Today is baptism Sunday, the last of 2019.
At Stonepoint, we do not have a traditional baptistery, so Baptisms are scheduled for three times a year. The whole service will be dedicated to baptism and its celebration. It's a time for the whole church, both campuses to come together to celebrate life change. And celebrate we do. In addition to the baptisms themselves, we sing. Loud. After the service, we have bounce houses, Kona ice. Barbecue and hot dogs. This year we can attempt a rock climb challenge.
Because of the wetness, we'll be outside in the parking lot at the Edgewood schools. It may be cold, but it is going to be a party nonetheless.
We come together as a family. It's part dinner on the grounds, part river baptism, part worship service.
This is homecoming. It's a family reunion. It's a party because our brother, our sister was lost and has now returned. We celebrate with the angels in heaven who rejoice when a sinner repents. "Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:15
We involve each other in the process. The baptisms involve the whole staff and those who have been influential in the life change that is being celebrated. Journey Group leaders and members. Parents. Siblings. Best Friends. A recognition of the joy that is to be spread.
What a great day in the Lord! Oh that we celebrated the Lord's work more often. Certainly he has given us plenty to celebrate.
If you are looking for a church home, to find a place to truly connect and dig in deeper, you can find out more about Stonepoint here.
If you have not believed and followed Christ in baptism, I ask you, Look, here is water. What stands in your way?
Showing posts with label Stonepoint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stonepoint. Show all posts
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Mission Van Zandt
This Sunday is one at Stonepoint we have previously called Stonepoint Serves. We take one Sunday out of the year and do not just go to church, we remember that we are the Church.
This Sunday, we meet for one "service" where we will sing a couple of hymns/choruses and say a prayer, and then that's it at the building. From there, we will go out and spend the morning serving and meeting needs in the community. Yard work, small construction projects, painting, whatever needs we can address. Journey Groups (small groups/Sunday School-like classes) will work together. Other members will be broken up into groups.
It's about giving back to the community. About making the community better. About serving and meeting the needs that we can see or are brought to our attention. About feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, inviting in the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting the imprisoned.
This year, it's gone beyond our church. It's Mission Van Zandt involving churches around the area. It's part of a larger weekend of service. On May 25 and 26, area churches across denominational lines will be actively helping meet the needs of the community through service projects. It's an opportunity for the Church as a whole to be about the Lord's business.
For if we just sit in pews, Sunday after Sunday, without anything outside the walls, where will we have gotten?
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’"
This Sunday, we meet for one "service" where we will sing a couple of hymns/choruses and say a prayer, and then that's it at the building. From there, we will go out and spend the morning serving and meeting needs in the community. Yard work, small construction projects, painting, whatever needs we can address. Journey Groups (small groups/Sunday School-like classes) will work together. Other members will be broken up into groups.
It's about giving back to the community. About making the community better. About serving and meeting the needs that we can see or are brought to our attention. About feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, inviting in the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting the imprisoned.
This year, it's gone beyond our church. It's Mission Van Zandt involving churches around the area. It's part of a larger weekend of service. On May 25 and 26, area churches across denominational lines will be actively helping meet the needs of the community through service projects. It's an opportunity for the Church as a whole to be about the Lord's business.
For if we just sit in pews, Sunday after Sunday, without anything outside the walls, where will we have gotten?
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’"
Matthew 25:31-45
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Baptism Sunday
Today is baptism Sunday. Now we might be fighting a little bit of rain or effects of rain today. But it is a Celebration nonetheless.
At Stonepoint, we do not have a traditional baptistery, so Baptisms are scheduled for three times a year. Today is the first baptism service of 2019. The whole service will be dedicated to baptism and its celebration. It's a time for the whole church, both campuses to come together to celebrate life change. And celebrate we do. In addition to the baptisms themselves, we sing. Loud. After the service, we have bounce houses, Kona ice. Barbecue and hot dogs. We come together as a family. It's part dinner on the grounds, part river baptism, part worship service.
This is homecoming. It's a family reunion. It's a party because our brother, our sister was lost and has now returned. We celebrate with the angels in heaven who rejoice when a sinner repents. "Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:15
We involve each other in the process. The baptisms involve the whole staff and those who have been influential in the life change that is being celebrated. Journey Group leaders and members. Parents. Siblings. Best Friends. A recognition of the joy that is to be spread.
What a great day in the Lord!
If you are looking for a church home, to find a place to truly connect and dig in deeper, you can find out more about Stonepoint here.
