A Vision For Yellow Grass
Two summers ago I had the privilege of visiting the town of Yellow Grass as part of Alberta Bible College’s Youth Alive in Christ program. Along with three other students and a few mission minded volunteers from the local community, we ran a successful week-long VBS with a healthy number of children attending. This past fall I was heart broken to hear that there is currently no church presence in Yellow Grass that is actively focusing on reaching the healthy harvest of young families living there. “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38). At the same time, God was putting similar convictions in the hearts and minds of several others and so began the journey of re-imagining the Kingdom work in Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan.
The primary goal of our ministry is to advance God’s Kingdom in the town of Yellow Grass. Although the specifics of this Kingdom work are still not entirely clear, we are currently focusing on two primary means of doing this: through ministry within the community to children and/or youth, and through a weekly gathering of Christians with the purpose of fellowship, encouragement, and mutual support between brothers and sisters in Christ who share the common goal of spreading God’s Kingdom.
One of my primary concerns is to ensure that the work I do is part of a bigger picture. I do not want to come to Yellow Grass and do ministry for eight months without leaving behind a positive change. For this to happen the people of Yellow Grass must take ownership of the Kingdom work which will take place in their own community. As such, I see an intimate connection between the two different aspects of ministry mentioned above. The people involved in a weekly service will also be expected to be advancing God’s Kingdom throughout the rest of the week. This may or may not happen through the youth and children’s ministry mentioned earlier. What is important is that the specific direction of ministry and Kingdom work in Yellow Grass flows out of the passions and gifts of the people who are living in the community and committed to it long term. Above all let us commit this work to our God “who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20).
- Next: Saskatchewan, Naturally