by Hope Mayes

A woman nine months pregnant, kicked out of her house by her husband, had almost no belongings, and baby arriving soon. Feeling hopeless and alone, she surprised New Life Assembly of God by stumbling into the building of what would soon become the Woodstock Hope Center. Upon seeing her situation and the opportunity to show the woman she was welcome and loved, the lead Pastor Chad Payne and church volunteers packed her car with a baby crib, play place, car seat, diapers, baby clothing and food. As she drove away, they thought this act of compassion would not change her life forever, but it would give her threads of hope.

Threads of Hope in the Form of Community

Right at the top of the second poorest county in Alabama lies a unique church, equipped with creative vision and eyes that see through the lens of hope. New Life Assembly of God, led by pastor Chad Payne in Woodstock, lives out their motto “healing for your past, hope for your future” with every person that stumbles into their church. However, in the twenty years Pastor Chad has pastored at New Life, he learned the importance of knowing he pastors every person that walks into his church, and every member of the community as well.

 “It’s an essential and key component to see yourself as pastoring the community and not just the church” – Pastor Chad Payne

Pastor Chad has intentionally spent significant amounts of time “being present in the community,” representing the church in the restaurants and marketplace, and becoming acquainted with the people, culture and changing needs of Woodstock and the surrounding area. Payne finds it amazing what opportunities open up when “spending a lot of time being seen in the community.” Because of this, New Life has stayed attentive and addressed the essential needs with doses of hope prescribed specifically for the community’s symptoms.

Threads of Hope in Unique Forms

By adopting this mindset, New Life has begun to imagine new ideas for their small town! They have started to ask questions such as, “How can our church make a difference in the community?” and “What about our church would make the community sad if it went away?”

As a response to these queries, New Life has developed the Woodstock Hope Center, which provides hope to many foster families and individuals in hardship situations. In partnership with the Department of Human Resources, the Hope Center has already made available essential provisions, groceries, and clothing to foster families. Even before the grand opening in April 2020, the Woodstock Hope Center lived up to its tagline, where hope comes alive, by helping over two dozen foster families.

In order to address more needs unique in their community, God provided a 15 ½ acre property directly behind the church to be creatively used for ministry purposes! On one end, Pastor Chad plans to construct a fully functioning park with a softball field, walking track, picnic tables and much more. On the opposite end, Pastor Chad hopes to fill with tiny homes for senior citizens. The goal provides smaller homes for senior citizens to stay near the church and receive needed help rather than moving to an assisted living facility.

These solutions fulfill needs and place their church as a central hub within the community. Pastor Chad and his church have seen this building plan as an opportunity to build relationships with people who join from all around their area of Alabama and become a witness with their words and love for community.

 “Everywhere I go in the community I treat every person like they are the most important person in my life at the moment… If I can communicate to each person that they are valuable, if I don’t treat them like a counselor or something like that, but if I treat them as a friend and if I try to encourage them, it’s so much more effective in bringing out the best in people” – Pastor Chad Payne

If the Church takes the attitude of communicating to every person they encounter that they are wanted, valuable, and that someone believes in them, hope catches like a wildfire.

Threads of Hope That Endures

Pastoring the whole community, imagining what can be, and treating every person with importance remains the culture New Life exhibits in Woodstock, Alabama. New Life has made the most impact by involving themselves in their community and finding essential elements for their unique area and people. This proved more effective than trying to emulate a big city church in a small community.

 “When you take that approach, then the possibilities in your community are endless. There’s so much we can invest in. Whether the church grows numerically or not, we can still make a big difference in the community” – Pastor Chad Payne

Pastor Chad and New Life Assembly of God represent true testimonies that God’s people must take the attitude of relational service in all they do. Then ministry matches the needs of the community around them and quickly finds areas in which to invest resources, time, and love. Discover ways to communicate and deliver hope to the people around you, the options are endless.

Reflective Engagement:

1. How can you and your church get creatively administer of hope to the people and community?
2. What unique needs occur in your community?
3. How does ‘pastoring the whole community’ look in your ministry?
4. What does ‘treating every person as important’ change?
5. What new creative idea can you imagine?

Click here to read Senior Pastor Chad Payne’s recount of his battle with cancer while in a pastoral role.

