A certain friend, who shall remain anonymous, is a big football fan. Well, he thinks he is. The truth is, he never watches any games. He doesn't have the patience for it. Instead, when the game is over, he takes a quick glance at the box score. When his team wins, he's happy. Otherwise... well, I just don't call him then.
In contrast, I love watching the game. The box score means little to me apart from the game itself. Why? Because the box score never tells the whole story. Some of the best things about football just don't appear. There's just nothing like watching the game (especially up close and in person) to know what really went on.
The same can be said of ministry on the Rez. Southern Baptists (for whom I am a proud missionary) are especially adept at keeping score. We keep score of baptisms, salvation decisions, attendance, among other things. It's all important data, helping us to assess the reach of our ministries. But it doesn't tell the whole story.
Such is the case with the recent simultaneous revival efforts (see previous post). Fifty-one teams from Louisiana recently led intentional evangelistic efforts at a variety of Native American sites in New Mexico and Arizona. Sixteen of the teams served in my area. The official scorecard shows that, with 29 of 51 teams reporting, 81 persons trusted Christ as Lord and Savior, more than 150 rededicated their lives to Christ, and 24 teams have entered ongoing partnerships with the churches they served. But so many wonderful things are happening as a result of these events that just do not fit our score keeping.
For example, God is continuing to draw people into Gateway Baptist Church, Window Rock, though the revival meetings ended weeks ago. As Pastor Doyle Hales said, "Many Navajo will not step forward in church to make decisions in front of everyone, let alone submit themselves to a membership vote. Instead, they will wait until the service is over and come to the pastor for prayer." And so it was that, last Sunday, Doyle prayed with all nine members of one family. Only one of the nine had attended the revival. But she later gathered her entire family, bringing them to church Sunday. According to Doyle, they are not saved yet. But they intend to keep coming. The best part: they drive 70 miles one-way for church. When they come to Christ they will be among the first Christians in their community. Pastor Doyle says something similar has happened two other times since the revival. And no one would know if we only read the box score.
I can tell you many stories like this. Some of the greatest works of God here just do not fit our traditional means for score keeping. But that's OK. We know He's working.
Please keep Gateway Baptist, Window Rock, in your prayers. Pray also for our ministry partners, that even if the results are not great according to our traditional scorecards, they will see how the Lord is using them to expand His kingdom. Finally, keep Karen and me in your prayers as we help our churches. May the day come when all the planting and watering finally bears fruit.
To His Glory!
Jim
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