, but I’m the one they confide in. What do you think is going on?”
“Do you remember from our Experiencing God Bible study,” Doug said, “that we need to see what God is doing and join Him in it? I think God is doing this. I wonder what He has in mind.”
Hank asked some of the people at his workplace if they would like to start a house church. Only one of them said yes, but several of his family members (he has grown children) and some of their friends-the majority of whom were unbelievers-asked if they could also participate. So Hank started his first church. People began experiencing remarkable transformation, as one by one they gave their hearts to the Lord.
Two months later at work, Hank tripped over a hose on the ground while he was carrying a large, heavy pallet. His ankle was shattered and broken in three places, and he was confined to bed for three months. But he was so spiritually hungry during his enforced rest, all he did was pray and read his Bible and other Christian books. His new church met around him in his small apartment.
One day during his recovery, his mother asked if he would be willing to start a church in her house in a community about 20 miles away. Hank comes from a large family-he has 15 brothers and sisters. Many of them and their children joined in this new church. A month later, some of his grown children who had never been involved in church, asked if he would do something similar in their home.
Three months later, one of Hank’s kids who was coming to this latest church, met a lady who was interested in talking about spiritual things. She became very excited about the concept of home church. She called Hank on the phone.
“I met your son the other day, and he was telling me about how you run churches in people’s homes,” she said. “I would like to have something like that in my home. Would you be willing to show me how?” So a fourth church started. That simple church has grown & spawned several other groups that are in the process of becoming churches.
Six churches now meet in homes that are traceable to Hank, the guy people teased because he never said anything!
… WHO HAS AN EXTRAORDINARY GOD
Other amazing things have happened to Hank. He and two other people went to visit Jose, a friend who was in a coma in the hospital following a suicide attempt. (Jose, a 21-year-old, had been heavily involved in gangs and drugs most of his life.) When they went to the ICU at the hospital, a group of doctors were gathered around Jose’s bed, preparing permission forms to harvest Jose’s organs. Their patient was brain-dead, and they had just pulled the plug on the life-support machines. The grieving relatives were waiting in the hallway.
“Why don’t we pray for him anyway?” one of the friends asked. “Then we can go out for a bite to eat and come back later.”
The small group of believers gathered around the bedside, laid their hands on the brain-dead man and prayed: “Lord, when You walked this earth, You healed the sick and raised the dead! Will You come and show Your power again in this situation?”
When they retuned to the ICU some time later, there was a lot of activity and an air of suppressed excitement. They wondered what all the commotion was about. Then one of the boy’s relatives came up to them with tears streaming down his cheeks.
“You will not believe what has just happened,” he exclaimed, amazement written all over his face. “Shortly after you left, Jose opened his eyes. The doctors could not believe it. All their tests showed that he was dead. Look at him now!”
Hank and the others went into the ICU. Jose was sitting up in bed, eating a Popsicle.
On another occasion, Hank prayed for a girl with a serious brain tumor, and she was healed. Hank has grown into a man of faith. He knows beyond any shadow of doubt that God heals the sick and raises the dead.
But there is something else you need to know about Hank. A few years ago, Hank was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, a condition that causes progressive loss of muscle control. For some time, he had been having difficulty performing simple, physical tasks. He never fully recovered from his broken ankle, and had an increasingly difficult time walking.
Most of the churches Hank started were planted during the years when his physical condition was steadily deteriorating.
It has been a long and difficult road. For the past two years, Hank has been in a wheelchair, is unable to drive and needs personal assistance for several hours a day. Some days are better than others for Hank; some days he cannot even get out of bed. But Hank still carries on with the churches, and they continue to view him as their spiritual leader. Because of his condition, he has been developing other leaders who now take responsibility for the churches. Members of the network of churches often visit him at home and look after him. Frequently, the churches meet in his apartment around his wheelchair.
You might think Hank would have given in to discouragement by now. But Hank is unfailingly cheerful and always ready to get excited about what his Lord is doing. His faith continues to grow, because these days he has to rely on God even more.
Pray for Hank!
KEY THOUGHTS: GOD USES ORDINARY PEOPLE TO DO THE EXTRAORDINARY
All over the world, God is using ordinary believers like Hank or you and me - to plant churches. In some countries, such as China, India and many others, hundreds of thousands of people become Christians every year because of the multiplication of these simpler forms of church. In the Western world, indications are that God is close to doing something similar.
It no longer is up to the trained professional who has been to Bible College or seminary to advance the Kingdom. Housewives and factory workers, businessmen and doctors are leaving the comfort of the pew and heading into their world to make disciples and gather them into small groups called house, organic or simple churches.
Many non-Christians will not darken the door of a church building. Just imagine what would happen if all over this country, ordinary men and women by the thousands were equipped and then released to make disciples and start churches in the homes of these people.
About one third of Christians in this country are outside the organized church, but they have not given up on their Lord, They also have many unbelievers in their circle of friends. What could happen if they also caught hold of this vision?
God will use anyone who is willing to advance His Kingdom. The question is, are we ready to let God use us?
When I look at Hank, I know I have no excuse!