Life after losing everything
They lost everything. After years of effort and offerings to buy land and build and maintain a worship facility, they lost it all when their pastor began teaching false doctrine, leading a majority of members to side with him. The 27 remaining members were left without a church building. But in the midst of hurt and loss, they faithfully gathered in a home for worship just days later and were reminded that they still had everything. God was still with them. In Christ, they still had Godās grace and peace and a heavenly homeāand no one could take that away from them. Even as wanderers, they still had the same mission of growing in Godās Word and working together to share Godās saving love.
Twelve years, a vacant house, and two leased facilities later, many of those who attended that first service can still be found worshiping and working together at Cross of Christ. And God has added even more. By God’s grace, and the generosity of his people, the congregation now owns a piece of property along a major road in the fastest-growing part of Las Cruces, N.M., and is working toward building a permanent facility. But that hasnāt come without its challenges either, including a prolonged property trade and months of waiting for a flood zoning redesignation.
As we now begin working with an architect, many questions weāve been asking for months donāt have clear answers yet: Exactly what kind of a facility will we build? In what ways will we use our new facility to expand our gospel ministry and outreach? How will we fund our project with current increasing costs? When will we even be able to break ground?
Nevertheless, the reason for our project is clear: Weāve been so blessed, and we want to use Godās gifts to us to create more opportunities to share the saving message of Christ with more people, both now and in the future. We want to bring the good news of Jesus to those wandering through life without the certain hope and peace that we have. We want to reach more people who are at a loss as to who Jesus really is or are growing weary in their faith without a church family to build them up in Christālike Cat, our newest member, pictured above on her Confirmation day.
She lost everything. Her husbandās stroke left him as a quadriplegic for six years before taking his life. Medical bills left her bankrupt. Lupus later damaged her strength and mobility. Then this summer, a wildfire destroyed her home and belongings. But through these losses, God led her to meet our member Hilda, who showed her the kindness of Christ, invited her to join us for worship, and even gave her a ride.
āI was scared and alone and felt very far from God,ā Cat says. āNow I see that God has used all these storms to bring me to the next step in his plan for me, bringing me closer to him than ever before and connecting me to my new church family. I have a deeper understanding of Scripture and of how God has used the challenges and tragedies in my life to bring me to a place to glorify him. His light can shine brightly through all my broken pieces.ā
Despite the continuing questions and new hurdles that are sure to come for our congregation and in our building project, we remain both confident and excited. No matter what happens, God will be with us, and heāll keep doing what he always doesāturning challenges into opportunities, tragedies into blessings, and loss into gain.
And in him, we have everything.
Written by Rev. Nathanael Jensen, home missionary at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Las Cruces, N.M.
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