What do numbers mean

Lets talk about church...

     Growing up my family generally gravitated towards the smaller churches, it is what I became comfortable in. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying large churches aren't effective/alive/ or any other stereotypical comment out there. This isn't a post about how precious community is in a small church and how every one is so real when there is less than 50 people. In fact I have seen many large churches alive with the power of God doing great things and many small churches divided by hypocrisy and small group schedules. Instead I am stating I got comfortable in small churches because my parents attending them as I grew up. A church can be a healthy church at 20 people and at 2,000 people.. it becomes our personal responsibility to create community and culture in our church home.

    So what happens when you have a place where people don't know healthy community and don't understand the culture the Bible sets as example for the church... When the few are outnumbered by the many, and when the many don't understand God. The result is a lot of un-healthy or dying churches.  The end is congregations struggling to stay afloat, not even able to comprehend growing even though they have the desire.

   We talked with the UK director of GEM while back about how preparing was going and how we we praying for England. We shared that sometimes our biggest struggle is to get people to see the need in England. This led us to talking about churches. You see like us, and England is like us in many ways, it has both big and small churches.. well it did.

    Except that in England

  church attendance has dropped by 37% in the last 20 years 

leaving the 

average size of a church to be 28 people.

of the 40,000 churches in all of the UK, 

80% are dying... 

this means they 

haven't seen growth in the last 5 years.... 

Think of your church, whether big or small...  when was the last time you saw a new family? I know at my church it happens almost weekly..... So why not there?

    We talk about the fact that

6% of people in England attend church.. 

well the reality is if you took foreigners out of that it would be 

more accurate to say that around

  1.5% of English people attend church.  

When we were talking with the GEM director we still felt that was a high number for the few number of people who attend church in the area we are going to. He said it was. 

In fact, in the area we are going to it is probably more like

  .4% attend church

...... (don't miss the . before the 4)  

Think of your church.. now erase everyone but .4% of people...  that would be crazy to think about. I constantly run into Christians when I am around town, people I know from my church or other churches I have connections too. I couldn't imagine not having that fellowship we are blessed by..  So why don't they have it? 

 These facts we found out are numbers, numbers that we hope stop you, that maybe break your heart a little. Numbers, that we could easily just read as percentages I want to challenge you to see the people they represent.  Then take that heart, that thought, that understanding and I challenge you to pray.  Pray for the churches and the people in England. Then share the need that is there. Share with your family, colleagues, friends, Bible study, about the need and the ministry that we are trying to start to reach the other 99.6 percent in the area. Then love and support. Love the church family God has given you here, support the body and the people in your whelm of influence. Be grateful for the blessing you have because there are Christians all around the world, yes even in places that look like here, that don't have the support base you have, that you may have been taking for granted.

Only a week???

It is summer... that means a lot in the Mayer household....  mainly that Megan is home all day now, Eric doesn't have to cook as many dinners :) and they both tend to stay up later..  It also means we are fundraising full time! Well Megan is, Eric still is working part time and completing his second class at GU. 

We have prayed and fasted for this summer and are seeking after God to see a mighty move in our ministry preparation.  So much has already happened and it has only been a week!  

Let me tell you we started off Summer break with my wedding ring breaking (that was a week ago) and they told me it would take 3 weeks to fix. I turned to Eric yesterday and asked if we could go pick it up.. that's how busy and fast this past week has been... felt like 3! But all in a very good, blessed way. 

We started our summer traveling up to Norway, MI. We were invited to share at New Covenant Church through one of our partners. Norway, for those of you who don't know, is where Eric's grandparents live and his mom grew up. 

We shared at their first service, which met in a cabin in the middle of this little wooded area. It was so neat to worship God in the midst of his creation. It was such a wonderful time of worship and then we were blessed to share again at their second service, in town.   It was such a blessing to meet the wonderful people up North there, we were so encouraged by their passion for missions and desire to see a change happen in England. Eric's parents came with us and took some pictures of us sharing during both services. 

After that we were blessed to return up there the following week to visit with Eric's grandpa and meet with some people to discuss partnership. While up there we were able to introduce ourselves to three more churches. God has really been moving in such an amazing way by connecting us with a number of churches.

  Then on Wednesday we went down to Milwaukee to meet with a newer church in the area that is reaching out to the 'un - churched' in their area. We met with one of their leaders as they are starting to look at the possibility of partnering with different missionaries.  We were amazed by their ministry and how they are reaching out to their neighbors who haven't grown up in church or know all the ins and outs of it but are looking for something meaningful. It was great because we saw what we wanted to create in England. A church where you could come meet God, even if you didn't know 'how to do' church.

