Collateral Blessing

Surprised by Unintended Renewal . . .

I think most of us are aware of the phrase “collateral damage.” It refers to the unintended and unfortunate results of an aggressive act, usually of a military nature, where people other than the target get hurt.  But when Ken Quick, Blessing Point’s Director of Consulting, shared the following story with me, the phrase “collateral blessing” came to mind.  A “collateral blessing” would be the unintended and unanticipated good that occurs while embarked upon an altogether different mission (only from a human perspective—God had it planned though!).  Read on and see if you don’t think so too.

Ken was consulting a couple weeks ago with a church in Pennsylvania and had just finished leading them through a Healing the Heart of Your Church seminar on a Saturday morning.  During this seminar, participants review case studies of churches with which we have worked in the past, one of which is Cross Keys Community Church. Ken tells their story in his book Body Aches.  The church responded obediently to what Jesus said to them, and has now become a thriving body of believers led by their gifted, courageous pastor, Allen Joines.

The church of Ken’s recent seminar was located near Cross Keys, and, during a break in his presentation, a young man approached Ken stating that he had left Cross Keys after having a problem with the pastor.  Ken was at a loss as to how to counsel this young man and wasn’t sure how to help.  But the Holy Spirit brought the young man under conviction during the next part of the seminar, and he went out and called Pastor Joines. He asked the pastor if he might come and ask his forgiveness and then ask forgiveness of the church.

Pastor Joines welcomed this willingness to make things right and wondered if he might come to church the next day, which the young man did.  It turns out that the issue which caused the rift was a major church decision with which he disagreed and, for several years, he resisted attempts by the church and pastor to reach him and talk it out.  He left the church and his concerned parents back at Cross Keys, and according to his testimony, hardened his heart toward God as well.  Years passed until that Sunday just a few weeks ago when he courageously stood before his former church family and publicly asked their and the Pastor’s forgiveness and sought reconciliation.

When he finished sharing his heart, the congregation stood and applauded!  His parents, worried over their son’s spiritual state for years, sat in their pew weeping.  At the end of the service, several people approached the Pastor, confessing things similar to what the young man had shared.  As Pastor Joines told us, “It was a good Sunday.”

Would you pray that God would grant many such “collateral blessings” like this one in churches across our nation?  And while you’re at it, pray that the principles of corporate healing will take on a life of their own, carried by the Holy Spirit from hurting church to hurting church.  It’s not too late to believe God for a little reviving in our day, but it may only happen if brokenness, repentance, and reconciliation sweep across the hearts of American churches.

Is there someone right now with whom you need to call and reconcile?  Maybe you could be a “collateral blessing” as well.

Mark Barnard serves as President of Blessing Point Ministries and is the author of The Path of Revival – Restoring Our Nation One Church at a Time and co-author of the Healing the Heart of Your Church Facilitator Guide.

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