I was reading a few days ago a couple of articles related to the importance of attending a small church, and I was struck by the way some writers and even pastors of large churches refer in a good way to this subject.

“A lot of people would like to worship in a small church if they could find a good one.

That’s what I keep hearing, anyway”. Karl Vaters.

According to the above quote, the author of this sentence says in his article “Signs of Life: 7 ways to find a great small church to attend and serve”, that it is important not to look for super detailed and even great looking buildings in these small churches, because due to not many members and little financial income they do what they can.

In many of these churches you will find quality experiences, and these are often very different from the big churches, for example you will be able to meet all the members and get closer to them.

In my own experience, I can say how blessed I have been to attend a church of no more than two hundred members. Together with my family, even when we were in Chile, we prayed to know which church we would attend, considering that I attended a large church for a year and a half near where we lived. This church helped us a significantly in the ministry of planting a bilingual church in Lancaster, we had many ties with the pastors and leaders, which could have made our choice simple, but rather, we decided to discern God’s will for our lives and so we did.

In deciding to join Ephrata UZ Church, we believed that God had sent us to fulfill His plan, to “be a blessing to the congregation and together grow in the gifts and ministries God has given us”. It is not that I was ungrateful to the previous church that gave us their support, on the contrary, I met with the pastors of that church and let them know my gratitude towards them, but I also let them know that our decision was based on the following; “We know that in a big church there can be fifty or more people that can do the same as me, but not in a smaller church”, they agreed with me and encouraged me to participate in where God had sent us.

“be a blessing to the congregation and together grow in the gifts and ministries God has given us.” Mick Gonzalez

Once we were installed in our new church, we could see several strengths of this church, one of them was the love for the unreached, not only praying for them but also sending missionaries to foreign places for years and supporting them financially. We have seen their joy in everything daily: the kindness, the gratitude in the simple and the well-being that they give to all the members and to those who are not.

Now I understand why this church is still standing, because it has embraced God’s call to the nations and has made it its own. Whenever I think of a church with great values, I can point to the one I attend, a small church with a big heart.

By MICK GONZALEZ, Equipping pastor of Ephrata UZ Church

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onderful testimony from Danielle Horst, let’s see how “Healing reveals God’s love”.

1. PLAYING SOFTBALL

Last summer I was playing softball, as I do every year, but something happened that doesn’t normally happen.

I was running around trying to catch the ball, when I fell and dragged my ankle. The pain was so intense that I couldn’t stop. This game was special because Micky and his family were visiting and watching the game. Along with my team, Micky came to see what was wrong with me. Immediately Micky suggested praying for me and he began to do so.

Miraculously the pain went away!.

– DANIELLE HORST

Miraculously the pain went away! Micky asked me to write my testimony for the School of Prophetic Ministries, but I was too busy and forgot.

A couple of months ago, I heard Micky preaching at my church and remembered that I had never sent him the testimony. However, after what happened yesterday, I can’t pass up the opportunity to give God the glory.

2. DURING THE MESSAGE GOD OPERATES

Yesterday, God used Micky in my life in a truly miraculous way. Micky and his family were visiting us again this year. And in the middle of the preaching, Micky stopped and said:

“There is a woman here who has sciatic nerve problems” (Word of Knowledge).

Mick Gonzalez

Just as I was impressed with how he knew the word sciatic nerve in English, I thought about how regularly I had sciatic nerve pain. I wasn’t ready to raise my hand and say it was me, as I thought maybe there was someone else in the church with that same pain.

Micky went on and said, “This pain is in your left leg and sometimes it keeps you awake” (Word of knowledge, even more specific).

At this point tears are streaming down my face and my husband leans over to me and says, “Isn’t that the pain you are in?” Micky made eye contact with me and after asking if it was me, I nodded and he Immediately began praying for me and asked the whole church to join him.

A day has passed since then, and although the pain is not completely gone, it is much better than it has been since I started having problems with it!

Several years ago I asked God for a sign, and in His own time He has given me one. Even if the pain never completely goes away, I know without a doubt that God is real, He knows me, He loves me, and He cares infinitely for me, and this applies to all of His children. God loves you more than you could ever imagine.

DANIELLE HORST

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD!

Previously written to Escuela de Ministerios (Mickgonzalez.com)

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