  By the weekend we were exhausted but we had one more trip to make. We were headed back to Milwaukee to see my Dad for Father's day and to take Eric to his first professional baseball game.  He loved it!!!!!!  Even though they lost :( it was the first ever faith night at the stadium and we got to enjoy a Mercy Me concert after the game with my family before driving up to spend some time with Eric's dad. It was a great, but tiring, end to the week.

Teaching our heart

 

     We were so blessed by the opportunity to share not only our mission but our heart with the students of Providence Academy.  We went to talk about the youth in England who didn't really have a place in the church, about the people who don't know about God's love, and the discipleship ministry we want to start. 
                                                        

         It was really neat to watch Eric teach about the percentage of people who attend church in the UK vs the students in the school. He had all the kids stand up who attended church.. it was neat to see the whole assembly stand. Then after having them all sit down he shared that around only 6% of people attend church in England. At this point he had only 6 kids stand. To see the shock and sadness on the faces of these kids (aged 6 -11 year old) was something I will never forget. They were astonished that so few people went to church and were concerned about how the others would learn about God. My heart was so blessed to see their hearts hurting for what breaks God's heart.  

We were able to also about missions in general and to challenge them to be missionaries in their own community, with their friends and family.  It was great to have the kids ask questions about England and our ministry. It was even better to hear the stories they shared about loving their friends and how their families shared about God.   

It was one of my favorite experiences !  

Quick update

Hi guys. I know I just wrote today but this is something we wanted to share with our prayer partners.  

Please read this report on the most recent terrorist attack in the UK and join us in prayer. 

The next few steps....

    These past few months have felt different, felt like preparation, you know the type of season right before big things happen.  We have seen God move in such mighty ways as He continues to mend together the path we are to follow to England. As He forever increases our heart and passion for the community in Somerset He is connecting us with people to encourage us and help us reach out to more people.

   We were so blessed to have an advocate meeting setup for us in Watertown where we were able to meet some amazing people who have such a heart for missions. It was so encouraging because as we prayed and fasted for the meeting we had no idea what to expect. When we showed up in the tiny coffee shop we were so encouraged. Not just by the number of people who showed up (almost double what we expected) but by their excitement and heart for the young adults in England and missions in general.  We were so encouraged after that weekend of fellowship.

  But God....   oh what a wonderful phrase that is, but God, it changes things, it magnifies things, it takes impossible and makes it done, it takes unimaginable and makes is done... that phrase changes lives and situations....  But God wasn't done encouraging us on this trip. On the drive home (not long maybe 2hrs) we planned to stop for lunch.  I fell asleep but when I woke up Eric asked where I wanted to eat. I saw a sign for Pizza Ranch. For those who know me well - you know I don't do pizza (yeah I am that type of person) unless it is like 11 at night and from a specific pizza place.  But that day I saw the sign for Pizza Ranch and it was all I wanted.  So we went (Eric really likes pizza!)

 It was in that simple action that God created a scenario to encourage us and strengthen us in our journey.
As we sat down at a table Eric went to get food and I got settled in. A nice lady walked by and got her purse caught on my chair. She said I looked familiar and we started talking. Eric and I got to spend the whole lunch sharing with this amazing couple, talking about our ministry, the need in England, and just the church in general. It was such an uplifting time for us. We were so encouraged that God would create that little blessing just for us.

Today I encourage you to be blessed by those little moments God puts in your life to encourage you.

Megan :)

I want to share a verse with you from Job. It comes at the end of the book - after Job went through the loss and pain; after he questioned his purpose and the meaning of life; it was after he listened to the nagging and complaining of his friends and wife; it came right after God revealed His character to him. In Job 42:2 we see Job come to a conclusion -  a fact that he could hold onto based on all he saw and experienced.

“I know that you can do all things,
    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted."

Wow! What truth. Especially when we take into account everything Job lost, all his plans that fell apart, and how utterly hopeless and lost he felt. Sometimes I need to hear these words in the stillness of my own heart. I need to proclaim them through the loud noise of disappointment, fear, or loneliness. Sometimes I need to meditate on the truth of God's character so I can understand the power in this verse as I wait for His will to be done.

Do you need to hear this? Do you need to grasp the essence of the God who can do all things?

