Village Missionary Matthew Deneault saw firsthand the importance of being faithful in the little moments. You can download the story for your own use by clicking the icon at left.
“I wonder how much longer we’ll be here,” was a frequent thought of mine in the spring of 2022. We'd been serving in Cardston for two-and-a-half years, but church attendance was at an all-time low. Several families had recently moved away and nothing we were doing in the community seemed to be making a difference.
NOTHING SEEMED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
I WAS DISCOURAGED
Growing up the son of Village Missionaries, I learned early that ministry is not glamorous. I had seen firsthand how rural churches suffer when families move and how God can turn things around and bring new life. But I was discouraged. In my mind, the church might not survive another year.
In spite of my doubts, two years later the church in Cardston is a thriving group of 35-40 people, young and old, gathering together regularly. What changed?
GOD REMINDED US WHY WE WERE THERE
We were there because we loved the people and we believed that God would be faithful (in His way and His time) to produce growth in the lives of those we minister to. Our part was simply to be faithful and trust God, so we persevered and we turned to the only one who could revitalize the church in Cardston: our faithful God.
We prayed that God would provide us with three new couples/families that year and He did. He was faithful and graciously gave us what we asked and more besides.
Have we had our share of challenges the last two years? Absolutely, but also new opportunities. Today we are involved in ministries we weren’t before. For example, this spring I led four men through the first class of the Contenders Discipleship Initiative & we also began a weekly service at the local care home. All this has been possible, because God is faithful and we, as a church, are committed to faithfully serve Him with what He has given us (whether little or much).
Ministry in rural Canada (and everywhere else) isn't about making something happen; it is about being faithful in the little moments. The Sunday school teacher who prepares a lesson not knowing if she’ll have one kid or 10 that week. The pastor preparing a sermon with the same diligence whether there are two in the pews or 200. The Christian who loves his or her neighbor whether they respond to the gospel or not. These things make a difference because God is faithful to keep His word. We have seen that firsthand in Cardston, and it's why we are so thankful to be a part of the ministry of Village Missions, helping the church in Cardston thrive.
IT'S ABOUT FAITHFULNESS IN THE LITTLE MOMENTS
Matthew & Shanay Deneault serve as Village Missionaries at Christ Community Fellowship in Cardston, AB. They met in Bible college and married in August 2018 before serving as interns with Village Missions for 10 months in Grindrod, BC. Matthew & Shanay have served in Cardston since September 2019. They have two children (and another one due next month). Learn more at christfellowshipcardston.com