First Church Year #1

Welcome to my new series.  We are not in Church Search mode any longer.  We have found a church where we feel welcome and where we believe we can worship.  We believe that the Lord has led us here.

I’ll be honest.  I was distracted during Sunday School.  Jan stayed home due to the surgery she had Friday.  I felt just a little out-of-place without her since I still don’t know many of the people there.

I had lunch with a couple of the staff members this week.  I was told that there is another couple that wants to begin a home bible study.  I’m looking forward to getting to know this couple and seeing if this is something we can participate in.  We will need it since I will not be able to be in Sunday School for half the year.

One of the strengths of our church is the worship through music.  It is definitely planned, but there is enough latitude and spontaneity to veer off from the path if it seems right.

The sermon was about Sanctity of Human Life.  Just before the sermon began, a lady gave a spontaneous testimony about a time earlier in her life when she had an abortion.  She testified to God’s forgiveness and grace for this event in her life.  Another person came up and testified to her being pregnant as a teenager before marriage and keeping her child.  Both spoke to mistakes in their lives and how God loved them despite this.

A time of prayer at the altar continued from there.  Many people went down and prayed together.

The sermon was a good challenge to value all human life.  It ended with a video called 99 Balloons.  It was about a little boy who lived 99 days and 99 balloons were let got at his funeral.

The thing that is greatest about this church is that despite some issues and problems that have occurred recently there is a sweet spirit of love and caring there.

On a side note, we have been going there for four weeks.  A couple prepared us a meal today since Jan had her surgery.

What attracted you to your church?  What are its strengths?