The Hardware Store Church
We live in a big country. Sometimes we forget how much wide open space there is in the United States of America. You need to only drive a few miles outside of your town and you can find thousands of acres of undeveloped land. We have often celebrated the wide open spaces in the mountains, the Great Plains, the vast deserts that we enjoy. We have become a land of large retailers. We are the land of Walmart superstores, Sam’s Club, Costco, Home Depot, Lowes. We enjoy an abundance of food with restaurants featuring multipage menus, or buffets as long as a football field. We have become a land of mega-churches. Ten’s of thousands meet in vast arenas with multimillion dollar budgets and large staffs with a multitude of ministries.
In this mega size land, is there a place for small stores, small restaurants or small churches? In the land of Home Depot and Lowes superstores do we need a local hardware store? Make no mistake, I spend a lot of time and money at Home Depot. However there is something special about our local Crane Hardware Store. When I walk in I am greeted and receive personal help from someone that I recognize. There have been times that Home Depot and Lowes did not have what I needed. I went to Crane’s Hardware and they had it. I know I am going to find what I need, it will be of good quality, and I will get personal attention. It has a history and it would be missed if it were closed. Jonesboro needs Crane Hardware.
There is something special about the small restaurant, the small hardware store, and the small church. Zion Hill has always been a small church. It doesn’t have everything that you would find in a mega-church. However it does have solid Biblical teaching, good music, authentic worship, friendship, people who know you. You have the opportunity to know and support missionaries from around the world. The small church is the Hardware church. You will receive personal attention. You will find what you need. In a small church you will be able to use your gifts and abilities. You will be able to make a difference. Every community needs a small church. Come and be part of one.
October 27, 2024