Who Despises the Day of Small Things?
Posted in: Go
“Who despises the day of small things?” That’s the question God asked when His returning exiles looked at the small foundation of the new temple (Zechariah 4:10). In their minds, this second temple begun by Zerubbabel was never going to match the splendor of Solomon’s edifice. Furthermore, the enemies of God also chided that he and God’s people were too small to take on such a task.
Those are the questions with which Trinity Valley Church wrestled. How can a small church like us start a church in France? We don’t have the resources for such a project. And, why France – why go to a place where the soil seems so hard for gospel? Why not another country where people are more ready to hear the message of Jesus?
Our journey began last August when our youth pastor, Steve Marshall, approached me about going to France to start a multi-cultural church. Steve had spent his high school years as a missionary kid in France. When he left for an education in the U.S. he vowed never to go back. However, on one trip back to visit his parents he met a new believer, a native French girl in his father’s church. They married. Over the last few years, God has changed both their hearts to return to share Jesus with a nation that for 200 years has turned her back to Biblical salvation.
Part of our process as a church included the prayerful sending of seven leaders to France in January. Our mission was to discover answers to questions and discern the spiritual climate of France. Prayers were offered that we would go into France in a stealth mode – that the enemy would not know we where there. With that covering, we fell in love with the French people and found openness to spiritual things.
On our return, we shared with our congregation that we saw no red flags whatsoever. Although we could only support 10% of the costs, Trinity Valley Church voted to become a sending church trusting that God would help us and Steve in the necessary raising of funds.
“Who despises the day of small things?” is a verse that gets lost in a midst of a greater known and often quoted verse. In the paragraph before asking the pointed question, God tells Zerubbabel, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
In the last eight months, God has brought partners in the form of individuals and churches (both in the U.S. and France) to join in our vision to reach the French people. Because of this, God is expanding our vision. Instead of starting one church in one city, we are praying for the privilege to raise up local French believers to start churches in all the major cities over the next few decades. It will all be by the power of our Father who does not despise small things.
It took Zerubbabel seventeen years to finish the second temple. Would you pray and partner with us for that length of time? We believe the time is right for us to go. We believe the wind of God’s Spirit is blowing in Western Europe. We believe that serving in a post-modern culture will teach us how to better minister here in the U.S. God blesses small things and small churches!
by David Bird
Pastor
Trinity Valley Church, Carrollton, TX
David can be reached at dbird@trinityvalley.org.