Dinner on the Grounds!!

Charles Kuralt did a segment about dinner on the grounds on the NC is My Home video many years ago. I am talking about real dinner on the grounds. Not people crowded up in a fellowship hall, but everyone out in the open air shooing flies and watching the kids run and play. Today was homecoming at our church, and that is just what we had...dinner on the grounds. Out under our picnic shelter and big bright tents that were erected. Fried chicken piled high, huge pots of chicken and pastry, fried okra, casseroles of every kind, mounds of potato salad and more desserts than I could count. As good as the food was today, the fellowship amongst God's people was even sweeter. We gathered outside after hearing a soul stirring message (if your soul wasn't stirred...check it). New people joining the church. Oh yes, it was a good day. A celebration, a gathering...no, a homecoming. There is nothing quite like a homecoming at church.

The Angels Rejoice!!!

Several weeks ago Mark and I were asked to do the bible story for VBS on Thursday night. As you know, we are not here on Thursdays. We come back every Friday for the weekend, and weren't sure it would be possible. I really wanted to participate because we are at our church so little because we are gone all the time. We discussed it and decided that we could rearrange our schedule for that week. Thursday night is always evangelism night at VBS. It is the night where you bring everything together and point the children towards making a salvation decision. It is a delicate time. You want to share the gospel and allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives. You don't want to push them into a decision.

It was soon decided that I would tell the bible story and Mark would end it with telling how to become a Christian. Our story was about the crippled beggar in Acts 3 that was healed. The lesson in the story was God Can Change Your Life.

We arrived at the church in the afternoon to decorate and get ready. That is when I found out Pastor Herchenhahn would be in the room with us all evening. I just prayed and asked God not to let me mess up and say the wrong scripture. LOL. I wasn't upset, he is a wonderful man.

All bible story times (there were 4 groups) went well. Then we went to the closing ceremony. At the invitation, the kids were given the opportunity to come and receive Christ. All these kids just got up and starting coming forward. They weren't shy or intimated or anything. They weren't ashame for others to see that they were choosing Jesus. If only adults would be like that.

Mark and I had the honor of leading 5 boys to Christ. I know the angels were rejoicing in heaven. 22 kids at last count gave their hearts to Christ on Thursday night. What a thrill it was to our heart. I am so glad we rearranged our schedule. I would have hated to have missed this blessing.

So Blessed!!!

Yesterday I was scheduled to perform my comedy routine at White's Memorial Baptist Church in Frankinville. It was an all day Ladies Conference that was just grand. Cheryl Gilmore did her teapot ministry, which is an amazing ministry that she does. She has different teapots and she relates them to scripture and women in the bible. Sylvia Pusser also spoke, she did her testimony and how the cross changed her life. At the end she gave us an index card with a hole punched in the corner. We were to write down a prayer request or a burden that wasn't allowing us to move on and then hang in on the cross. It was such a freeing experience. I just loved this conference. Instead of being someone who brought joy and laughter to others, I was deeply ministered to yesterday. I just fell in love with Gaye and Donna, the pastor and associate pastor wives, they were so nice and loving. This church reminded me of the church we pastored up in Columbus, Midway Baptist. There was an incredible spirit in this church. Ladies were going to the altar with their burdens and others were coming up behind them to pray for them. It was just unbelievable. It has been a long time since I had experienced the moving of the spirit with such power as I did yesterday. The ladies of the church did a fantastic job of putting on an elegant lunch complete with tea cups that we got to take home (guess what you are getting for Mother's Day, Mom??). It was just a wonderful time with fellow Christian ladies as we laughed and cried together. I just want to say THANK YOU to ladies of that church for inviting me to speak at their conference, and to say thanks to Patty Chriscoe who got the ball rolling on this ministry. We never know what God has in store for us, when we allow Him to use us for His glory.

White's Memorial Baptist Church in Frankinville, NC.

It was a wonderful experience being a part of their Ladies Conference

Easter Continued at Middle Cross

It took us a while to find a church where actual preaching was taking place on Easter Sunday. Most churches were do cantata, which there is nothing wrong with that, but Christmas and Easter should be the pastor's time in the pulpit. How many jokes have you heard about C & E (Christmas and Easter) Christians? Yet those two major days in the Christians life those people are only hearing the choir sing a medley of songs. Not that songs and music don't have their place in our worship service, but not the whole service on those days. The crucifixion and Resurrection is the basis of our salvation and we are not going to let the pastor preach because we have always done a cantata? I think every pastor in America should have been behind the pulpit preaching today. This is the one and only day that some people find themselves at church all year long, and they hear singing. Personally, cantata aren't my thing. One church I practiced for 2 months with the choir to sing, then got sick and couldn't sing. I was in the audience the day of the cantata and couldn't even understand the words they were singing...and I knew the songs. This is the reason that Charles Stanley and others have the words floating down at the bottom of your television screen. Enough of my preaching on subject of preaching vs. singing on Easter.

