ARTICLE

Are you looking for a place where your faith can truly make a difference? I would like to share a special need we have here in Parry Sound, Ontario. Our church is small, and for a long time, we have been praying for more workers to join us. We believe God is listening, and perhaps He is nudging you to be part of something special.

Many of us have grown up hearing about missionaries in distant lands, but you don’t need to travel around the world to serve as a missionary. Ellen G. White said, “God expects personal service from everyone to whom He has entrusted a knowledge of the truth for this time. Not all can go as missionaries to foreign lands, but all can be home missionaries in their families and neighborhoods” (9T, p. 30). I see this truth every day in Parry Sound.

It can be challenging when there are only a few of us running a church. When one person moves away, it can feel as though we have lost an entire team. Our outreach slows down, children leave for school or work, and others grow older. There is a real risk that the light in our little church will fade. Yet, I have witnessed how the arrival of even one new family can fill a room with fresh energy, new ideas, and hope.

There are many churches across Ontario just like ours. If you are working from home or have a job that allows you to live anywhere, I encourage you to think and pray about joining us here in Parry Sound. You could be the answer to our prayers, and we could be the answer to yours.

God does not always call us to what is easy. Ellen White wrote, “God calls for Christian families to go into communities that are in darkness and error and work wisely and perseveringly for the Master. To answer this call requires self-sacrifice” (9T, p. 33). Yes, it can be difficult to leave a large, busy church with many activities. However, sometimes God calls us to be that spark of life in a small church so that His love can reach every corner.

In a vision, Ellen White saw “jets of light shining from cities and villages, and from the high places and the low places of the earth. God’s word was obeyed, and as a result, there were memorials for Him in every city and village. His truth was proclaimed throughout the world” (9T, p. 28). We want Parry Sound to be one of those places where God’s light shines, but we cannot do it alone.

Will you pray about joining us, even for a year or two? Will you ask God if He wants you to bring your gifts, friendship, and faith to a church that really needs you? If you would like to learn more or even visit us to see if this is where God is calling you, please reach out. You might be the answered prayer we have been waiting for.

Joseph Duchesne

Pastor, Bracebridge and Parry Sound Adventist Churches