Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar/86

Contributor - John Kaptein and Joan Hodges

Title - The Family Connection

Topic -Witnessing

In one church survey 14,000 people were asked, "What or who was responsible for your coming to Christ and to your church?" As many as 90% testified that it was due to friends or a relative. This leaves no doubt that a close family connection or a friendship is something the Lord can use tremendously to further the work for His Kingdom.

So was a friendship/family connection started at New Life Community Church in London. The New Life Community Church had just started a women's coffee break/babysitting program combined with a children's story hour. Dawn Kaptein, the wife of the Pastor, prayed in the morning that she would meet someone to invite to the program before she ventured out to the park with her daughter Rachael. It was there that she met a young woman named Sue and her l- 1/2 year old son James..A conversation began and a friendship developed. Dawn invited Sue to the coffee break ministry and offered the babysitting service for James, which she decided to accept.

On the Sunday before the coffee break program, Sue was cycling past the school gym where the New Life Community Church worship service was being held, and she was miraculously drawn to attend. She enjoyed the service and the fellowship and within a few days, called Pastor John for advice concerning her recent separation from her husband. The Spirit led the conversation and after some discussion, Pastor John realized her need for Christ and read a section from the "Four Spiritual Laws" entitled who was on the throne of her life". He then led her through a sinner's prayer and Sue's spiritual journey began. She immediately stopped smoking and began immersing herself in books about the Christian faith.

Sue had emigrated from England and had lived in Canada for three years. She has a sister, Joan, who is married and has four children and lives in London, Ontario, and a brother, Howard, who is married and has two children and lives in Wardsville, Ontario.

For some time, Joan had been dissatisfied with her life and had been attending the Anglican Church two weeks prior in search of answers. Sue shared how she had committed her life to Christ and gave Joan some Christian books to read. Whilst reading the books she realized the need to ask for Jesus forgiveness and gave her life to the Lord. This exciting new life Joan had discovered did anything but excite her husband; he rejected the faith and many nights of arguing followed. But the prayers of faithful Christians were being heard. Her husband agreed to a visit by Pastor John and Elder John Kapteyn of Immanuel Reformed Church (the church Joan had been attending). After much thought, her husband accepted the Lord and a slow, strong growth began.

The sister-in-law of Sue and Joan had been a Christian for three years and was attending a Pentecostal church. Their brother, Howard, began to show increasing interest in Christianity through the witness of his wife and the new found faith of his sisters. Eventually, after many prayers for him, he also gave his life to the Lord. God in his perfect timing, brought all three family members to Christ in about a period of two weeks.

Consequently the whole family began praying for relatives in Britain and Joan was sending Christian literature to her older sister, Marian, and her parents, who were all living in Wales. Marian was recently separated from her husband. While Howard and his family were visiting Marian during a vacation to Wales at Christmas 1984, he gave his testimony and his sisters' testimonies and the wonderful change in everyone's lives through Christ. Marian decided to start reading the Bible and soon after committed her life to Christ. After Howard returned from Wales with the good news about Marian, Sue asked for prayer for her at a New Life Community Church prayer and praise meeting, that her faith start to grow and be nurtured. Pastor John knew a teacher, Dr. Gwyn Walters, working at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass. Pastor John called him asking if he knew of any Christians living in that area of Wales who could follow-up on Marian and help establish her new faith. Dr. Walters gave him the name of a committed Christian couple but he had no telephone number. Pastor John spent many hours of research trying to find where they lived and finally located them on the map. After numerous attempts to get the telephone number the final connection was made. Pastor John telephoned the Christian couple and introduced himself as Reverend John Kaptein from Canada and asked if they re Christians. They said yes and they were really pleased to contact Marian. After prayer, they called Marian and invited her to attend the Newton Evangelical Church about 50 kilometers away. Marian's life changed drastically and as a result, their mother also began to renew her faith. Because of the distance of the church, Marian started a home fellowship on Tuesday evenings and as a result, the Lord has blessed them with three new converts. Three people have given their lives to the Lord through Joan's personal witness and the story is not over yet, its only just begun and it all began with prayer - let it end in prayer!

Pray that the family connections and friend connections of our lives will be used to bring the Gospel to many. Praise the Lord.

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