It’s a small church so the vision is to grow the numbers by pulling a lot of people to Christ. After church every Sunday, I would stand in front of the congregation and announce, “If today is your first time visiting this church, kindly rise up and let’s welcome you.”

It was the first time for the lady in the blue straight dress but when I made the announcement, she didn’t get up. I looked at her face and repeated the announcement. She turned away, resolute not to get up. I said, “The lady in a blue dress, when was the first time you visited that I didn’t see you?”

The whole church burst out laughing. She was laughing too. She got up and shyly said, “My name is Sarfoa. It’s Jennifer who brought me here today. I came to visit you.”

We welcomed her amidst laughter. When the church closed, I rushed to her to apologize for putting her on the spot. She was with Jennifer. Immediately she saw my face she frowned. She said, “Don’t talk to me. I don’t like you.” I said, “Awww, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to draw attention to you. I hope I see you next week.”

She answered, “I wanted to come here every Sunday but because of what you’ve done to me. I won’t come again. She was jovial. Her eyes were dazzling. She made blue look like the most beautiful colour in the world meanwhile, my favourite colour is orange.

The following Sunday, Jennifer came to church without her. I asked where her friend was and she told me she had gone back to her own church. I took her number and right there I called her. She said, “Oh I should have come today but my church needed me.” She promised to come the next Sunday so as early as Thursday, I was on the phone with her, asking if she would come.

She didn’t come until I asked where she lived and she showed me. Come to church turned to, “Would you be my girlfriend?” She asked me, “You want me for Christ or you want me for yourself?” I answered, “Christ is in me so what’s for me is for Christ.” We burst out laughing like two crazy beings.

Two weeks after investigating my background from Jennifer she said yes. A year later, we got married in her church. My pastor preached that day. At the corner of his sermons, he said, “A year ago, this gentleman wanted Sarfoa to come to our church but she didn’t come so he married her so he could bring her to our church.”

The whole church burst out laughing.

It was a lie that sounded like the truth because of how our story began. She worships with me now. It’s still a small church but two years later, we’ve given the church a little girl. She looks small today but she adds up to the numbers. If a church wants to grow, every number counts, even the little ones.

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—Arthur

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