The United Pentecostal Church International’s “Church in a Day” program just completed its latest construction project. The organization has been building churches for over 30 years and it has honed its craft to perfection. They deemed their program “Church in a Day” because they are now constructing buildings from foundation to “turn-key” in a little over 24 hours. The project started out because they found their Bible study groups were growing at such a rapid pace that they needed a larger building to meet.
This reminds me of the short-term mission trip I took to Thailand this past October. We came across church buildings that were built in the middle of the jungles. These buildings were constructed by a group of people that had no idea if the buildings would ever be used. I guess they lived by the adage from a movie with Kevin Costner that said, “If you build it, they will come.”
Consequently, they did come. The pastor that was showing us around the jungles of Thailand happened to be the pastor that was leading the locals to Christ. Once he developed a body of believers and established a leader for that flock, he would then find a church building already constructed but never used.
The two organizations have never met. Yet, one group comes along and builds a church building in a remote part of the world while the other arrives sometime later and teaches the people in those areas the ways of Christ. Is there any doubt that God has a master plan?
“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
