After getting 3/4 of the way through it I gave up. The author offered no hope. Her perspective mirrored the world’s. What a horribly bleak outlook. Sounds a lot like your movie. And this is the world we need to minister to.

We do need to go out and offer them hope. It’s going to be messy and many Christians want people to be cleaned up nice and tidy before the come through the church doors. There’s something majorly wrong with how we are doing church. We need to go out and climb down in to the muck with them to reach this wondering, wandering hopeless world.

Pastor Brian is busy with family and his church leadership responsibilities. Engedi grew as a daughter church from Central Wesleyan in Holland MI, so their official doctrine is similar. In my conversations with Pastor Brian, I found their focus has come full circle, much like John Wesley himself. Christian life should be about living the Word of God, personally and as a community. In this way, Engedi could be compared to many non-demoninational, or fundamental churches.

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As of this writing we are still trying to launch the coffee shop part. The current economic down turn has shut the lid on start up business lending, but the ministry aspect (we are meeting in our home) seems to be picking up. God appears to be drawing people together who have a heart for the hurting.

Through out this whole ordeal, the main lesson we have learned is that it’s not so much the outcome as the process that matters to God. He merely wants our obedience. Each day we ask, “what are you telling us to do for you?” It keeps life interesting and is growing our faith by leaps and bounds.

I would note that for much of the midwest, his church would not be considered small. I would guess that an average church attendance in the midwest would be under 100. They are good example of a church with a big heart and a big vision. That’s why they are growing!

Blessings!