The Filling Station is a unique name for a small church that is doing things in a big way.

Like all small churches, the 30-member congregation in Westlake, California, dreamed of future growth and slowly collected $75,000 in a special building fund. But in an instant, they gave it all away. Every penny went to help rebuild a church in Sudan that had been destroyed twice during the nation's long civil war.

“The Lord put it on our hearts that we really didn’t need a building,” said Steve Ridinger, pastor of The Filling Station. “We’re beginning to think globally in terms of God’s kingdom, asking ourselves, is there really a need for us to be doing this or that here in our own back yard, or is there a greater need somewhere else?”

The answer to that question arrived in their mailbox.

“We got a DVD in the mail from Samaritan’s Purse that showed the rebuilding of the churches in South Sudan,” Pastor Ridinger said. “That’s when we realized that we had been saving for a building program, but it just wasn’t going to be in California.”

Everyone at The Filling Station agreed to give the $75,000 to Samaritan’s Purse to help rebuild Lukura Church in South Sudan. The new church was also tribute to believers in the village who died during the war, including the pastor's two eldest sons.

Following a peace agreement reached in 2005, people slowly returned to Lukura, rebuilding their homes and a temporary structure to serve as a church. They never dreamed that a group of American Christians living nearly 10,000 miles away would help them build a permanent church home made of brick and steel, where they could worship the Lord in peace.

Members of The Filling Station’s new sister church in Sudan participated in every phase of the rebuilding process. They gathered local materials like sand and stone for concrete mix, made hundreds of bricks with a hand press, and prepared a site for their new sanctuary. Then they worked alongside the Samaritan’s Purse construction crew to build their new church, brick by brick, until the job was completed.

“We were really excited to see the whole thing come together,” Pastor Ridinger said. “The Scripture says if you give to the poor, you lend to their Maker. That’s become the focus of our giving. The people in South Sudan have no other way to get the money together to rebuild their churches.”

With help from local churches, families, individuals, and Christian business partners, Samaritan’s Purse has helped rebuild more than 418 churches in Sudan since 2005.

The Filling Station is already looking ahead to future involvement with Sudan churches. “We’d love to do more,” Pastor Ridinger said. “It’s just exciting!”

Pastor Ridinger hopes to have an opportunity to visit Lukura Church one day and worship with believers there, but that’s all in God’s hands.

“To God be the glory,” he said. “We‘re just following along.”

Join Hands with Believers in Sudan

Samaritan's Purse , Sudan , Community Development , Small Church, Big Heart