President Ronald Reagan was fond of telling the story of  twin boys around the age of  six. Their parents, worried that the boys had developed extreme personalities -- one was a total pessimist, the other a total optimist --  took them to a psychiatrist.

First the psychiatrist treated the pessimist. Trying to brighten his outlook, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with brand-new toys. But instead of yelping with delight, the little boy burst into tears. "What's the matter?" the psychiatrist asked, baffled. "Don't you want to play with any of the toys?" "Yes," the little boy bawled, "but if I did I'd only break them."

Next the psychiatrist treated the optimist. Trying to dampen his out look, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with horse manure. But instead of wrinkling his nose in disgust, the optimist emitted just the yelp of delight the psychiatrist had been hoping to hear from his brother, the pessimist. Then he clambered to the top of the pile, dropped to his knees, and began gleefully digging out scoop after scoop with his bare hands. "What do you think you're doing?" the psychiatrist asked, just as baffled by the optimist as he had been by the pessimist. "With all this manure," the little boy replied, beaming, "there must be a pony in here somewhere!"

Reagan told the story so often that it became the norm around the White House, that whenever something would go wrong,  somebody on staff would be sure to say, " There must be a pony in here somewhere".

In recent months I have had the pleasure of visiting a few  of our churches with just this type of  attitude.  In the midst of a down economy, in the midst of a decaying culture,   and in the midst of the evangelical church being marginalized by society,  these churches are experiencing revitalization, increased giving and renewed hope.

In the midst of all the troubling realities, these churches have not lost  sight  of the fact that God is in control.  He is aware of all the circumstances. He is not surprised by all that is going on in the world. The churches embracing that reality are finding that this is a wonderful time to be the church. The needs are great, the harvest is plentiful,  and the church has a tremendous opportunity to be a witness to both their congregation and to their community.

One pastor posed this question to his congregation. " If  ten percent of our community is unemployed,  isn't it incumbent on the remaining ninety  percent  of us who are employed to care for them and help in  their provision.

Not surprisingly these  churches are experiencing the joy of generosity. The more they give,  the more they are  a witness and a light to the community.  One church tracking their last five years of giving, has experienced a doubling of the per person weekly gift to the church   Their highest year of giving was in this past year of economic  downturn.

One of our smaller churches with an annual budget  under $80,000.  sacrificially  committed ten thousand dollars to our five year  Comprehensive Campaign.  Another church, experiencing a  surplus this year  is sending that surplus to the conference as well to fund God's vision of revitalizing our existing churches and planting new works of God.

Obviously, these churches experiences are not the norm, but they could be.  Not that any of these churches believe that there is a pony in there somewhere, but they know that Jesus is there.  And they are experiencing vibrant ministry in their church and community.

Eugene Peterson in  The Message, translates proverbs 11:24 this way.  "The world of the generous gets larger and larger. The world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller". These generous churches have had their world expanded through their giving.  It has not only transformed their churches, but it is changing their communities.  To these churches, we say, you have become a model to all believers.

"And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.  The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia-your faith in God has become known everywhere."   I Thessalonians 1: 7-8a

Terry Shanahan,

Northeast Regional Minister