Material Partnership - The Ayers

What does an authentic Gospel-centered Community look like when it comes to material partnership?

Acts 2:44-45 gives us a glimpse of such a community.

“And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”

Sounds nice, doesn’t it? But is that still possible today, especially in Orange County? It wasn’t until coming to the Village Church that I would have told you that it was an ideal, but probably close to impossible. But by God’s grace, my family has experienced this kind of community right here at The Village. Let me explain.

Our family has recently fallen on hard times. Some of the hardest. It really makes no sense how or why we’ve found ourselves in this circumstance. Through these trials we’ve felt a lot of uncertainty as to where to go or what to do. We wondered if we should move and find a cheaper and easier place to live. Was God using hard financial times to move us, even if that meant moving us from a church family that has invested in and loved us so deeply? During these months of waiting and wondering, we’ve asked the Lord many questions like this, wanting answers on our timing. Once again, He is teaching us that His will and timing is so much better than we could ever imagine.

During this time (without us knowing), a few families from the Village Church had been praying for us. This prayer was systematic, intentional, completely self-less, and faith driven. After a few months, a few more families joined in. The Holy Spirit began to move on the hearts of those praying for us.

Then I got the call:

“We want to support you, your family, your mission, and your vocation. What do you need?”

How do you answer that? What do you say? What do you do? Well, I did the normal thing and said we were fine. But this caller was insistent and told me that its the job of the church to support the believers within their church community, and that’s what they intended to do. He told me to read Acts 2 and get back to him.

After reading through Acts 2 a number of times, we got back to him and told him that we were willing to receive help, but that we’d need need help receiving this blessing, to humbly accept that Jesus provides for all our needs, and sometimes through His people. In the end, Jesus helped us, through His people, to receive a gift that was completely unexpected and way beyond what we could have asked or imagined.

These verses come to mind from Ephesians 3:20-21:

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.”

Its been a roller coaster of a ride, but as of today we didn’t have to move away from the church family we love, my family is provided for, we have a roof over our heads, and we have never been so blessed. We feel God’s love and blessing on our lives through the generosity of those at the Village Church on a daily basis. We hope and pray that as Jesus changes us to be more like Him, that we can serve and love others as intentionally and practically as others have loved us.

This truly is an Acts 2 Community. Thank you Jesus for blessing us far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.

- Who at the Village Church can you bless?

- Are you in deep and personal friendships with people where you know their needs?

- Are you praying for God to reveal how He can use you in the lives of His people?

We will never look at the Church Community the same again. We pray you never do either.

- The Ayers family