The worship service at Middle Cross Baptist Church was just beautiful. There was praise and worship music, a special solo by Marks cousin, Phyllis Taylor. Which was just a beautiful song. The choir sang "Because He Lives", which is led by Mark's cousin, Melissa McKenzie and David preached a wonderful sermon. His sermon was taken from Acts 1 starting with verse one. He preached on "Unfailing Proof of a Resurrected Lord", if I have my title correct. One thing he said was how Christ revealed himself at least 11 times to people after he was resurrected. One time to a crowd of 500 people. I am sure that made some doubters of Christ turn to believers that day. I thought about this as he preached, wouldn't we as Christians be more effective if a dying world really saw the resurrected Christ in us?? This is what I mean, we play church and good Christian on Sunday...we say and do all the right things at church, then act like the devil Mon-Sat. Is there no wonder we don't reach the lost. We can't be one thing at church and something different at home and work. I often wonder when people say I can't get my spouse to come to church, I have been praying for them for 25 years...I often wonder how their testimony is at home. Does their spouse see a difference in them or someone who is just all talk at church, you can't reach them if they don't see some evidence of a living Lord living inside you. Just a thought. I am sure you can tell from this blog and those in the past, that evidently I have ran across some "so called Christians" in my life. I have seen people just bash and try to destroy fellow Christians, and it has made me stand offish, leery and down right non trust worthy when you say you are a Christian. I guess I am like Thomas....I want some proof. Don't tell me that you are a Christian, let me see it in your words, actions, the way you conduct yourself outside the church setting. Well, I guess I am preaching again instead of telling you about the great service I went too. David did a wonderful job, and it made me want to preach my two cents worth today as well. Middle Cross is a nice church with wonderful people there. We have known David and Sherry (the pastor and wife) for over 20 years. They are just down home people who love the Lord without compromise. David preaches the Word with no apologizes. You ought to visit them some Sunday. You will be glad you did. Happy Easter 2010 to all who reads this.

Middle Cross Baptist Church located on Lucas Rd in West End, NC.

Rev. David Reynolds, Pastor

Blessings!!!

Yesterday was such a blessing for both Mark and I. We got to go back to Mark's home church for him to preach. He answered the call to preach at Victory Community Baptist Church on March 4, 1990. He was licensed and ordained by the church, plus preached his first sermon there. It was like a homecoming of sorts. The last time Mark did any service at the church was in the spring of 2001, when he helped conduct Rev. Max A. Gilmore's funeral. Mr. Gilmore was a mentor and friend to us as we started out in the pastorate. He always had gentle words of guidance and wisdom for things that we were facing. He was always there when we needed someone to help us pray about something that concerned us in our ministry. Yesterday, the people of Victory made us feel so welcomed and loved. It was a though we had stepped back in time and had never left there. Mark and I were members from '95 to '98 when we lived in Moore County before being called to WV to pastor. What a great 2 services we had. The choir sang "The King is Coming"....one of my favorites. The fellowship was just great. We really enjoyed ourselves.

Victory Community Baptist Church

This is a beautiful stain glass that hangs behind the baptistery. One of the prettiest I have ever seen. First Baptist Southern Pines donated this stain glass when they tore down their old church. What a wonderful gift they gave.

Rev. Max A. Gilmore. A great mentor and friend...a father in the ministry. He always lovingly referred to Mark as his Timothy. He was such a Godly example and a wonderful pastor. He has truly been missed over the last 9 years. There have been times that we wanted to call and get his advice on things. We are thankful for the time that we had and for crossing of paths on this journey called life.

So Long, Farewell, Goodbye!!

Today Mark resigned as interim of the church we have been serving for 16 months. We are resigning to make the move to Moore County all the time. It was a sad time, as we have grown to love them in the time we have been there. They have loved us and been so good to us. It is always hard to say goodbye to congregations that you have grown to love. You never get use to it. This is our 5th time saying goodbye to a congregation, and it is not an easy task. They are great folks at that church. We will miss the good folks of Bethlehem Baptist Church.

Full Day!!!

We had a great service today at church. I will blog all about it later with pictures. After church, we stayed around and did a gift exchange. The church gave Mark and I tickets to the Gaither Praise Fest next year. It is a two day event. After gifts we all went out to eat. Then we visited with mom and dad. Went to get our mail, and stopped at Paul's Place to get hot dogs for supper. Looking forward to a peaceful night. Got all my fruit together to give Amanda this week. Merry Christmas!!!

Friends!!

Got an email from a friend thanking me for her surprise. I mailed her a pair of Christmas earrings that I had made. Known her since the 4th grade. So glad that she liked them.

My friends, Beth and Steve, from down the road lost their father this weekend. I started to kindergarten with Steve in 1976. His sister Beth is older than us. We use to carpool to school together and spent countless days soaking up the rays at Wrightsville Beach. Lots of good memories with those two. Their dad was a nice man. Always willing to help his neighbor. Mr. Stanley, the Long Creek Community will miss you.

Taking a little girl at church a gift today. I know she will love it...she likes everything. We have caught so many sales and used coupons this year that I have a little back stock of gifts. I love giving children gifts. They get so excited.

Chrismon and a variation of the hanging of the greens service today. Having car trouble that weekend threw us behind. It will be great though. Looking forward to a great day.