Small Church, Big Impact // Maine
The Impact of One "Middle of Nowhere" Church
Anyone who has driven to Abbot, Maine—population 600 or so—knows that it is a long way from anything. There are no traffic lights, gas stations or large stores. The county is the poorest in the state and has the state’s highest unemployment.
Yet over the past 20 years, Abbot Evangelical Free Church has sent out short-term missions teams to more than 40 countries. The church has even partnered with a nondenominational missions-sending agency based in the area.
In 2003, this church of 125-150 people adopted an unreached people group in Northeast Africa. Through Skype, they facilitate cooperation between multiple missions groups for this outreach, and in 2011 they will host the annual “U.S. partnership meeting” in Abbot. Already, the partnership has seen 30-40 become Christians where there were none before and helped fund projects such as a JESUS Film translation in the To-Bedawiet dialect.
Photo: Martha Maines
Just as exciting is their passion to reach the spiritually lost in their own community. Back in 2005, the EFCA’s New England District developed a leadership-training module called “The Greenhouse.” From that training, Abbot EFC members caught the vision of each person getting involved in a “ministry of presence” in their community and workplace.
Church people are now heavily involved in the planning and activities of three major area festivals—to the delight of local community leaders. A strong local-missions team regularly brainstorms how to share the gospel from these contacts.
This summer, for example, they used the colors of the wordless book to face paint at festivals, opening many opportunities to naturally share the gospel. The daughter of a town official became a Christian, which is a big deal for any small town. When they initially encountered push-back for their witnessing, the congregation’s boldness increased.
These initiatives are not coming from Pastor Ray Beless. He sets an example by being chaplain for the area hospital and police, but otherwise he does a lot of encouraging. “You can’t see a miracle if you don’t get out of the boat,” he says regularly.
Abbot, Maine, may be a long way from anything, but Evangelical Free Church believers there aren’t remote at all from what God is doing.
Neal Laybourne also lives in New England and is challenged by the way God has opened so many missions doors for Abbot EFC after members started to pray fervently for their own spiritually lost adult children.
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Small Church, Big Impact: Maine
Anyone who has driven to Abbot, Maine—population 600 or so—knows that it is a long way from anything. There are no traffic lights, gas stations or large stores. The county is the poorest in the state and has the state’s highest unemployment.
Yet over the past 20 years, Abbot Evangelical Free Church has sent out short-term missions teams to more than 40 countries. The church has even partnered with a nondenominational missions-sending agency based in the area.
In 2003, this church of 125-150 people adopted an unreached people group in Northeast Africa. Through Skype, they facilitate cooperation between multiple missions groups for this outreach, and in 2011 they will host the annual “U.S. partnership meeting” in Abbot. Already, the partnership has seen 30-40 become Christians where there were none before and helped fund projects such as a JESUS Film translation in the To-Bedawiet dialect.
Just as exciting is their passion to reach the spiritually lost in their own community. Back in 2005, the EFCA’s New England District developed a leadership-training module called “The Greenhouse.” From that training, Abbot EFC members caught the vision of each person getting involved in a “ministry of presence” in their community and workplace.
Church people are now heavily involved in the planning and activities of three major area festivals—to the delight of local community leaders. A strong local-missions team regularly brainstorms how to share the gospel from these contacts.
This summer, for example, they used the colors of the wordless book to face paint at festivals, opening many opportunities to naturally share the gospel. The daughter of a town official became a Christian, which is a big deal for any small town. When they initially encountered push-back for their witnessing, the congregation’s boldness increased.
These initiatives are not coming from Pastor Ray Beless. He sets an example by being chaplain for the area hospital and police, but otherwise he does a lot of encouraging. “You can’t see a miracle if you don’t get out of the boat,” he says regularly.
Abbot, Maine, may be a long way from anything, but Evangelical Free Church believers there aren’t remote at all from what God is doing.
Neal Laybourne also lives in New England and is challenged by the way God has opened so many missions doors for Abbot EFC after members started to pray fervently for their own spiritually lost adult children.