I learned a lot from preparing and participating in this year’s Arise. Firstly, I learned that God prepares us and meets all our needs. When I was first told that we would be preparing for Arise, I was excited but also filled with fear. I had participated in the past, but I had never been the one who organised it. I had no clue as to where we should begin. I was worried that people would be afraid of participating due to their fear of evangelising. However, God prepared more than enough volunteers, which made all my worries pointless. Not only did the whole outreach team participate, but so many people supported us with prayers and financial aid.
Secondly, I experienced how the church, the body of Christ, transcends even language and culture. Initially, we did not know what to expect or how we should work together with the English church that was already based there. Many of those who participated in Arise were accustomed to practicing their faith in Korean, and so struggled with praying in English, but the Lord removed any barriers caused by language and allowed us to all become one. The love we had for the Lord allowed us to become one without any prejudices. We learned that through the Word and by focusing on His love, we all could become brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Thirdly I learned that God trains and teaches us at the site of evangelism. Rosie, who was a member of the Goldhill church, in her 60s, was incredibly nervous about the Door-to-Door evangelism we were about to begin. Despite this, we arrived at the place we were assigned, and through prayer were given the courage to evangelise. It was then we met somebody called Theresa, who had left the church in the past. Even though it was the first time Rosie was evangelising, through the encouragement of the Spirit, she was able to empathise with Theresa. We all prayed that she would return to the arms of the Lord. The seeds have been sown, and so now we look towards the Lord who will permit their growth.
Finally I continued to think about what a church was throughout the period of Arise. I continued to think of a verse that I like. The church “which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:23). Goldhill Baptist Church was serving the community with through fullness of the Lord. The slogan for the church was “Hub for the community / Heart for the village / Home for Goldhill”, and they were making all kinds of efforts to tackle the problems in the society, and would also offer the church building for to the people to use. It wasn’t just used as a church or a town hall, but a place that was serving the community through the love of Christ. When we knocked on the doors in that community, many were aware of the efforts of the church, and had a positive view of Christians in general.
During this time, we visited many families, and were able to sow more seeds than we had expected to. I believe that the Lord knows the fields in which the seeds were planted, and He will send people who will water the seeds their way.
“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7)
