I wonder if the plight of so many small, Christian churches and fellowships is at all disturbing to the consciences of Christians today as they drive past with scarcely a glance in their direction on their way to something better.
We all know of church buildings in our neighbourhoods that have been sold off for storage purposes, sold to cult members or those of other religions, or to developers, and we comfort ourselves with the knowledge that the place was decaying and about to close anyway, so it doesn’t matter; life has to move on.
In almost every case, these buildings were erected by means of monies donated, often sacrificially, by the Christians who lived in the area at that time. Their hearts’ desire was for the institution of a shelter fit for the purpose of meeting together for worship and prayer with the ultimate intention of reaching the unsaved and furthering all the work of the gospel in the neighbourhoods in which they were set. Prayer was a vital part of the preparation; foundation stones were laid and churches and chapels were opened to the sound of rejoicing and thanksgiving to God for his provision and wonderful answers to the faithful prayers and entreaties of his beloved people. These places of worship were once treasured, but, from that time on, the buildings have passed into the variable stewardship of subsequent generations.
