Church in the Park

Yesterday we enjoyed a victorious day in the Lord. We set a high attendance goal for Sunday School and reached out to our community. Our services were followed by an afternoon in the park and our evening worship service under a grove of trees under cloudless skies and with gentle breezes.

We did not reach our goal. We set the goal at 426 but had 410 in Sunday School. This is the most we have ever had since I have been here. I heard the story of one lady who texted her friends for seven straight days inviting them. Her friends responded. There were people present who had not been in this church for years. One man personally invited over twenty people. Another lady equaled this task. One gentleman personally invited over forty people to come for that special day. Watching the church respond to the challenge and work together blessed my heart.

Many people responded and God blessed us with a fantastic day. Our choir sang majestically. Our deacons and several men worked tirelessly to cook lunch for all of us. Several helped set up risers and sound for our choir to sing and afternoon service. One couple planned the games. Teachers loved on their students. New relationships and memories were formed. My heart was moved viewing all the different groups of people gathered under the shade of the trees from several generations eating, playing dominoes, visiting, and watching some good old games like sack races, three legged races, wheel barrow races, and the egg toss. I wiped out in the sack race taking dead last in my heap. Many found this comical except my pride. Turner and I lost the egg toss with him taking the brunt of egg splattering all over this shirt and jeans.

I am amazed at the power of God to work through this church. Two were baptized on Sunday. We officially started two Sunday morning worship services. 132 came to the first early service and we had 339 in the second service. People stepped up in the nursery and got up early to cook breakfast for their classes. The choir sang in both services as well as our instrumentalist played both morning services and one played out at the park. The choir sang out at the park as well for the third time that day. We had sound people working extra as well as our television crew. God truly moved these people to come together for the purpose of reaching out to our members who had fallen out of church as well as to those who never even attend church or those looking for a new church home.

I am humbled and blessed the Lord continues to use us. We have much work still to do but it sure was fun to have our second annual Church in the Park. We already have new ideas for next year. To all of you who reached out, loved, welcomed, and worked to help make Church in the Park a success, I want to say thank you. May God get all the glory.