Remember the saying, “April showers bring May flowers”? I remember my mom always saying this when we would complain about all the rain as the weather in northeast Ohio would finally start warming up. All we could do is sit there and watch the rain coming down, just wanting to go outside and play after being stuck inside during the cold winter.

    

As a homeowner and gardener, I now appreciate that saying as the spring rains give our plants and flowers the much-needed boost of moisture to allow buds to turn into blooms!

 

 In my previous blog post, I presented the question, “Is PHBC a scrappy church?” Do we believe God is not done yet with PHBC and what changes need to be made for us to propel into the next era of ministry in our community.

 

Thom Rainer, in his book Scrappy Church, suggests these are some preparations necessary to be a church looking to overcome status quo and reach out for the sake of the Gospel:

• Believe God still has a plan for them – We are at 9871 West Ridgewood Drive in Parma Heights, Ohio for a reason. We need to focus on what God has already chosen for us to do.
• Turn to prayer for a turnaround – Acts 2:42 says “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers.” Prayer cannot be an afterthought in worship, growth groups, ministry initiatives, or anything else associated with the work we are doing.
• Celebrate the presence of other churches – We should not compare PHBC to other churches, but embrace our fellow believers and celebrate the work we are collectively doing to build the church of Jesus Christ. We need to view other churches as our allies in the mission of carrying out the Great Commission.
• Greatly increase efforts on outward focus – We need to devote enormous resources of time, finances, and energy to the Great Commission. Jesus commanded us to “go”, not “stay and wait”. The more we devote to outward focus, the more people will come to know Christ and be a part of PHBC’s mission of helping people find and follow Jesus Christ.

 

We all desire for the church to grow with new believers experiencing a vibrant walk with Christ. But we have to remember that this beautiful flower will only appear after it is well watered through believing, praying, celebrating others, and focusing efforts on those outside our walls.

 

So are you willing to be a part of making it rain?