Read Colossians 1:1–2
To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. Colossians 1:2

Colosse probably would never have been mentioned in the New Testament had it not been for the church there. The city is never named in the book of Acts because Paul did not start the Colossian church, nor did he ever visit it. Paul had heard of their faith (Col. 1:4, 9), but he had never seen these believers personally (2:1). Here was a church of unknown people, in a small town, receiving an inspired letter from the great apostle Paul!

The Colossian church was the outgrowth of Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19; 20:17–38). So effective was the witness of the church at Ephesus that “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (19:10). There is a good lesson for us here: God does not always need an apostle, or a “full-time Christian worker,” to get a ministry established. Nor does He need elaborate buildings and extensive organizations. It is God’s plan that the Christians in the large urban areas, like Ephesus, reach out into the smaller towns and share the gospel. Is your church helping to evangelize “small-town” mission fields?

Something to Ponder
What is one thing you can do this week to increase your own or your church’s awareness of surrounding needs?