EVIDENCES OF GOD'S HAND ON FAITH CHAPEL: AN OUTLINE

Faith Chapel would have ended quickly unless God were in it.  This is not to say that any of us heard an audible voice telling us to start a church, or encouraging us not to quit.  But Faith Chapel has prospered in the face of significant challenges.   Our denominational connection requires that new churches be started under the oversight of elders, either of a particular (individual) congregation, or of the presbytery, the gathered elders and pastors in a given area.  Faith Chapel began as a chapel, a sort of daughter church plant, under the auspices of Covenant Fellowship ARP Church in northwest Greensboro, in the fall of 2003.  At the time we had only eight people (half of whom are members of the pastor's household), no funding, and no meeting place except our homes.  Late in 2003 we did establish a small budget from donations within the core group, which enabled us to secure phone service and a small yellow page ad, but that and word-of-mouth were all the advertising we did or could do.  The pastor, of necessity then and now, has been working an outside job. Beyond these challenges, Faith Chapel began and remains in an area that church planting demographers might reckon one of the less promising parts of Guilford County for a conservative, evangelical Presbyterian church plant.  Southeast Guilford County is an area where many of the people have roots that go back generations, and they do not commonly change churches or go from one kind of church to another.  Nevertheless, we believed God was leading us to begin here, and so we did.  And although it has been slow going, we have seen God's hand of blessing.

 In the spring of  2004 a small clapboard chapel on two acres of land, that had formerly housed a Nazarene congregation, became available for our Sunday evening Bible study.  We also began a mid-week prayer meeting, which continues yet as a vital part of our church life.   In the spring of 2005 another small church without property contacted us about the possibility of our two bodies merging, which led to a quarter of joint worship services. Though merging proved impractical, we wound up with two additional households, and the Lord brought two more that summer, and we were able to continue morning services.  We sang acapella for a year, until the Lord brought us a musician who, not knowing our need, was just looking for a place to worship. Our God knew the need.  From early on we have sought to emphasize involvement in missions, evangelistic outreach, mercy ministry, and fellowship.  We began supporting a missionary training center in Manipur, India that is entirely run and staffed by Indian nationals, and we have hosted several informal missions conferences.  Approximately ten percent of our budget goes to missions and mercy. We regularly host fellowship dinners, ladies luncheons and men's breakfasts to which our members are encouraged to invite visitors, of which we have had many.  Prayer for foreign missions, for those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ, and for persecuted Christians and Churches in other lands is emphasized.

In late August of 2005 Faith Chapel came directly under the auspices of our presbytery of the ARP, which was a good thing.  It allowed us to function a bit more independently, to have our own membership distinct from the mother church, and also meant we had our own elder board (session) consisting of elders from several churches who were appointed by the presbytery.  The elders have the responsibility of leading and overseeing the church in its worship and work.  God has blessed us greatly in the elders He has provided.  The wisdom of these men, who have duties in other churches and are helping us out of their love for Christ and his church, and the unity of spirit on the session have been extraordinary blessings.  The Lord called one of our elders home to glory in November of 2005, but He sent us a much consoling blessing—the property in which we were meeting was donated to Faith Chapel.

Early in 2006 we received an added unexpected gift, a significant cash donation, in addition to a number of donations in memory of our departed elder. Also, two churches in the presbytery each donated $1000 to help us.  These and some helpful advice enabled us to pursue repairs and improvements on the property, beginning late in 2007.  An Eagle Scout project in 2006 actually began the facelift, with painting of the foundation, fencing around part of the cemetery, and some landscaping.  There followed a new sign, new roofs on our building and picnic shelter, repair of termite-damaged timber, new seating, new paint and carpet throughout the building and hardwood flooring in the foyer, some new lighting, new front steps, a deck and a wheelchair ramp and new side steps, termite and beetle treatment, and a second Eagle Scout project completing the fencing around the cemetery and re-graveling the parking lot.  We paid cash for all of it, excepting that locks and new door hardware were donated  by a man at Lowe's who felt moved by God to help us, and we have also been given several tables, nursery furnishings, two pianos, an organ, a desk for the pastor, a refrigerator and a microwave.  Faith Chapel owns its property free and clear, and is self-supporting.  

We have seen some remarkable evidences of growth in grace, and remarkable answers to prayer in our midst, and are grateful for the tokens of grace among our children. There is also a remarkable bond of love and unity in the body, a joy in worship, delight in fellowship, and a genuine evangelistic and missionary concern.  We are already a multi-racial and international congregation, with families from Greensboro, Pleasant Garden, Randleman, Climax and High Point, and the Lord has recently brought us several new visiting households. They have either learned of us by word of mouth or from our website (word of mouth, the website and a small yellow page add are our only advertising).  God is at work, and we expect to see Him doing greater things yet.  Soli Deo Gloria (to God alone be the Glory).