It’s OK to dream if such dreams help us in one way or another to grow, develop and prosper in our lives. Before coming to “know” the Lord at the age of 26, the scope of my dreams were limited to my ability – limited to what “I” could do to experience the reality of such dreams. This attitude concerning the dreams I was “comfortable to entertain” remained with me for 25 years in my spiritual journey, until the commencement of my experiences in Egypt in 2000.
Before concluding the ten days candidating period for the position of Associate Pastor with Maadi Community Church, Cairo, the Senior Pastor, Dave Petrescue, said to me, “Bill, before you return to Australia in a few days time, would you please give me an idea as to how many small groups you feel can be formed in our church in the first year of your ministry with us?” While I felt his question was right to ask, that evening, in the company of my wife, I can remember muttering out aloud these words … “Heck, who but the Lord is able to answer that question!”
I needed to give Dave an answer … but, what answer could I give him? I eventually reasoned: As MCC was a church of 400 adherents, surely, with the Lord’s help; we could reasonably expect twelve groups to be formed in one year (by May 2001). Twelve is a god-number, I thought, so it seemed right to aim for that number. After conveying this goal to Dave, my mind took me further in speculating (dreaming) what the growth goals for small groups at MCC could be for 2002/3/4, and so on. Well, as I believed that if the twelve groups were healthy and growing, then, within twelve months the twelve groups could become twenty-four! Maintaining that rationale, twenty-four healthy groups could become forty-eight, and forty eight could become ninety-six groups!
Ninety-six groups in four years! That’s not the old Bill that I had known for fifty years. Was I dreaming or was I hallucinating? Now, you need to know the Lord had played a big part in my willingness to dream this BIG, beyond my ability … He had me marinading for some time in the promise of Ephesians 3:20 … “Now glory be the God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope” (NLT).
By faith, I hoisted our ambitious growth goals on the mast for all to see and then we rolled up our sleeves and gave these goals our best, believing the Lord would bless us with His best. What was the result of our willingness to dream BIG? In May 2001 = 12 groups, in 2002 = 23 groups, in 2003 = 41 groups, in 2004 = 110 groups, in 2005 = 209 groups, in 2006 = 317 groups, and in 2007 = 413 groups (4,003 members)! Truly, the Lord was the inspiration and power behind our gutsy BIG dream.
Friends, it’s by His inspiration and power we can dance on water in our faith journey with Him. This amazing experience begins from a spirit that is willing to dream BIG!
