churchremix.com

I had the opportunity to make a new friend this week. Chris and I had lunch with Nathan, a pastor from Rwanda. The three of us clicked instantly. He asked us about church planting in San Antonio and we gave him a short summary of the blessings and the struggles of a new church. “All and all” I said, “We have been very fortunate.” I asked him to tell me his story, Nathan is also a church planter.

Nathan pastored a mega-church (by anyone standards) in Rwanda. I am not sure what you know of Rwanda but in 1994, Her sons and daughters were murdered in a vicious genocide. Over the course of 100 days between 500,000 and 1 million people died.

A few years ago Nathan felt called to leave his established church and plant a new one in an area he says, “Needed a church.” Nathan explained his church was blessed. In Rwanda new churches are not allowed to meet in existing buildings but they had been “blessed” to find a great spot to start their church. They meet under the shade of three mango trees. He explained, with the breeze it’s a great spot. He asked me to tell him more about our church, I graciously declined.

After listening to his story I thought, we don’t know what struggle is and we require far too much of God before we consider ourselves blessed. Over one short meeting with Nathan I realized the exceedingly abundant riches Christ has poured down on The Park.