If you have not believed and followed Christ in baptism, I ask you, Look, here is water. What stands in your way?
At Stonepoint, we do not have a traditional baptistery, so Baptisms are scheduled for three times a year. Today is the first baptism service of 2019. The whole service will be dedicated to baptism and its celebration. It's a time for the whole church, both campuses to come together to celebrate life change. And celebrate we do. In addition to the baptisms themselves, we sing. Loud. After the service, we have bounce houses, Kona ice. Barbecue and hot dogs. We come together as a family. It's part dinner on the grounds, part river baptism, part worship service.
This is homecoming. It's a family reunion. It's a party because our brother, our sister was lost and has now returned. We celebrate with the angels in heaven who rejoice when a sinner repents. "Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:15
We involve each other in the process. The baptisms involve the whole staff and those who have been influential in the life change that is being celebrated. Journey Group leaders and members. Parents. Siblings. Best Friends. A recognition of the joy that is to be spread.
What a great day in the Lord!
If you are looking for a church home, to find a place to truly connect and dig in deeper, you can find out more about Stonepoint here.
If you have not believed and followed Christ in baptism, I ask you, Look, here is water. What stands in your way?
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Holiday Parties - Why I Love My Work and Why I Love My Church
This week has marked the start of the holiday party season for the Keeler household. On Tuesday evening, Jamie had her annual Christmas Cast Party (the first year it has not been at our apartment). This evening, we will be attending the annual Level 2 Legal Solutions Holiday party in Richardson. This Sunday evening, we will have the privilege of attending the Volunteer Appreciation dinner at Stonepoint Church in Wills Point. Both are events we look forward to all year long.
The Level 2 Legal Solutions Holiday Dinner is truly one of the things that I love about my work and one of the things that really sets us apart from other companies in our field. Every year, our company gives back to its employees with a great dinner, door prizes, games, gifts, and a truly enjoyable evening. We'll close the office early and head out to dinner, with a drinks and plenty of opportunity to socialize. Everyone is there from the CEO to the newest reviewers.
For years, the dinner used to be held in Wills Point at Four Winds Steakhouse. The one night of the year my drive actually worked to my advantage. One benefit, I suppose, of having a four star steakhouse in your town half-way between the offices. We would bus all the reviewers out to Wills Point and back again. Last year, we finally moved the party up to Richardson, allowing an earlier end for everyone involved.
The dinner was also an opportunity for us to announce the recipients of the L2L Charitable Giving Grant Awards. Each year (and now multiple times a year), we ask the employees to nominate charities that are important to them for the opportunity for a grant for that organization. This is the fifth year of that program, I believe.
The dinner can be very difficult to schedule. We never know exactly how many people will be working on projects at the time, especially as far in advance as many locations need to know, so it takes a lot of coordination and preparation to pull it off as well as we do. It is noticed and very appreciated by our workforce.
The Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at Stonepoint is an opportunity for the staff of Stonepoint to say thank you to the many volunteers that help keep Stonepoint serving. They provide the meal and serve the many volunteers and provide the evenings entertainment. It's a night of games with prizes and consequences (our church is a big believer in consequences), with a few surprises along the way.
This will be Jamie and my third Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. It's a gesture that truly reflects the hearts of those on the staff of the church and their care for its members. A reminder that the Church is not the pastor, not the staff - it's the members of the body. This is just one of the many reasons Why I Love My Church.
I hope you and yours have many opportunities to get together with the various groups that make your lives great. From family, to friends, to church family, to co-workers. To enjoy this season and to look forward to greater things ahead.
--------------------
The Level 2 Legal Solutions Holiday Dinner is truly one of the things that I love about my work and one of the things that really sets us apart from other companies in our field. Every year, our company gives back to its employees with a great dinner, door prizes, games, gifts, and a truly enjoyable evening. We'll close the office early and head out to dinner, with a drinks and plenty of opportunity to socialize. Everyone is there from the CEO to the newest reviewers.
For years, the dinner used to be held in Wills Point at Four Winds Steakhouse. The one night of the year my drive actually worked to my advantage. One benefit, I suppose, of having a four star steakhouse in your town half-way between the offices. We would bus all the reviewers out to Wills Point and back again. Last year, we finally moved the party up to Richardson, allowing an earlier end for everyone involved.
The dinner was also an opportunity for us to announce the recipients of the L2L Charitable Giving Grant Awards. Each year (and now multiple times a year), we ask the employees to nominate charities that are important to them for the opportunity for a grant for that organization. This is the fifth year of that program, I believe.
