Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Within REACH

Note: I published this on Dani's Daily Thousand by accident. It was meant for my newer blog, Dani's Discoveries, which you can access with this link.


Can one visit 52 different conservative Anabaptist-run ministries (and talk personally with some of the people that make those ministries happen) all in one – or two – days? Is there such a possibility? Well, there is, and it’s within REACH.

In my last post, I mentioned that recently Ken & I had the privilege of attending REACH, which is a ministries convention put on by Faith Builders every two years on a weekend in March. It’s held at a huge Calvary Church near Lancaster, PA. By huge, I mean big enough in its main auditorium to seat the 2000-plus people that attend on Friday, the second day of the two-day event, when entire high school grades from some schools will cancel classes and come and add to the 1739 other people who are already there.

It also has the capacity to comfortably handle the 15 or so breakout sessions that take place simultaneously at different times throughout the day. What may not be so comfortable is navigating the foyers and halls teeming with attendees to get to the breakout sessions rooms on the four different levels of the building.

The first year Ken and I went to REACH, we went to separate workshops during the breakouts time – Ken to a basement room and I to a chapel smaller than the main auditorium on the same level. When we met up again, the first thing Ken said to me was, “There’s another whole church down there!” It’s good that current Faith Builders students were strategically placed throughout the church to assist the throng in getting to the proper rooms.

Another large room on the main level of the massive church was lined with tables where the 52 different ministries set up their displays of literature and “advertising” pens, handbags, candy, or, as in one case, office scissors. (score!) Typically, two or three people associated with the ministry manned the booth; someone was on hand to explain briefly what the ministry is about and to answer questions anyone might have about it.

It was also the room in which to figure on taking a long time to get from point A to point B on account of meeting up with people you hadn’t seen for years. Depending on where you were headed though, you may have chosen to streamline your encounters, narrowing them down to mere seconds: Hello, ____! Face lights up and big smile appears. How are you? Doing well, and you? Good too. So good to see you again. You, too! See you later. (maybe or maybe not, you think as you graciously slip away and go another few feet until bumping into the next friend or acquaintance)

One of my favorite things about REACH is listening to the speakers in the main assemblies and in the breakout sessions. Throughout the talks on God’s will in the Kingdom, the power of the Gospel, finding identity in Christ, being faithful in supporting roles, reflecting the image and glory of God as a woman, and bringing Light to darkness, I just kept thinking oh, this is so good. People at REACH are passionate about the King and being in His Kingdom service. There’s something very energizing about mingling with that many people who have the same focus – someone said you can “feel it in the air”, and I think I know what he meant. It’s not hard at all for me to imagine the Spirit moving through the place as a rushingmightywind.


I also got to feeling slightly overwhelmed by so many opportunities in ministry. After hearing the 20-second blurbs about each of the 52 ministries participating at REACH 2019, hearing longer explanations of a few of those during Ministry Focus sessions, and browsing many of the display tables set up in the Ministry Displays Room, I realized I could be involved in soooo many areas.

I could pray, counsel, camp, send money, stock books, visit prisoners, study, nurse, broadcast, support, fly, preach (okay, maybe some of these I couldn’t do since I’m not a pilot and since I am an Anabaptist woman), publish, train, sing, and bake. I could teach – how about in a city school? and I love language – it would be fun to get involved in Bible translation somehow, and that couple who turned their home into a haven for troubled Anabaptist young women inspired me (how could one not be intrigued by a ministry with a name like Aquila Villa?!) So many opportunities are within REACH!


And as if it wasn’t enough God-saturation (really, though, could one ever get too much?) to be at REACH for two days, on Saturday night we went and saw Jesus, what’s showing right now at Sight & Sound in Lancaster. I loved the emphasis placed on Jesus rescuing people, ordinary people, like me. I cried a bunch. There was a young girl – maybe 8 years old? – sitting with her family in the row behind us, and I heard her sniffles at times throughout the story, and her tearful explanation to her mom during the crucifixion scene: “I don’t want Him to die!” and felt I understood completely.

But even Ken joined me in crying joyful tears at the Resurrection scene. It was just so delightfully moving. Jesus didn’t end with the Resurrection, though; it went even beyond the Ascension, to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the transformed disciples writing and telling The Good News. (Right back to that ministry/witnessing theme we’d been hearing at REACH!)

So, yes, I came home from that weekend in Lancaster with my head and heart full. My devotion to Christ is deeper, my understanding of discipleship is broader, my longing to show and tell Him to others, greater. The question is Where do I start to put to practice what I have discovered?

Perhaps right at home is the place to begin. Around my kitchen table. Being gracious with family members in conversation. (I felt like you were interrupting me. Really? And here I thought I couldn’t finish what I was saying because you were interrupting me!) Listening long to a chatty neighbor lady on the phone. Engaging in friendly conversation with the checkout person who is tossing my groceries into the bags willy-nilly rather than me pointedly packing them my way while stewing inside.

I want to remember what I discovered in a recent Sunday School class on Power in God’s Kingdom. Our teacher pointed out that, while there is definite power in sudden, loud and blasty things, there is also power in the long, quiet, and unpretentious things of life, such as a seed growing into a tree that bears fruit. In ministry, I want to realize the slow power of God. “The kingdom of God is within you” Jesus said in describing to the Pharisees how the Kingdom would look. Slowly, quietly, faithfully, I can begin Kingdom ministry. This is possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit of God who dwells inside me – within reach.

This Post’s Quotable:


“They almost fit,” she said.

This Post’s Childhood Memory:

I remember what a treat it was to Go to the Bookmobile when I was a little girl. The bookmobile was a bus, a commercial-sized one, converted into a portable library. Every few weeks (in the summer?) this delightful books-on-wheels phenomenon made a stop at The Log Cabin Store, which was only a quarter mile or so down the dirt road from where we lived, and Mom would take us children to visit it. We’d take back the books we’d checked out on our previous visit, and spend time browsing for another set to take home this time. I remember entering the bookmobile through the tall, narrow, hinged doors and smelling the black ribbed rubber of the inside steps and aisles, as well as the paper and ink of the books. It was a hushed and enchanted world. We got to go to the children’s books section among the shelves and shelves of books, sit on the low circular metal stools and pull out some interesting-looking books to pore over right there and to, glory be, choose a few on our very own to enjoy at home – for a couple of weeks. I loved the large square books, with crinkly plastic over the covers and lots of pictures, such as the Richard Scarry series. It was also extremely fascinating to watch the librarian take the card out of the little pocket in each book we were checking out and ink the date on it with her little rubber stamp.




 Did you ever visit REACH or a bookmobile? What were your impressions of either?