I remember I was getting ready to go on my first mission trip overseas. Only my second time on a plane, I was nervous. I had never flown on my own, let alone left the safety of this continent and family within a days journey. So I gathered my new passport, my printed tickets, and my list of numbers for the american embassy and stuffed them all in my new shiny passport holder. I was nervous about the two heavy suitcases I packed; one full of medical supplies for the orphans at the small orphanage I was to serve at and the other full of clothes and bug nets for the 5 week stay in South India. (That's right - to my parents fear I was leaving on my own for the first time to serve by myself in the south part of India, near Chitoor.). The Sunday before I was to leave I signed on to the plane's site and looked up the luggage restrictions. In doing so I learned something else that was very important. Apparently passports require visas for certain countries.  This was news to me, I didn't hear about it from the pastor I was going to serve with or the travel agent that helped me book all my tickets.  Instead I found out 6 days before my flight was to take off, which is around 2 months and 24 days less time than a rushed visa request would take. I talked to a number of embassies that night, racked up quite a phone bill, and found a place in Chicago I could drive to and hopefully try and expedite a visa.

Lets pause in this. Because before I tell you what I all did you need to know how I felt. Because I was at a loss - and everything that I thought was supposed to happen came crashing down. Nothing looked right.

          In my head I had ruined all of God's plan and nothing was going to work.

But if I would have listened to Job - I would have remembered that God's planned can not be thwarted.
In this moment I wish I would have leaned on the understanding that God is bigger than my mistakes, that He doesn't overlook the details. If I could have kept that in my line of vision - I could've spent the next week being amazed at God's provision instead of scared for my planning.

God did come through - My dad and I drove the 4 hours to get to the visa office, turned in my passport and were told that with out a doubt I should cancel my flight. Never have they had a visa come back in a week. The next day I got a call to come pick it up!

God is good, yes, but He is also big and in control. Remember that today, that He is in control and can do all things. Do you really live out your life believing that He is in control enough that what He plans can't be interrupted?  This is what Eric and I are learning to do every day as we wait for His plan to come together so we can leave. It is in our nature to feel like it is all up to us - and we have to help God. But he is in control and He can do such amazing things in your life.

<3

Learning to Wait

       

         Not getting to do something is hard, not getting to do something you really want to do, when you want to do it is even harder... just watch any two year old who hears the word 'no'.  As we grow up we accept that sometimes we can't do what we want.. like petting the raptor at the museum exhibit. Sometimes though something happens that is harder than hearing no. Sometimes we here wait.

Waiting is hard... as people we don't like to wait. It is normally seen as something negative. To a generation that enjoys microwaving over slow roasting we think waiting for something is a waste of time.

I disagree... or at least I am learning to disagree.

We were blessed to have a chance to go on a vision retreat for our marriage and ministry. During the trip we took time to seek God. Our big question .... what month will you send us in.  His answer...  Well lets say I felt a lot like Job when God spoke to him saying 'Who are you to question me' then went to describe exactly who He is. But of course God does it with more love and grace than I can put into this blog.  He took us through Job and Genesis (funny enough since our trip was to the Creation museum) and showed us how He laid the foundation of the earth and tells the waves when to stop. That only he can control the animals and knows the stars, Then He reminded us of the truth that He is our creator and provider. That His ways are more than ours but in them he will care for us.


    We were blessed to have a chance to go on a vision retreat for our marriage and ministry. During the trip we took time to seek God. Our big question .... what month will you send us in.  His answer...  Well lets say I felt a lot like Job when God spoke to him saying 'Who are you to question me' then went to describe exactly who He is. But of course God does it with more love and grace than I can put into this blog.  He took us through Job and Genesis (funny enough since our trip was to the Creation museum) and showed us how He laid the foundation of the earth and tells the waves when to stop. That only he can control the animals and knows the stars, Then He reminded us of the truth that He is our creator and provider. That His ways are more than ours but in them he will care for us.

Our heart and passion is to be in England today.. but God is saying wait till I send you.. just a little longer... but in this season of waiting don't despair.

The best part of being a Christian is that when we are waiting for God to take us to the next step, we are never waiting alone. We are not, though it may feel like it, waiting alone for God to come back and remember where He left us. Instead He is with us in our waiting, showing us what we can learn and need to know before we can move on.

So we are approaching this season of wait - as a season of grow. We are so excited for everything God is teaching us during this time...