How did your mom keep you quiet in church when you were young? My personal favorites were those funky and mysterious pencil-shading pictures, the ones where shading over the blank area magically revealed a picture of Jesus. Another favorite was connect-the-dots. Yep, there was nothing more satisfying than seeing those dots connect up to show a jagged picture of David and Goliath.

Today  I still love to play connect the dots. But now it is much trickier. The dots I try to connect are the ways that the Lord brings people and experiences together to reveal a picture of  his bride, the Church.

Dot #1: The Pirate Ship

It was the summer of 2006. We wanted to promote our Vacation Bible School at Resurrection Lutheran Brethren Church in Camrose, Alberta. So we decided to enter a float in the town parade. Armed with tons of cardboard, scraps of wood and a few black markers we began the process of transforming a flat deck trailer into an authentic pirate ship complete with lookout, cannons, sail and a plank (with Barbie dolls tied to the end of it). The night was late as we put the finishing touches on this creative, yet kind of ugly, float. I remember thinking, “Oh Lord, is this worth all of the work we’ve put into this thing?”

None of us likes to be involved in an effort that flops, especially when we have poured much time and money into it. But the hard truth is that new business ventures fail more often than they succeed. And this may be true with church ventures as well. Sometimes we pour ourselves into projects that flop. How many of us have planned outreach events where only church members showed up?

But what is the secret to persevering through hard times? The Apostle Paul shows us a different attitude to have:

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).

Paul’s charge: “Remember this” – make sure that you have the right attitude going into this. Be thankful for the opportunity to serve, to give, to be involved in Kingdom work. Then entrust the results to God!

Dot #2: The Eye Patch

A few weeks before the float, we put an ad in the local paper promoting our pirate-themed VBS. As people called to register, we asked them if their kids wanted to ride on our parade float. I’ll never forget the response from one mom: “Oh, that is perfect. My son Dylan already wears an eye patch. He would love to dress up like a pirate!” After ending the call I smiled and thanked God for his ways of showing up in the unexpected. The parade was a hit and a great way for new kids to connect with our kids from Rez. Because of the float I met Dylan’s family and his Aunt Michelle and her friend Gord. After VBS we were thrilled to have Gord and Michelle start attending our church and growing in faith. Unfortunately, a year later they stopped attending.

Dot #3: The Frozen Block Party

In January of 2009 we decided to have a winter block party at a park near our church. Only in Canada do you have winter block parties! The date was chosen and we started planning for the event. One problem: we needed power and water at the park. Then I remembered that Gord lived right by the park (pictured left with Michelle). Gord was excited about being involved in this event. The forecast that day was for a balmy –14 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit)!
We  had a great time  serving  burgers  and  hot cocoa, playing  hockey and curling, snowshoeing and making snow sculptures. One family from the community that had come to some of our other events commented that they loved the fact that we were a church that knew how put on a good party. That next Sunday Gord was back in church with Michelle by his side and they have rarely missed since then. Involving Gord in serving his neighbors was a key to opening his heart.

Dot #4: Common Ground Sunday

Twice a year we shorten our church service in order to go out and serve in our community. After a brainstorming session for our June service event, we approached Michelle about the possibility of serving lunch in the apartment building where she lives. It is a building designed for people with special needs or disabilities. Michelle loved the idea and started inviting her neighbors in the building to lunch. People were both surprised and honored that we would come and serve them free lunch. The event was well received by the few that remembered to come out, and the door is now open for us to come back to serve again.
God uses one act of stewardship to lead to the next. Stewardship is not about hunting around for the perfect opportunity that guarantees success. For even when we think a project was a flop, God comes and redeems part of it and sows the seed for greater things. Let us not miss what the Lord is doing in us, through us and around us.

The Next Dot?

This fall Resurrection LBC celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Over these 10 years, God has grown us from a group of 33 people to a church of 150, from a church with eight kids to a church with 146 kids at our latest outdoor VBS. Rez received home mission support from 1999 to 2005. Thank you to all who sowed generously to enable this church to stand on her own!

God has blessed this church with an incredible piece of property. It is located on the corner of two busy streets in the heart of a new development in Camrose. We have church plans ready and have raised two-thirds of the $300,000 needed to begin construction. We are praying that God will raise up some cheerful – even hilarious – givers to partner with us in connecting the next dot for our church.

Pastor Dean Rostad serves Resurrection Lutheran Brethren Church in Camrose, Alberta, Canada (www.rezchurch.ca)

If you are interested in partnering with Resurrection LBC, you can contact them at info@rezchurch.ca or (780) 672-0909.