This piece was originally published in the October Terminus Report. Click here to subscribe to the monthly newsletter.
Terminus global city partners gather every other month for a conference call to see each other and talk through the ministry dynamics in global cities. We spend time looking at Scripture for mutual edification. We work through a ministry challenge/case study that one partner presents to the group. We discuss events, resources, and upcoming activities. It is a highlight on the calendar every time it arrives.
The high point of the meeting is the chance for one church to share what God is doing in their community. A few months ago, two pastors from a majority Islamic country shared about a young professional in the heart of the city who was recently baptized (we will withhold names for security reasons). She was a practicing Hindu, early in her career, and experiencing the emptiness of the workplace and a lack of community. God used her co-worker, who was active in their church, to expose her to the grace of the gospel.
There was no sensational story, dream, or instantaneous conversion. Instead, her pastor explained that after slowly building a relationship and gaining trust, the two girls began talking about life challenges. The co-worker invited her to a church class for those exploring Christianity. The church community had a different spirit, a different ‘aroma’ (2 Cor 2:15). Eventually, she attended services at the young church. The church described a very different God from her cultural upbringing, as well as spiritual practices in worship and rituals of prayer.
Step by step, day by day, she experienced the grace of Jesus taking root in her heart. However, a formal act of faith would mean compromising her family relationships. Unlike those from a Christian culture who gain deeper acceptance in their community when professing Christ, her confession could mean deeper rejection. As she witnessed one of the church’s first baptism services, she trusted Christ for herself. God reached down and extended his grace as she was born again into a new family. She was baptized in the weeks ahead.
The path forward is complex, more complex than we could discuss on the call that day. However, we were all reminded of the great need for a healthy and generous church to walk alongside someone new in their faith. It also confirmed the role of Terminus to support and pray for young churches in global cities.
You are also a deep part of this work. Your partnership extends the ministry efforts of faithful church members like the co-worker God used to bring this young woman to faith. Thank you for your partnership. Pray for this young professional, and know that God is inviting us all to listen to someone in our circle and watch what He might do.