The dinner can be very difficult to schedule. We never know exactly how many people will be working on projects at the time, especially as far in advance as many locations need to know, so it takes a lot of coordination and preparation to pull it off as well as we do. It is noticed and very appreciated by our workforce.
--------------------
The Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at Stonepoint is an opportunity for the staff of Stonepoint to say thank you to the many volunteers that help keep Stonepoint serving. They provide the meal and serve the many volunteers and provide the evenings entertainment. It's a night of games with prizes and consequences (our church is a big believer in consequences), with a few surprises along the way.
This will be Jamie and my third Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. It's a gesture that truly reflects the hearts of those on the staff of the church and their care for its members. A reminder that the Church is not the pastor, not the staff - it's the members of the body. This is just one of the many reasons Why I Love My Church.
--------------------
I hope you and yours have many opportunities to get together with the various groups that make your lives great. From family, to friends, to church family, to co-workers. To enjoy this season and to look forward to greater things ahead.
Friday, November 16, 2018
Top Ten Things I'm Thankful For #5 - A church family that pushes us to growth
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
I've written a few entries on specific services and ministries I love about our church, but I want to take a step further back. In that series, I've specifically avoided discussing the fundamentals (ministers, preaching, teaching, worship, etc) of our church because those are things that any healthy church should be doing well. I wanted to highlight unique and different things that our church does, showing my appreciation for the "outside of the box" ministries. Today, I want to express my gratitude for a church that is striving to meet those fundamentals and doing it well. I want to say thank you for having a great church home in Stonepoint Church, Wills Point.
I am thankful for having godly leadership in those on staff at the church. I am thankful that they take serious their duties as shepherd to the flock entrusted in their care. I'm grateful to get to know and serve along beside them.
I'm thankful for Biblical teaching grounded in the Truth and not on feeling, politic, or tradition. For pastors who will proclaim the Truth that needs to be heard and not falling into either trap of too much "truth" or too much "love."
I'm thankful for a church that calls us all to action. That requires service. And reminds us that we all have a function and purpose to play within the body, however small, however remote, however unseen or unsung.
I'm thankful for a church that pushes its members to growth. That checks in on our progress regularly and holds us to development in our faith.
I'm thankful for a church that works with other churches in the community. I'm especially grateful to have seen the turnout and unity at the community service on Sunday.
I'm thankful for a church that knows how to celebrate and that has fun. From baptism, to family worship, to Facebook challenges, and blooper reels, I'm grateful for a church that shows its enjoyment in life and spending time together. If we believers are family now and will spend eternity together, we should probably start learning to enjoy each others' company now.
I'm grateful to be in a church that is alive in the Spirit of God, for the sad fact is that there are many, many churches across this nation and the globe that are not.
So, to the members and staff of Stonepoint Church, thank you! Your spirit and service are recognized and appreciated.
If you are looking for a church home, to find a place to truly connect and dig in deeper, you can find out more about Stonepoint here.
Ephesians 4:11-13
I've written a few entries on specific services and ministries I love about our church, but I want to take a step further back. In that series, I've specifically avoided discussing the fundamentals (ministers, preaching, teaching, worship, etc) of our church because those are things that any healthy church should be doing well. I wanted to highlight unique and different things that our church does, showing my appreciation for the "outside of the box" ministries. Today, I want to express my gratitude for a church that is striving to meet those fundamentals and doing it well. I want to say thank you for having a great church home in Stonepoint Church, Wills Point.
I am thankful for having godly leadership in those on staff at the church. I am thankful that they take serious their duties as shepherd to the flock entrusted in their care. I'm grateful to get to know and serve along beside them.
I'm thankful for Biblical teaching grounded in the Truth and not on feeling, politic, or tradition. For pastors who will proclaim the Truth that needs to be heard and not falling into either trap of too much "truth" or too much "love."
I'm thankful for a church that calls us all to action. That requires service. And reminds us that we all have a function and purpose to play within the body, however small, however remote, however unseen or unsung.
I'm thankful for a church that pushes its members to growth. That checks in on our progress regularly and holds us to development in our faith.
I'm thankful for a church that works with other churches in the community. I'm especially grateful to have seen the turnout and unity at the community service on Sunday.
