There is a side to the story we don’t talk about often. You’ll read in the Witness about pastors accepting a call to a new congregation. You’ll read about RP families moving to a church-planting situation. You’ll read about someone deciding to do long-term mission work.

But for every such action, is there an equal and opposite reaction? For every person going to a new RP church, is there a person-sized hole left in the old RP church? For every congregation rejoicing about a new pastor, is there a congregation bereft at saying goodbye to him?

In this issue, we read about a call for people to consider moving to the Northeast United States, the most post-Christian region in the U.S. The need there is palpable. And we can easily think of other regions and mission fields where there are crying needs.

It is a grand thing when God calls people to places of great need and when those people heed His call. God’s Word shows us that this is kingdom reality. And it’s good to make our needs known to God and His people; because God is often pleased to answer through our requests. This also helps curb our tendency to self-reliance.

There are practical reasons, too, for making needs known. The lack of it can signal spiritual malaise. If you aren’t calling the people of your own congregation to the vital work to be done, don’t be surprised if they go elsewhere. If your reason for wanting people to stay or for new families to move in is to keep things “steady as she goes,” don’t expect an enthusiastic response. Young people, in particular, want to take part in turning the world upside down for Christ, not in maintaining your church’s bricks and budget.

What can you do to meet today’s need for new churches and missions as well as fill the need for more people to minister in your own church?

1) Spread the good news—intentionally, actively, regularly. Train young people in sharing the gospel and mentor them. Pray for the lost. Spend a lot of time outside your church building doing ministry.

2) Disciple. Focus on your covenant children. Help them see how they can serve now, as well as in the future. Don’t teach by words alone; include them in the work where possible and help them learn how to teach those less mature.

3) Encourage and train leaders. If we are to have more congregations and more missions, we will need more leaders of all types. This also prevents the sense of merely shuffling the names in the RPCNA directory when pastors accept new calls.

3) Stretch yourself through giving. The RP Church cannot reach all the places (like the Northeast) that are bereft of the gospel if we stay limited to the people and places where we already have churches.

4) Continue to make needs known and to pray knowledgeably. While you should expect to be a “sending” congregation, you should also pray in faith that God will bring some for which you are putting out a call—not to maintain your status quo but to turn your town upside down for Christ.