LOVED BACK TO LIFE
Mike Granger stood at the microphone, voice choking with the effort of holding back tears.
A respectful hush had fallen over the congregation when Pastor Dan invited Mike
and his wife, Rachel, to join him on the stage.
Pastor Dan’s congregation—100 strong and vibrant followers of Jesus—had welcomed the
Grangers into their fellowship six months prior, after Rachel’s heart attack,
after their sending church abruptly cut off their support with words like
“someone more relevant” and “less prone to medical emergencies” ringing in
their ears.
The Grangers had served as missionaries for 30 years.
The support they had raised allowed them to live comfortably in Bangladesh, where they taught local believers who wanted to be pastors and missionaries themselves. The funds they had raised wouldn’t cover the cost of living in the United States again, however…not by a long shot.
“We arrived in your midst battered,” Mike began. “Nearly broken. We felt abandoned and betrayed by our sending church. But you’ve loved us back to health. You’ve given us space to heal and listen to God’s voice. We’re ready now, and we’re looking forward to what God will do in this new season of ministry.”
Mike looked at Rachel and grabbed her hand.
“Thank you,” he whispered, no longer able to hold back his emotion.
Pastor Dan and his wife, who also serve as Standing Stone shepherds, beamed with
loving pride as they shared with the congregation that God had called the
Grangers to a new Kingdom work. They laid hands on Mike and Rachel, praying
over them and blessing their ministry with fruitfulness and joy.
Mike and Rachel sat down alongside the congregation who had loved them well, and I reached for my own wife’s hand, grateful to witness this moment, proud to be part of Standing Stone and see one of our team members caring for ministry leaders and his flock so very well.
Weekly Encouragement
In I Thessalonians 2:8, Paul tells the growing church in Thessalonica:
“We cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”
I’ve always been drawn to this passage. It paints such a beautiful picture of what ministry should be—Christ-centered, personal, loving, joyful. Being present with the Thessalonians, loving them and sharing the Gospel with them pleased Paul. It wasn’t a burden or an obligation. He willingly and devotedly shared his life with the people he served.
We ask Standing Stone shepherds to care for the ministry leaders they serve in the same way. We ask them to be present, to lovingly and joyfully share their lives with the pastors, missionaries, and parachurch workers God brings to them. We ask our shepherds to help ministry leaders pursue wholeness so that not only entire congregations, but entire communities can be transformed. This happens organically when the power of the Gospel shapes a life and ministry.
So please pray for all of us here at Standing Stone, that we might pour out our lives, like the Apostle Paul, to love others back to Life.
