I n N ovember of 1959 Village Mis sions came to the community of Montgomery Creek, California where there was no church or Christian wit ness of any kind. But it wasn’t long before a Sunday school and worship hour were started in an old Grange building. But in the summer of 1961, word came to us that the Grange building had been condemned and possibly would be closed. Where could we meet? was the question to consider. There was no available place. The people» who were approached about building their own church replied, “ It can’t be done; it’s been tried before and failed.” Several months later, at a Rural Women’s Club, the ladies were chal lenged by the need of a church. The Lord had worked in hearts during the time of waiting for the decision of the Grange and now the women were interested. Various projects to raise money for a building fund were sug gested but there were those who felt that if there was to be a church, we must trust the Lord for it. Soon after that, a gift of $5.00 came, marked for the building fund. At first we wondered if we should put this aside and save it toward a future building fund or step out on faith. Thus we had five dollars . . . a vision . . . and God! This was the beginning of the Montgomery Creek Community Church. The Lord led us to look about for a piece of ground that could be bought for a site for the church. We con tacted several people and the last man said: “ If you want the land for a church, I’ll just give you two acres.” Again the Lord showed us how He does “Abundantly above all we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20). This provision of a site we knew was the Lord’s “p r o m i s e ” of a new building. The task of building a church, we knew was too big for
us — but God! The land was surveyed, cleared and a Christian man drew up the plans and gave much-needed information. A committee of men were chosen and step by step materials and work were lined up for the beginning of the actual building. Many times we had to wait longer than we expected for various moves to be made, but always we knew we could trust '.the Lord to complete that which He had begun. A man suggested we could get cull logs from a logging concern in the mountains. When contacted the one in charge, he said, “You can have all the good logs you need for the church without charge.” The men in the com munity hauled the logs into a lumber mill and the owner sawed the lumber for us. When asked for the bill, he said, “You don’t owe me a nickel since it is for the church.” By this time the people who said it was an impossibility to have church at Montgomery Creek were strength ened in their faith. They could see the “ God of the impossible” at work. The work on the building was all donated by the men in the communi ty. When any bills came up, as many
did, the Lord always provided. The Lord also wonderfully provid ed the paint for the outside of the building. We wanted to get this- on before the rainy weather set in. It was painted on Thursday, and Thurs day night it rained! No one but the Lord could have timed it so closely. In May of 1963, we moved into our new building although it was unfinished. As we have kept our eyes on the One with whom “nothing is impossible,” today we are rejoicing in a church building in Montgomery Creek. Imagine seeing a church in a community where there has never been a church! What a great God we 'have! The crowning event came when special meetings were held in the new church at which time the work ing of the Holy Spirit was truly evi dent. Eight adults and fourteen chil dren were bom into the family of God. This was the. result of the fer vent prayers of the Christians and the silent testimony of the miracle church, the church God built in Montgomery Creek. A ll praise belongs to Him who “performeth” all things “unto the praise of His glory.”
MAK ING TIME COUNT
Christ
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FEBRUARY, 1964
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