How a Vermont Live-Stream Saved Lives
Historically, times of adversity and challenge are also times of blessing and great moves of God’s Spirit. Seeking to serve those in the rural community around us has taken shape in ways of new and expanded ministry in Brownsville, Vermont.
In our community, more than half of the school population is at risk for hunger. During the April break, Brownsville Community Church had the opportunity to coordinate and partner with the Reading-West Windsor Food shelf and the Albert Bridge Elementary School to provide boxes of food which would carry families over during the break when the school kitchen would be closed. I followed to help as the food was delivered by school bus. It was wonderful to see the smiles on the faces of the children as they ran out to the street to see what provisions had been brought to them.
Following on the same theme of meeting physical needs, the church has an open gift card at the local country store. The local store is the only place in town to buy food and necessities without traveling a distance and risking exposure in a more populated area. The school nurse, the church, and the owners of the store are working together to identify families and folks in town who need some groceries. As the resource is used, it is replenished by the church. The comment was made by a community family who had never been connected to the church that they were realizing that the little white church in the center of town actually does things in the community!
Another new way of engaging the community has been through our live-stream services. We stream on Facebook, through a “nest cam” and through zoom. The unexpected blessing in this is the ability to reach people all over with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People in our local community who would not come through the doors of the church because “if they did the roof might fall in,” are connecting online and reaching out with questions about God and for prayer. The Sunday after Easter which has the dubious reputation of the lowest attendance of the year, ironically during this time when we are not meeting in person, has the highest number of views of our service at around 3000.
That Sunday, we had a young man who recently came to faith in Christ, share his testimony in word and song. He is a local boy by the name of Ben Fuller. He grew up on a dairy farm in town and has has been on a fast track to success in Nashville. While there, trying to make the right connections, he connected to Jesus Christ. He has been saved, delivered from suicide, and of addictions to cocaine, alcohol, and pornography, and is beautifully on fire in his new faith.
Following the sharing of his testimony, we have become aware of two folks who were planning to take their own lives that very morning but by the grace of God tuned in to the live-stream and were stopped by the Holy Spirit. He has given up his worldly pursuit of success in Nashville to use his gifts of music and his testimony to bring others into a relationship with Jesus and to overcome their addictions. Jesus is moving; may we have the discernment to see how and to move with Him. People are ready to hear the Gospel as the Holy Spirit draws them.
If you would like to connect with Ben - https://www.bendfuller.com/