It is always a blessing to spend a Sunday morning in one of the great churches of the Assemblies of God…Jack Fork Assembly in southeastern Oklahoma. You’ve never heard of this mega church?

Actually, I’m not sure you will ever see it listed as a Top 100 church in anything. But ‘percentage of the community’ in Sunday morning attendance would have it easily in the Top 10. You see, Jack Fork Assembly of God is eighteen miles from the nearest business, a Sonic Drive-In. In Oklahoma, any building that is 18 miles from a Sonic is unheard of. Homes around this church are separated by miles, not just fences. The surrounding area is so sparsely populated, I am not sure anyone has ever attempted to project a number. My description of the community is not meant to be denigrating, but quite the opposite.

Last Sunday, I preached to about thirty people with half of them younger than 21. In relation to the size of the community, that is huge. In hopes for its future, the median age is exciting. In terms of apples to apples, we could only pray that every AG church mirrored this operation. Long before Convoy of Hope, this church was involved in compassion ministry by feeding and clothing many local citizens. Bus ministry? That old van travels the many miles every Sunday and Wednesday along mountain roads. Missions has been a priority while many such works would have never gotten beyond seeing themselves as the should-be missions recipient.

Perhaps you have heard me tell the Jack Fork story as I have challenged others across the nation to dream big for missions. In the more than twenty years I have known Pastor Ruth Deskin and her husband Doyle, I am conservatively guessing that this ‘little church in the Jack Fork valley’ has given more than $150,000 to Speed the Light, in addition to other needs. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as Pastor Deskin expressed deep regrets that hard times had limited them to give “only $6,000 this year” to STL.

As I drove away on that rocky, dusty road from Jack Fork, I was encouraged more than I can say. You see, churches like this across America are among the best in the Assemblies of God. These are the faithful leaders that are willing to work out of the spotlight where only the Lord knows they are there.

It sure was an honor to speak in one of the mega churches of our movement…Jack Fork Assembly of God.