From the May-August 2011 Issue
Ready for Anything?
Luis and Pilar Cano
It was just a few years ago that as a church we saw the need to pray to God for men able to preach and help in the leadership of the church. There were times when I had to attend to the work of the Lord in both Cuenca and Ciudad Real and the distance was another obstacle I had to face, plus this limitation stopped us taking up other evangelistic possibilities. We constantly had to ask other churches to help us.
As I look back now I see how our God has answered our prayers in His own way. Cuenca can walk independently with the help of a man who was a student at EMF, and one of the first converts in the town. In Ciudad Real at the moment there are four men who have been pastors for years and two more who have been elders in different places, in addition to some others who have gifts and desires in this direction. It is necessary to analyze the gifts that are in the church and to investigate the new possibilities that the Lord is opening up, so that we may take advantage of the time He has given us.
Studies in homiletics
It was just a few months ago that we started some studies on homiletics with six of us (right now we are already 11); some of these are from other churches too. We strongly believe in the ministerial calling, that God chooses certain men to whom He gives gifts that they may be able to proclaim with authority the gospel, and the church must acknowledge them in their midst; but we also believe that we have to give the opportunity to others to see if they have that calling and if they can support this ministry.
At the beginning I wanted to start with what is fundamental in this subject, to teach what preaching is and its central place in the church, following, among others, books like “Preaching and Preachers” by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, which EDITORIAL PEREGRINO has published in Spanish. But I discovered that at least those who came at first had read the book, or they agreed with its principles, therefore we passed on to more practical principles and we analyze recent sermons to correct or encourage each other. It is also an opportunity to pray together and commend ourselves into God’s hands.
Wider ministries
Twice a month, with the help of a believer from another church, we take care of a small group that meets in a village about 60 km from us, called La Solana. There is a couple, members of our church, who have been giving testimony for more than 40 years in that place where they live. They open their house to hold meetings and invite their contacts from the village.
Often we hear of churches without a pastor or leadership, as well as some believers in different towns and villages who don’t have churches to meet with.
There have also emerged different ministries in which members of the church are involved, always with the condition that their commitment to the local church doesn’t diminish.
I ask myself about this faithful group of men: What does all this mean? What is God’s plan for us? What does God have prepared for His church in Ciudad Real? What will be the future for these men? Are we all ready for anything? How we would like to say that always we are prepared to give the reason for the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15)!