The Church Is not the Steeple

What does a tribal church look like? Does it have a steeple? A cross hanging at the front of the church? A fancy pulpit? Most likely not. It may have a palm roof, dirt floors and benches made from rough-hewn lumber. But does that make it any less a church? Not at all. And the truth of it is, the church isn’t the building, but the people.

"WHAT A DAY IT IS WHEN A CHURCH PLANTER MOVES FROM HAND-FEEDING SPIRITUAL BABES TO SITTING UNDER THE TEACHING OF MATURE BELIEVERS WHO ARE SHEPHERDING THE TRIBAL CHURCH."

Infancy to Maturity

And it is that precious group of new believers that church planters wrap their spiritual arms around. They feed them from the Word, nurture them, and equip them to lead the church.

What a day it is when a church planter moves from hand-feeding spiritual babes to sitting under the teaching of mature believers who are shepherding the tribal church.

Mark and Joyce Cain know that feeling.

And it only gets better.

Multiplication

In 2013, Mark and Joyce rejoiced when Guahibo believers baptized 17 new believers. And in 2105, they are rejoicing again.

“This morning we got word that through [the Guahibo church’s] ministry of evangelization in another village … they baptized 30 new believers,” Mark and Joyce wrote. “Wow! God is using them for His glory.”

That is the end-result of equipping leaders to lead. Pray for the Guahibo church to continue reaching out to the unreached.