But quite spectacular inside! The sanctuary room had one huge screen and two smaller screens on either side. Their theme this summer was GoFish. There were fish nets and gear and water visuals on the screens - like a stage setting! (I love using props for teaching Sunday School so this was neat to me!)
The pastor reviewed things happening in the church...they have texting prayer "meetings" on Monday and Thursday mornings, next Sunday they are having a BBQ & Baptism, they have a goal to invite 300 people to church during September, and they have "teams" to do volunteer work. All good! And they are starting "The Story" - it's an entire program centered around "a walk through the Bible" from Genesis to Revelation and reads like a story, hence the name! That was so great to hear about because our church is doing the same program beginning in December!!
The music group had one lead woman singer, great voice, and 2 other girls doing harmonies, a guitarist and another man playing on bongos and sometimes on this piece of wood attached to a stool - great sound! The first song they did as people were settling in was called Boondocks by Little Big Town - it's not a song I've ever heard at church but sort of fit in with the "Muddy Water" theme of the sermon that was to be done! The other songs were "I Believe", "Remind me who I am", and a song we knew, "Mighty to Save".
After the offering, we expected the pastor of the church to speak, but this church is one of three and the sermons are done by someone else at one of the other churches! It was a video sermon! THAT was definitely different!
He spoke about being in muddy water. When he was a kid, he and his friend decided to "free" his friend's goldfish from their little tank. So they scooped them out and put them in his friend's pool...but that wasn't enough...it didn't look like a lake...lol...so they added dirt! Tons of it! Well, the mom came out and saw it, and what happened then was obvious!
Funny story, but he likened it to telling people about the Good News. He said yes, tell them the story of Jesus, but be clear, keep it simple, do the "cliff notes" version...or else it's too much and too overwhelming and gets very "muddy". He referenced 1 Corinthians 15:1-9 as a guide, with the key words...died, buried, raised and seen.
He also talked about true belief and used the analogy of a chair. You look at the chair. It looks strong, capable of holding you. But, when you sit on the chair...that's when you truly believe it will hold you. Putting your life in God's hands is exactly the same. You can read about Him, learn about Him, speak about Him...but until you let Him take the full weight of your life and you put it into His hands....well, once you do, that's true belief and that's when you change...and that kind of change is always good!
They asked us to fill out a visitors sheet and after the service gave us these, filled with candy, a flashlight and a postcard to give them feedback about our time at their church!
After the service we went to a local place to have breakfast...but by 11:30 they switch to lunch! So we had lunch! Drove around Ironton a bit before going to the park.
When Greg said, "Let's check out the Elephant Rock park", I was like, eh, rocks, okay....
...but I was very pleasantly surprised! Cool place!
He's in this picture!
Up close...
And even more amazing is how...
....HUGE it is!!!
said when she was 16, she would hang out
here with her friends and some of them
would jump off the rocks into the water!
(It was clearer then!)
Would have loved to have taken the kids here when they were young!
They would have had a blast!
Saw this van in the parking lot! Check it out Kim!
Read in some brochure that there was an active quarry nearby so we went searching.
I remember as a kid, my dad wanted to go to a quarry. Can't remember where it was, but I recall being there and getting some rocks! It was like treasure hunting!
Found it! But it was closed! Oh well!
B B Q and Baptism, my kind of church :)
ReplyDeleteYeah! When's SSCC gonna have one??!!
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