Doing Church

A family member sent me this notice from Pastor Jack Hilligoss to his Burns Avenue church family in Lake Wales, Florida.

“Dear HPC family, Just a quick note to say, ‘Thanks” and to celebrate with all of you who came out to take part in our first, “Don’t Go to Church” Sunday this past Sunday. We have been learning for five weeks that the church is not a denomination or building or institution, but a family of people whose lives have been changed by Jesus and who exist to have radical, positive impact for him in their community.

“We saw a little piece of that this weekend. Nearly 300 HPC members showed up and went out to over 15 sites to serve Lake Wales. We dug drainage ditches, organized libraries, visited nursing home patients, planted trees and cleaned up around local schools, installed plumbing for the Chamber of commerce, painted rooms for Circle of Friends, installed shelving at community centers, built a ramp on the home of a disabled person, cleaned a yard and scrapped paint for a new transitional housing unit for the Care Center…and more!

“I have been getting wonderful and exciting messages of gratitude from principles, camp leaders, and community leaders all day today. What a privilege to serve in a church where so many are serious about wanting to serve.”

What a neat way for this growing congregation to relate to their community. Nice change of pace as a way of doing church. Find a need and fill it; that is Christian worship at its best..............
From Warner’s World,
Wayne