Reaching the lost.
If you’ve grown up going to church, you’ve probably heard people talk about Christians reaching out to unsaved people. Every church is called to reach out to people who don’t know Jesus. But never before have I seen a whole church quite as committed to this calling as Causeway Coast Vineyard Church.
This month my squad is staying all together in a Boy Scout Hall in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK. We are partnering with Causeway Coast Vineyard Church and serving in several of their ministries. In our first week here, we learned a bit about the spiritual history of the town and the church here.
Northern Ireland has experienced a lot of religious struggle. Not long ago bombings and fighting in the streets due to religious disagreements were common. Though things are better now, the divide between Catholics and Protestants remains evident. In a conversation I had with some local teenagers last week, I learned that walking down the “wrong” street wearing the “wrong” clothes, (clothes that somehow associate you with a religious background that’s unpopular in that area,) can get you beaten.
A beautiful church right in the center of Coleraine
There is certainly growth to aspire to, but the church I am working with this month is making a huge impact here for Jesus. The goal of every faction of this church is to share and show Christ to the entire community. A few years ago, they decided that every meeting, every Bible study, every Sunday activity, EVERYTHING that happens at this church would be about reaching the lost. The result of this decision has been incredible.
People at this church are practically bursting at the seams with the joy of the Lord. Everyone is so eager to invite and welcome people to the church, and to share Christ with people they meet in everyday life. And every person I have met so far is serving in at least one ministry (without ministers even begging anyone to volunteer to help!).
I have served in several aspects of a large ministry called Compassion, which involves a system of collecting donations to give to people in need in the community (but in really interesting, unique ways that I’ve never seen before). I have also gotten a chance to work in a building called Hope and Gloria, where people can use their creative gifts and talents to glorify God. It houses a vintage clothing shop, work spaces for artists and dressmakers within the church, a room for professional counseling, and more. Most of what is earned is given to various local and international charities. Even the children’s ministry here encourages kids of all ages to pray with expectation and share Christ with their peers.
Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland
Of the ministries I have been involved in, my favorite has been something called “Encounter.” Encounter is a missions course that anyone can take. The pastor of Causeway Coast and other spiritual leaders teach a class once a week, diving deep into what the Bible says about serving and spreading the Kingdom. Then twice a week they meet up for practical missions tasks.
[Keep an eye out for my next blog about my team’s experience working with Encounter.]
Coleraine is a town that can attest to the power of the presence of God. There is wreckage of a building bombed during religious tension in the ‘70s just down the street from the main square, where people from Causeway Coast are found every Saturday praying for strangers in the streets. The believers here are making His presence known, and breaking Jesus out of the four walls of the church building so He can break through the walls of people’s hearts. It is exciting to be a part of this piece of the Church. I can’t wait to get home and put what I have learned here into practice in my everyday life in the States!
Praising God in Portstewart (a nearby coastal town)
