[I wrote this in November when I was in Ecuador preaching. Figured since we started our core-team sunday gathering this past week,

it would fit to post now.]

The last two days I have been blessed to preach in a small church in an area in the South of Quito, Ecuador. Saturday night I taught the youth, and Sunday night I taught the whole church. The time together was sweet, and it reminded me of Acts 2.42-ff. They meet in the pastor’s home with plastic lawn chairs. There is no sound system, no smoke machines, no lights, not much of anything other than 25 Spanish Bibles, which our group was able to provide. It is simply, yet it is lovely. Each day I have worked on my message in the pastor’s bedroom in a small kitchen table style chair. There is no desk, no wifi (I know, because I scanned for a network to jump on), and no resources but my notebook, my Bible, and the Holy Spirit. During my time of preparation, which is being put off to about an hour or two before I teach due to a very busy schedule, there are woman of the church cooking a meal, which we will partake of together after the message.

The Living Room/Gathering Space!

Also each day there have been kids taking a nap on the bed beside me. Actually the baby, a one month old, just woke up. I tried to rock it (actually not sure if it is a boy or a girl, I hate neutral colored clothing on babies) back to sleep, but I think it wants something I cannot give it. Have no fear, mom just came in and all is good. Anyways, the point of the post is that many times those things we think we need, we really don’t. The different products we must buy to stay current with church trends, are simply only that, a trend, not something that is of necessity.

I wonder what would happen if more churches cut their budget of the fat that they think are necessities, and cut it back to simply preaching about Jesus and allowing the saints to do the ministry. How much more time would those who attend have to pour into their neighborhood, their work or their home? How much more money would we have to plant churches, do world missions, give to those in need when our budget can be cut in half? I guess if nothing else maybe this post will challenge me and my church plant, Redemption Hill, to do more with less. Maybe we can go back to being like the early church. Maybe we can actually be a change agent in our comunity and culture with our time, energy, and money, not just simply do things because they seem good and tend to only impress other believers.