Small Church, Big Impact // Iowa
One Church That’s Even Bigger Than Its Community
Some think that the biggest happenings of a church occur on Sunday morning, but not so at Arthur Evangelical Free Church. It’s located in the tiny town of Arthur, Iowa (population 209), which used to be the “popcorn capital of the world.” God is powerfully using this church of 130-135.
Amazingly, the church sees 35 percent more people attending its Wednesday night AWANA and youth group meetings (175-180 currently) than its Sunday morning services. On “family nights,” more people come than make up the population of the entire town.
Photo: Jenny Buehler
All but one or two families in Arthur send their children to the church’s youth gatherings. As a result, the town council shifted Halloween trick-or-treating a few years ago so it would not conflict with what Arthur EFC was doing for the community.
But it’s not simply that the community comes to the church; the church is deeply involved in its community. This year they handed out 6,000 free bottles of water at area parades with information on Vacation Bible School and sponsored 50 youth to go to Christian camp, many of whom were not from the church.
Quarterly, they sponsor a “Widow’s Dinner,” which is attended by up to 140 women from the area. Some men in the church take the day off work just to provide “valet parking” for them. When one of the two employers in town laid off a sizable number, the church sent a letter through the company offering free food. Through the miracle of God’s multiplication, Arthur EFC was able to provide almost $400 worth of food for those who requested it.
When you plant lots of seeds, you’re likely to see a great harvest. According to Pastor Glen Lozier, the congregation has been planting spiritual seeds for 125 years.
As Glen says, paraphrasing Ephesians 3:20, “We’re seeing God do big stuff.”
Neal Laybourne lives in a small town in Vermont and gets excited about a church that can give out almost as many water bottles at parades as there are people in its whole county.
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Small Church, Big Impact: Iowa
Some think that the biggest happenings of a church occur on Sunday morning, but not so at Arthur Evangelical Free Church. It’s located in the tiny town of Arthur, Iowa (population 209), which used to be the “popcorn capital of the world.” God is powerfully using this church of 130-135.
Amazingly, the church sees 35 percent more people attending its Wednesday night AWANA and youth group meetings (175-180 currently) than its Sunday morning services. On “family nights,” more people come than make up the population of the entire town.
All but one or two families in Arthur send their children to the church’s youth gatherings. As a result, the town council shifted Halloween trick-or-treating a few years ago so it would not conflict with what Arthur EFC was doing for the community.
But it’s not simply that the community comes to the church; the church is deeply involved in its community. This year they handed out 6,000 free bottles of water at area parades with information on Vacation Bible School and sponsored 50 youth to go to Christian camp, many of whom were not from the church.
Quarterly, they sponsor a “Widow’s Dinner,” which is attended by up to 140 women from the area. Some men in the church take the day off work just to provide “valet parking” for them. When one of the two employers in town laid off a sizable number, the church sent a letter through the company offering free food. Through the miracle of God’s multiplication, Arthur EFC was able to provide almost $400 worth of food for those who requested it.
When you plant lots of seeds, you’re likely to see a great harvest. According to Pastor Glen Lozier, the congregation has been planting spiritual seeds for 125 years.
As Glen says, paraphrasing Ephesians 3:20, “We’re seeing God do big stuff.”
Neal Laybourne lives in a small town in Vermont and gets excited about a church that can give out almost as many water bottles at parades as there are people in its whole county.