Big days

Today was super busy. This was the first day that we switched over to two services. Our new sanctuary opened on Easter and we've had one service since then, until today. There weren't a lot of people in the first service, maybe a hundred. The sermon was excellent. I love my church because the Word is preached. The Gospel is preached. And yes, we do say Jesus in the service. It's a biblical church and I love it. The preaching is excellent. The sermon was about how all Christians are bound together, no matter what denomination we are. My church is non denominational by the way. God didn't intend for His church to be splintered.

Anyway I waited around for my Dad. After he finished singing and playing songs in children's church we went home. Then we left again. lol. Anyway, the second service was packed. Mostly everyone came to that one because they wouldn't have to wait around or go home, they could just go directly to the barbecue. The barbecue was good an older couple sat at our table, turns out the man worked in the shipyard. So John, Dad and him talked about all things Navy.

The church softball team was playing my old church, so Dad and I went to the game. It was really good. I don't like baseball that much. ;) But I got to visit, I held Gwendolyn (around 3 weeks old), and I got hit with a baseball! I was just sitting there day dreaming about nothing and I saw this yellow streak and I felt pressure on my arm. lol. It was like I was sedated. Anyway, it didn't hurt. I moved though. My team won.

Then dad dropped me off at church for the Jubilee and Dedication of the new building service. My church has been assisted by Village Missions for 50 years, therefore the Jubilee thing (it's from the old testament). Pastor Paul told us the story of the town where my church is. It was founded in 1898 by a group that hated the government. They made rules and declared that no church could be established in this town. Here's what wikipedia had to say about the town, "[the town's name] was established in the 1890s by a group called the Co-operative Brotherhood as a cooperative socialist colony. It was originally named Circle City, with buildings laid out on the periphery of a circle. When the colony failed in 1908, the present name was adopted for the creek that runs past town, which is the namesake of an early settler who was not a member of the colony."

Well, you know the old "W" not as reliable as Old Faithful Pastor Paul said the colony failed in 1920. Anyway, the Co-operative brotherhood built buildings, a school, library etc.

Guess where my church is built? That's right, smack dab on top of where these crazy people taught their children to hate God, the schoolhouse.

That makes me laugh.

My church was small. In 1957 Village Missions sent a pastor to the town, he was paid about 40 dollars a week by Village Missions (that's what they do, the support pastors that cannot be supported by rural churches). There have been 7 pastors from Village Missions since 1957. The church has had up and down times but by the grace of God it is a strong place today.

See, the nice thing about the new sanctuary is that it is ALL PAID FOR. That's about 750,00 dollars for the sanctuary. It took 7 years to build, but oh boy does it feel nice to be debt free. One of the Village Missions guys said during the service, when has your church not been building? lol. We've always added on. The schoolhouse was tiny, so they knocked out some walls once they had enough money. Then they built an education building to the side. And now the brand spankin' new sanctuary.

I'm not bragging about my church, I'm not saying that I think it's better than all of your churches. All I'm saying is that I'm amazed at how God works. My church's purpose statement is, "reaching people for Jesus Christ, building them up in their faith, and mobilizing them to reach others." That's what I love about my church, the Gospel is preached! We want to reach our neighbors and everyone around the world! In fact the Franklin Grahm evangelism class this fall for the Sound will be held at our church. Their mission is to reach 5,000 people in our area, and to teach them how to share the Gospel. I'm thinking that my church's attendance will sky rocket after the classes are held.

How good God is to use the little that we have for something great! He takes the small offerings and turns that offering into well, wonderful, useful things.

I'm looking forward to what God has in store for my church, and me.