The post Threads of Hope appeared first on Rural Advancement.

By Hope Mayes

“Is this where I belong now?” Sitting in an Alabama waiting room chair with other cancer patients in various stages of brokenness, Pastor Chad Payne wondered these thoughts to himself; “Do I belong with this group now? Is this my future?” After being diagnosed with kidney cancer in November 2017, the way this rural minister pastored and led his church was about to change. Payne found three key effective elements in pastoring during illness: support from others, prayer and honesty.

The First Key: Support

The afternoon sitting in that Alabama hospital, he heard the comments of the patients around him, “The doctors think the cancer is coming back…” “The numbers are not looking good…” In this moment, Payne experienced the darkest moment of his whole life; he had never felt more alone. This pastor soon found in these dark situations God’s love came rushing in stronger than previously experienced.

This love came from individuals, families and organizations near and far. Not only did his church, New Life Assembly of God in Woodstock, Alabama show support by taking a large love offering to help Payne and his wife cover medical bills, but multiple other churches and organizations in the area did too. Missionaries from all around the world prayed for his healing, and various friends and family members even offered to donate their own kidneys to his cause. These very humbling acts of kindness reminded this rural pastor and his wife that God continually worked good for them and wrapped them in His love.

The Second Key: Prayer

During this time, God met Payne in ways he did not expect. As an assignment for one of his PhD classes, he spent twenty-four hours alone with God at their district’s campgrounds.

“I got alone and the first day I was there, I couldn’t even pray. I would get silent and it was like there was a tape playing on fast forward in my brain; all the anxiety, fear and questions. I could not get my brain quiet.” – Pastor Chad Payne

With so many thoughts seeding through his mind, he resorted to reading about prayer. He read Mark Batterson’s book, Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God, then journaled. This exercise effectively quieted his thoughts.

At the conclusion of the twenty-four-hour period, Payne began to feel connected and in sync with God. He found that the private time allowed him to focus and re-center on his Heavenly Father and helped hear His direction about how to pastor through this unexpected time of illness.

The Third Key: Honesty

Although unprepared and caught off guard by the kidney cancer. Payne attempted to keep his circumstances from reflecting on his congregation and community in a negative way. He prioritized complete transparency about the state of his situation. While walking in faith, he did not conceal the anxiety or fear involved; rather, he used his situation as sermon illustrations about the dark moments. Off the platform, he took time to care for himself. Self-care during kidney cancer involved clearing his schedule as much as possible, taking time away, and additional rest. This gave others in the church the opportunity to expand their involvement through volunteer and leadership roles. He learned to humbly received the support for he and his wife needed.

A Conclusion

Since November of 2017, Payne has learned many skills to pass on to others regarding pastoring though illness. The straining and anxious time made him a stronger leader, a stronger prayer warrior, and a stronger witness to share the goodness of God. Payne’s biggest life message declares of God’s goodness; after months of battling state three kidney cancer and being on the edge of stage five kidney disease, he recently received the report that his kidney function has radically improved over the last two years. Though his kidney disease currently remains at stage three, Payne can officially mark February 2020 as two years of being cancer free!

“I once heard someone say, you will attract people because of your strengths but you will connect with people over your weaknesses.” – Pastor Chad Payne

Payne has found this attraction connecting with the other generations. If young people come to believe the reality of Christ, Payne believes his illness removes the superhuman model some would see on the platform. Instead, he worked to convey a real image of Christ by presenting himself as a normal person on and off the stage; laughing at himself, talking about his struggles, and attempting not to take himself too seriously.

Being honest with himself and others, praying through the process, and accepting support from those that care, Payne displayed how to continue pastoring in the midst of illness and found peace in the fact that no matter the circumstance, God’s children always find shelter and peace in the arms of their Father. That is where they belong.

Reflective Engagement:

1. How can you accept support and care from others in timers of challenge?
2. Who do you have that provides support for you? How do you show them your appreciation?
3. Who in your sphere of life needs your support and authentic sacrificial love?
4. When have you prayed through the difficult processes you faced? How now can you arrange essential time for prayer?
5. How can you model authentic responses to current circumstances?

The post Pastoring in The Midst of Illness appeared first on Rural Advancement.