Grace Extends in Ryarsh

Professing Christians cannot always get their heads around church planting or revitalisation. Here is an account of how grace is extending in a rural Kent village – Ryarsh.

You don’t maintain an active interest in the spread of the gospel in dozens of places across the country without encountering opposition. Sadly, the opposition is at times from other professing Christians.

You aim to plant in a town or city. They already have churches. Why are more needed? You aim to replant in a village. The church there has died. Why not use the funds accruing from the sale of the chapel in a more strategic place? You aim to revitalise anywhere. Why bother? We are doing as well most other churches. Therein lies the problem.

Sometimes – for various reasons – a work will attract an unusual amount of criticism and the workers more than their fair share of critique. What do you do in such instances? You pray on – because God is sovereign. You press on – because you are responsible.

Funded through gifts via Grace Baptist Partnership and supported through the prayers and practical assistance of Halling Baptist Church, Artur Piotrowski is engaged in the thankless – humanly speaking – task of replanting a church in Ryarsh. However, he continues to pray with joy and expectancy and he continues to press on in an active programme of local evangelism.

Please pray for Artur and others like him serving the Lord in inconspicuous places with limited resources. Pray that professing Christians would be slower to criticise and quicker to help.

Pray, most of all, that the faithful period of sowing would be followed by a fruitful season of reaping.

“For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:15