Don’t Quarrel Along the Way!! 

By Jeff Beachum

Following my routine reading plan, I was led back to one of my favorite Bible narratives – The Story of Joseph.  I’ve preached it a multitude of times.  I thought there would be nothing new – just another rehearsal of The Gospel – the “good news” of Joseph as a foreshadow to the “really good news” of Jesus!   

But I’ll be! God did it again – two new nuggets smacking me in the face! 

You can read the whole story for yourself, please! (Genesis 37-50).  But two new things jumped out at me that are significant for the day: 

1. Joseph brings to his family redemption, salvation, healing, forgiveness, restored relationships, and the promise of an amazing future (Gen. 42-45).  And sending his brothers to go back and fetch their father, he yells to them, “And don’t quarrel about all of this along the way!” Odd thing to say!  Or was it?? (Galatians 5:15) 

2. After he and his brothers experienced a huge life changing moment, Joseph provided capacity for their future.  “Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Take wagons from the land of Egypt to carry your little children and your wives, an bring your father here.  Don’t worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’” 

The application to the church of these two odd observations is clear: 

1. Stay focused on what you’re doing now!  Don’t start quarreling over the past, or over things that just don’t matter right now!  There are five more years of famine coming and we need to get everyone to safety! 

2. Do whatever you need to do to create capacity for everyone to be saved! 

In my travels the past several months, it has become increasingly obvious that God is up to something very special.  Churches are being sought out and filled up. The lost, growing weary from the world’s solutions, are earnestly seeking God.  It seems like an awakening is upon us: 

Observation #1 – Tragedy Leading to Major New Interest in The Church 

Last week, The Church endured a tragic loss and is struggling with great pain!   Worldwide, it became a politically charged event.  What wasn’t politically charged is that The Church seems to now be transitioning into some very exciting days!  While we can’t see all that God is doing, we can be confident in another Joseph lesson: “…. but God!”  We see the world embroiled in tense and heated rhetoric with no easy solutions…….. “But God….”  And what He is doing appears to be amazing! 

Observation #2 – Those Far from God, Now Drawing Near (social media) 

People have had a rough go of it over the last few years.  While younger generations are actively searching for answers to life’s toughest issues, the world’s answers have repeatedly let them down.   People across the board are once again turning to The Church.   

Across all social media platforms, those who have clearly been far from God (read the social feeds) are observing:  

“I haven’t darkened the door of a church in years, but I think it’s time for me to take my family to church.”  

“How do I find a good church?” 

 “I’ve never been in a church, I’m nervous!” 

“What’s a good Bible, and what should I read first?”   

Reports from across the world, and specifically in North America, indicate there was a sudden and inexplicable surge in worship attendance this last few Sundays stretching the capacity of many houses of worship.   

Observation #3 – Canadian Prevailing Church Mastermind (Orillia, Onterio) 

I was invited by our strategic partner, Rich Birch, into a more intimate gathering of some of the largest growing churches in Canada.  The format was simple: each church’s leaders presented one pressing issue they are facing as they try to extend their reach into their communities.  Then the remaining leaders had an opportunity to speak into the churches’ concern with practical solutions.  Two specific areas of concern were repeated: 

1. How can we connect better to new people coming into our doors. 

2. How can we create more capacity – leaders wrestling with place and space limitations of their worship rooms. 

Observation #4 – Ever Faithful Austin Church knocking it out of the Park – (Austin, Texas) 

A week ago, my wife and I visited a church in Austin.  Located less than a mile from a large university, there were a significant number of young adults eagerly listening to an amazing presentation of the gospel.  So Good and spot on! 

As I sat amongst the crowd, I began to reminisce over the 11 years my children have attended.  They first connected when the church was less than 70.  Over the years the church grew – first into an elementary school, then a middle school, then another church off hours, then into a high school.  Leaders led their growing group to pray, stretch, be challenged, be flexible in order to impact their city.  Last Sunday they impacted more than 1350 over two services – in a high school.  They are sending and planting like crazy! 

What if they hadn’t stayed flexible – and got distracted by other things? 

Observation #5 – Go where they are!  “Why Wait!” (Jacksonville, Florida) 

Earlier in the spring, a team from Portable Church Industries visited the campus of an amazing church to capture their story about going portable with PCI.   

• In 2020, Church of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, FL responded to a heat-map discovery of a significant momentum of people living in St Johns County who were traveling 30+ minutes to the broadcast campus OR who had contacted CE22 requesting a campus come their way. 

• The initial intention was to leverage portability and build a new facility on land purchased right across the street from the portable campus in a high school – They adequately planned for 12-18 month stay in the high school.  

• They engaged PCI in a 3-day discovery and consultation process. 

• Within a month leadership finalized the design of their portable system and launched just 2 months later, starting with a robust delivery/training process for the volunteer team. 

• The launch of the St Johns Campus of CE22 was at Easter…..a high school auditorium and several children’s classrooms in March of 2021. 

• In July 2022 – just 14 months later, they had outgrown the Auditorium with multiple services – moved their system from Auditorium to Gym to double capacity. 

• Circumstances beyond CE22’s control stretched their stay to slightly more than 4 years.  But in that incubation period: 

• The St Johns Campus grew to averaging more than 1500 people each Sunday 

• Easter in March of 2025 – more than 6000 people attended worship on the St Johns Campus 

• June of 2025 their NEXT became a reality – they walked across the street from their portable campus into their new permanent facility beginning with 3 services and positioned to continue a strong ministry in the community that had been developing for more than 4 years. 

The overwhelming observation from their leaders is “Why Wait?”  Look what God has done while we waited for the building to be built. (https://vimeo.com/1107543141/790f76f2e9?share=copy)  

These five experiences lead me to today’s Challenge to Church Leaders: 

1. Is your church available to the lost in your community with a hope filled message of The Gospel? 

2.  Is your church focused only on the right things to meet the moment God seems to be providing? 

3. Are you staying ahead of the challenge of having enough open seats for the hearing of The Gospel at prime times? 

4. Is your leadership team confident of all of the facilities and real estate options to sustain a continued state of open capacity? 

To have a conversation about all of your capacity, facility, and real estate issues and scenarios, give PCI a call or visit portablechurch.com for more details.     

Why wait?