The Village Church
When we first started working in Lincoln Village, we knew there would be a lot of areas that needed work. It was easy to look at the community and identify the physical needs including fixing the houses, tutoring the kids, meeting the medical needs, meeting legal needs, and much more. The spiritual development of the community was the challenge.
Paul said in 1 Timothy 4-10, “Now we realize the paramount importance of the spiritual that we labor and struggle for the spirit of this world has blinded those who do not believe and prevents the light of the glorious gospel of Christ to be shining upon them. But God who first ordered light in darkness has flooded our hearts with His light and now we can give all men the knowledge of the Glory of God as we see it in the face of Christ.” The residents of Lincoln Village had been blinded by the spirit of darkness and our ministry could give them the light of Christ. The Gospel is the most important thing we could bring into this neighborhood. That was how their guilt, shame and condemnation would be taken away. That’s where they would be given hope and a future. Sure, there were some people here and there who came to know the Lord but what Lincoln Village needed was a revival – and a revival is what we prayed for. The Lord said, “IN TIME.” And Galatians 6:9 was a verse of encouragement,” Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” For five years we’ve waited for that revival and we’ve waited for this church.
The opportunity to begin the church came one summer when Thor and I were sitting on his front porch and the pastor of the Shiloh Baptist Church and his wife came by on their bikes. I knew them because they had picked vegetables in the fields at Harvest Ministries. He told me they were going to be selling their church and asked if there was any interest in buying it. We went to look at the building and were immediately excited about the possibilities of what could happen and were later convinced God’s hand was in it. There was nothing fancy about the building—it was pretty plain. When we walked into the sanctuary, everything about the inside of the church reminded me of the people that lived in this community. There was a big baptismal with a waterfall drawn on it and I chuckled and thought to myself that somebody thought they knew how to paint. I began praying and enlisted the support and wisdom of Southwood’s leadership. They in turn enlisted the support of Alabama Church Planting Network out of Birmingham who spent time praying in the Village and then gave their affirmation. The really neat part was we did not know where the money would come from, but the Lord provided and the church was purchased without debt.
The next concern and prayer was for the person who would pastor this young church. At the request of Southwood’s Session, I agreed to lead The Village Church for one year until a pastor could be found. Not long after the church was purchased, a young man named Alex Shipman asked me to speak at Decatur Presbyterian where Alex was an intern. After meeting Alex, I asked him if he would be interested in looking at the work being done in the Village as well as if he would be interested in being a part of this new church and ultimately its pastor. Alex and Wyketa came to visit Lincoln Village and felt that it was God’s leading for them to be a part of the church plant. Soon after Alex became the head pastor, families committed to The Village Church (from several different churches in the area) began meeting on a regular basis for a bible study. Our challenge to each of these families was that The Village Church would be a working church where members would not only be fed and shepherded, but they would use their gifts in shepherding others in the community; thereby putting hands and feet on the gospel in Lincoln Village. Now, there are 20+ families who meet regularly at The Village Church. On January 17th morning worship services will begin.
How You Can Help
- Pray for The Village Church—bigger is not necessarily better—pray that we all stay involved in each other’s lives. Pray that we can be effective in the hundreds of people’s lives in this community. Also pray for wisdom in the church leadership—for strength and courage to shepherd the flock.
- Volunteer to do the physical labor at the church—many needs remain involving the church building.
- Volunteer for the summer and afternoon programs held at the church.
- Stop in to worship whenever you have a chance. Services are from 10:30 – 11:45.