Vision Sunday

In 1998, People’s Church faced an enormous trial of survival. The congregation found itself unable to meet its financial burdens because of a failed bond program. Marilyn and I were leading a Bible School in Cordoba, Argentina, when we received a call to come and lead them during this crisis. We pondered the request and sought God’s guidance and thought how ironic to return to the Church where we had served as youth pastors 23 years earlier. God had blessed us, and we found ourselves in a fruitful time of ministry in Argentina. However, we also realized that People’s Church had been an incredible partner with us in Argentina, so now would be our opportunity to help them. Although it was a difficult decision to leave Argentina, we accepted the challenge of leading the Church forward. People’s Church assumed a new mortgage of almost 1.6 million dollars as part of the solution. This new mountain of debt would take 21 years to pay off; we all wondered whether we could do it, but with God’s help, we began an arduous journey that ended in June of 2019.

The financial arrangement afforded us one year to plan for monthly payments. Our yearly income projection fell way short of making these monthly payments. In 1999, in preparation for our task, we created an account called The Joseph Fund; this fund became our strategy to prepare for these intimidating payments. Like the widow in First Kings, chapter four, all we had were empty vessels—we desperately needed God’s provision. We began raising revenue by selling everything we could, the singing Christmas tree, farming implements, a radio station, and of course, we gave weekly offerings.

About 10 years into the loan payments, we applied to another lender to get a lower interest rate. They answered, “You are too big of a risk,” so they denied our application. Although we may have looked too small and insignificant on paper to climb this mountain, God never gave up on us. He helped each step of the way—all the way to the top. This has been our financial strategy this last 20 years:

·         Keep missions front and center

·         Stay current in our financial obligations to everyone

·         Do not incur any more debt

·         Keep giving to the Joseph Fund each month

·         Keep everyone informed as to our progress

Our Vision Going Forward!

·         To invest money and resources into ministry to people

·         To implement effective ministries that reach our community

·         To continue to improve our facilities with needed renovations

·         To save for future projects

·         To increase our missions giving in greater capacity

Let Justice Roll Like a River

In St. Louis, Missouri, we are accustomed to rivers. We have the Missouri River that joins the Mississippi, making it the 4th most extensive river system in the world. It’s a big river, and it never stops flowing south toward the Gulf of Mexico. Amos, a prophet who delivered some powerful messages to the people of Judah about 750 years before Christ, talked about a mighty river. One of the illustrations he uses is that of a river. He says, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24). The context for this statement is that justice had become scarce in the land of Judah.

There was so much perversion of justice in the way people treated each other in Judah that it repudiated God. The morality of fairness and equality had disappeared. Honesty and integrity were rare, and cheating, lying, and taking advantage of each other was the norm. When the people went to worship—their worship meant nothing to God. He said to them, “I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps” (Amos 5:21-23). These words carry deep emotion as God rejects their attempts to worship him without their living righteous lives.

God’s solution was that he wanted transformation of their hearts, “But let justice roll on like a river,

righteousness like a never-failing stream!” He wants justice all the time, not just when it is convenient. Justice is not supposed to be a faucet you turn on and off but a mighty river that runs all the time. Justice is not an option with God but a requirement.

Maintaining this kind of integral consistency seems impossible to many people. The truth is that by ourselves, it is impossible, but it is not impossible with God’s help. If we learn to depend on him, he will help us be just and righteous. That means that we always do the right thing. If we fail to do the right thing in life, we own our mistake and make it right. This is what God wants from us and expects from us.