Pastor Dave's Corner-October 2011
By Pastor Dave Banfield | September 28, 2011
An Old Vision for a New Day
When God called me to Bethel in 1987 He challenged me with Matthew 16:24-26. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? I chewed on those verses both for myself and for Bethel. I came to the conclusion that God was calling us to give ourselves away for Him. With that in mind we took some bold steps as a congregation. We committed ourselves to be an outward looking church rather than an inward looking church. We moved from downtown to our current location with the express purpose of reaching out to the University community. We didn’t have all the answers but we were open. God opened the door for us to get involved with the International Student Office. We began to host a welcome dinner for new international students at the beginning of each term. Out of this we developed relationships that produced spiritual fruit. We also partnered with the campus ministries to support and enhance what they were doing with students. We strived to become a home church for students; to bridge the gap between their experience on campus and in the community. We saw many lives changed and transformed through those efforts.
Over the years God blessed us with steady growth. Our congregation expanded and developed a wide variety of ministries far beyond just reaching college students. We looked way beyond the confines of Mankato and launched a sister church relationship with two churches in Ukraine. God has used that ministry to stretch and challenge us as well as to build the church in Ukraine. We also saw a significant increase in the number of families that attended Bethel, which led to an expanded children’s and youth ministry. To accommodate our growing ministry opportunities we expanded our facilities. We have dreamed together about some day planting another church. We also have dreamed of becoming a regional church that could help other churches be more effective in their ministry.
Over the past several years we have experienced a subtle shift. As often happens when a church experiences significant growth we began turning our focus inward. We have gradually become more focused on maintaining what we have rather than boldly giving ourselves away. I take responsibility for letting that vital vision fade. It is time to turn things around again. I don’t have all the answers but I do know what direction we need to go.
Recently God has given us an opportunity to give ourselves away in a significant way. Beginning on Sept. 27 we will be hosting a 5-week program to help orient new refugees to our community. There is an opportunity for some of us to get involved one-on-one with a refugee family as a mentor. In addition to this there is the possibility that a new group of refugees will be coming to Mankato; the Karen from Burma. These people have historical ties to the Baptist church. We may have the chance to help welcome them into not just Mankato but to Bethel as well. These two opportunities are only examples of ways that we can again give ourselves away for the cause of Christ. There are many more that we want to explore together; some opportunities that we are aware of and many that we are not yet aware of.
I want you to know that I am committed to being used by God to help lead Bethel into a new season of fruitfulness. God has entrusted us with a strategic location to make a major impact for Christ. God is not done using Bethel. There are great things ahead if we don’t give up.
Galatians 6:9-10 (NIV) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
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