“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” (Psalm 127:1)
God can open a door for ministry. But standing a church on the other side of that door takes far more than we knew. Taking a single branch church toward a vision of expansion has asked more of me as a leader than I expected. Here is what the first three months in Domboshava have taught us.
1. Everything had to be paid for in advance
At our Easter Conference in Domboshava, a few people gave their lives to Christ. Before that, I had made a promise to the Lord: if He gave us souls, we would plant a church in return. “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it” (Ecclesiastes 5:4). So we started praying and approaching partners who could help with the venue and transportation. Once it was paid for, we set the date. Jesus said a builder must first sit down and count the cost (Luke 14:28). We learned that literally.
2. A mission team
I had a family with a working car and two other people to travel with me for our first Sunday. A mission needs transport fees, and it needs prayer champions. Moses could only win the battle while Aaron and Hur held up his hands (Exodus 17:12). We needed people who could stand against demonic strongholds so that the light would keep burning in that area. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid” (Matthew 5:14). A light is given to a church, but it needs something to hold it in place. That Sunday we prayed for two hours and not one person came through the door. Then the Lord gave me an apostolic strategy.
3. No members
We had followed up the new believers, set up a group, and sent messages saying the church was coming. Only 3 people from that batch showed up. It was hard on my team and me, because we had made calls and given assurances that they would come. Over four weeks we recorded 5 adults and 4 kids. “Despise not the day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10). Once again God gave me an apostolic strategy: go into the streets and win souls.
4. Street evangelism
“Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23). I would step into the church, leave my Bible and notebooks, and approach people passing on the road nearby. I told them about Christ and invited them in. The first two weeks gave us two people. One of them was deeply touched and went on an evangelism spree of her own. The next Sunday she brought 6 people to church. It reminded me of the woman at the well, who “left her waterpot, and went her way into the city” and told the people about Jesus (John 4:28). One touched heart can move a whole community.
5. The team has to stand alone
When the church began to show roots, I stepped back to prepare for our Annual Conference. Paul wrote, “Obey not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence” (Philippians 2:12). That is what we saw. The people committed beyond the pastor. When I returned, it was a church. We had a budding praise and worship team, and my team was building structure and systems. It was looking good.
6. Mission needs resources and a responsible team
Resources matter because they help set up a church’s identity. We had a PA system and a keyboard, but no player. Still, this church was better resourced than where we began at 74 Mugoriondo Road, which was a vision with no resources and just 7 people who loved God and believed what He had shown us. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts” (Haggai 2:8). My team is among the best. Gutu and Praise Bheri did striking work on systems and structure in two months. Like the builders under Nehemiah, “the people had a mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:6).
7. Home visitation
Paul told the Ephesian elders he taught “publickly, and from house to house” (Acts 20:20). I’ve now been into people’s homes twice. Whether we sat on stools, buckets or a sofa made no difference. Having your pastor in your home changes everything. It is spiritual growth for them, and they come to know us beyond the pulpit and the pews. “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks” (Proverbs 27:23). I walked kilometers to reach some of those homes. It gave me a new appreciation for the people who come to church, for the distance they walk, some with babies on their backs.
Where we stand
In three months, we’ve set up a church with promise, through prayer, partners and the providence of the Lord. “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6). We planted. Partners watered. God gave the increase, and He will keep giving it.
If you’d like to pray with us or partner in the work in Domboshava, get in touch with Body of Christ International Church.