Absolutely Clear
Dec 25, 2022 | by The Fellowship
Last weekend, God allowed my family to be part of two events that brought 70 people to Christ. One happened on Saturday when I helped The Fellowship as part of a coalition of Katy churches, non-profits, and businesses to bring Hope for Christmas to an under-resourced community. This event created a Christmas Shopping Mall experience for families that are in need of gifts for their children while preserving the parents’ dignity and encouraging hope. The children are from Sundown Elementary, the most under-resourced elementary school in the Katy Independent School District. This event brought churches closer to these neighbors in need!
More than 300 families registered for the Saturday event. They were greeted and signed in, then children went to an activity area while parents and guardians were taken to a main room. Their two shopping buddies took them to tables where toys were displayed based on gender and age group. Once gifts were chosen for their children, they were led to a gift-wrapping station. The wrapped gifts were then placed in a red plastic bag so that children were unable to see them.
Parents and guardians were then guided to another area where they received a message of the hope that is found in our Lord Jesus Christ. After hearing the gospel, 64 received the gift of salvation through Christ, and many more recommitted to their relationship with Him. After being reunited with their children, they were assisted by volunteers to help carry the red plastic bags to their vehicles, which presented another opportunity for connection and relationship.
Then on Sunday, I also served in a newly developed ministry called Fathers, Sons, & Basketball. This ministry brought more than 60 fathers and sons together to develop their relationships and enjoy an afternoon of competition. They were divided into 12 teams to play basketball. Afterwards, a lesson was shared about humility. The Good News of salvation found in Christ was presented, and six boys raised their hands in response to an invitation to receive Christ.
It was a glorious weekend of witnessing many profess faith in our Lord. I am humbled, overjoyed, and overwhelmed by how the Lord has invited my family into His service. This journey started two years ago 1,600 miles away in the city of Castro Valley, California.
In June 2020, our church started a ten-week study through small groups on Zoom because of Covid. My wife and I were co-leaders of a group comprised of families with young children. Entitled Rooted, the study promised to inspire questions, conversations, and “beyond-what-is-comfortable” group experiences designed to help each participant find themselves in God’s story. This included a time of fasting and prayer. We collectively fasted from food for 24 hours and came together to pray virtually. I had decided to fast for 72 hours. We prayed -- and I sensed our prayers seemed inspired and somehow different from previous prayer sessions.
This experience left such a significant impression on me that I continued to fast and pray. During one of those periods, I felt God impressing me to “move.” The impression persisted and would not relent. I did not want to move and decided that this, whatever it was, would pass.
My family was thriving where God had planted us. My wife and I accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior in 2015, and both of us had respectable careers we expected to retire in. Our home was 15 minutes walking distance from our church. We lived in a very good public school district. Most of our friends and family were within a 20-minute drive. We were experiencing abundant life in Christ, plugged into His church, and serving in many ministries. Why would He want us to move? I wanted to ignore the impression, but it only grew stronger.
I shared this with my wife and asked her to pray and ask God if He wanted us to move. Shortly thereafter she said: “Yes, God wants us to move.” I thought, “You are crazy, too!” Next, I requested my 12-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter to pray and ask God if He wanted us to move. I had not shared my experience with them, nor the impression God gave their mother. I thought surely our children would not want to move as all their friends and family were there. In about a week’s time, both said, “Yes, God wants us to move.”
Still, I wrestled with God! Finally, I shared my dilemma with a brother in Christ. He prayed over me to be convicted with yes or no. In about a week’s time, God’s answer was yes!
Without knowing where God wanted us to go, we placed our house on the market. I submitted my resignation to my employer; we packed our belongings and sold our home. By then, we felt God leading us to Houston and we bought a home in Richmond. In less than two months, we had moved!
All that God did to meet every need once we got to Texas and how He directed us to The Fellowship is another story. But when I have a weekend like the one that just passed, it becomes absolutely clear why we are here. The overwhelming joy of being a part of leading many others to Christ is “Yes” and “Amen” to God’s call for us to move. May His Name be praised forever!
B. S.
For in him we live and move and have our being.
Acts 17:28