God’s Work Beyond Our Walls

During a recent trip to Luxor, Egypt, with Frontier Fellowship, I saw a powerful picture of what God can do through a church that turns outward toward its community.

One day, we walked through a low-income village along narrow dirt roads and between closely built homes. At the end of the road stood a beautiful church building that had been empty for more than 20 years. Although the building was still sturdy and useful, no worship services had been held there for a long time.

Then God called a young Presbyterian pastor from the Synod of the Nile to help bring new life to that church.

His starting point was simple: he paid attention to the people around him. He saw that many families lacked access to basic medical care, so he began offering medical clinics with trained health-care workers and health education. After each clinic, he visited people in their homes. Those visits helped him build relationships and understand the needs, culture, and struggles of the village.

He also noticed that many children did not have adequate school supplies. In response, he began a children’s program that provided supplies and Bible lessons. Today, 60 to 70 children attend each gathering. Through these relationships, the pastor has also begun Bible studies in homes throughout the village, sharing the love of God with families who once had little connection to the church.

This experience challenged me. In the United States, many churches are asking important questions about renewal and redevelopment. One of the most important questions is: Who has God called us to reach?

Yet we cannot answer that question if we do not know our neighbors. It is easy for a church to become focused on its own needs, traditions, programs, and building. Sometimes we work so hard to protect what we have that we forget the people God has placed just beyond our doors.

The church in Al-Udaysaat, Luxor Egypt reminded me that renewal does not begin with a better program or a renovated facility. Renewal begins when we step into our community, listen carefully, meet real needs, and build genuine relationships. As we do, God may show us new ways to serve, new people to love, and a new vision for the church’s future.

May God give us the courage to look beyond our walls and discover what He is calling our church to be and do.

Eric Hoey is the senior pastor at The Presbyterian Church in Henderson, KY and currently serves on The Fellowship Community Board.

These are the expressed views of Eric Hoey and not necessarily broader views of The Fellowship Community.