I'm thankful for a church that knows how to celebrate and that has fun. From baptism, to family worship, to Facebook challenges, and blooper reels, I'm grateful for a church that shows its enjoyment in life and spending time together. If we believers are family now and will spend eternity together, we should probably start learning to enjoy each others' company now.
I'm grateful to be in a church that is alive in the Spirit of God, for the sad fact is that there are many, many churches across this nation and the globe that are not.
So, to the members and staff of Stonepoint Church, thank you! Your spirit and service are recognized and appreciated.
If you are looking for a church home, to find a place to truly connect and dig in deeper, you can find out more about Stonepoint here.
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Why I Love My Church 4 - Family Worship
This Sunday, August 12, 2018, Stonepoint will be holding Family Worship at all worship services.
To explain how this is unique, let me give a little detail on our normal Sunday morning experience. Stonepoint offers five worship services on Sunday mornings across two campuses. Three in Wills Point and two in Edgewood as identified above. We do not generally have Sunday School as some would expect, but do offer classes for children under sixth grade (or under youth) during the worship hours. This means parents and their young children are generally separated during the worship services. For us, Avalyn and Jude get a double dose, hearing the same lesson twice as we volunteer at least one service and attend another.
Family Worship is a time when the kids are brought into "big church." We will still have childcare for infants, but all other children's classes will not be meeting. The goal is to bring families fully together to worship. The amps are cranked up to eleven. There may or may not be confetti cannons. Beach balls will be bouncing about. The music is pulled form what the children are learning in their classes (and for that reason Jamie is going to get to jump around on stage with the band instead of me this week). And the message will be conveyed in a method geared toward reaching children and their families.
I find this particular Sunday important and impactful for a couple of reasons.
It's important that parents see and aid their children in worship. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6. It's important for parents to see to their child's spiritual life. To teach them the Word, to bring them into worship, and to lead and direct them. We have wonderful teachers and volunteers in the children's ministry at Stonepoint, but we must remember that we as parents are that first line of education and reinforcement. Family worship is a great way to see them in the worship service and to ease them into that transition as they are ready.
It's also important that children see their parents and other adults have joy in worship (and be a little silly). "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise." Psalms 98:4. It is vitally important that children observe joy and excitement in worship. I understand the need for reverence and know its power in song and in word, but across the world we have way too many worship services that look like funeral services. It can be ironic to have a time that is called praise and worship that seems to have very little outward praise. We've seemingly conditioned ourselves to feel that outward expressions of joy and exuberance are to be avoided. That solemnity should rule. And that's a really hard barrier for kids to break. This is what most often separates children out into kids church and big church. We want "big church" to be quiet so the message is heard. We want them to sit still and quiet, when their bodies and our bodies, were meant to dance, to jump, to shout, and to sing praises to our King. We have way too much to be thankful for than to be silent all the time. "I will not be silent, I will not be quiet anymore - Make a joyful noise to the Lord." Our children need to see us being excited, being joyful, praising out loud, so they know it is acceptable and desirable for them to do so. They are little sponges observing and taking in all we do. We need to give them the best example in this area.
So, come join us. Come dance for joy for what the Lord has done. Come sing praises to his name at the top of your lungs. It doesn't matter if you know the words or the tune. It's called a "joyful noise" for a reason.
And if you are worried about looking silly, don't be. We're all in this together and doing it for the best reason possible: all for the glory of God. This dates me, but I think of Undignified by David Crowder Band.
I will dance
I will sing
To be mad
For my King
Nothing Lord is hindering
This passion in my soul
And I'll become
Even more undignified than this
Some would say it's foolishness
But I'll become
Even more undignified than this
Leave my pride by my side
It's all for You my Lord!
If you are looking for a church home, to find a place to truly connect and dig in deeper, you can find out more about Stonepoint here.
To explain how this is unique, let me give a little detail on our normal Sunday morning experience. Stonepoint offers five worship services on Sunday mornings across two campuses. Three in Wills Point and two in Edgewood as identified above. We do not generally have Sunday School as some would expect, but do offer classes for children under sixth grade (or under youth) during the worship hours. This means parents and their young children are generally separated during the worship services. For us, Avalyn and Jude get a double dose, hearing the same lesson twice as we volunteer at least one service and attend another.
Family Worship is a time when the kids are brought into "big church." We will still have childcare for infants, but all other children's classes will not be meeting. The goal is to bring families fully together to worship. The amps are cranked up to eleven. There may or may not be confetti cannons. Beach balls will be bouncing about. The music is pulled form what the children are learning in their classes (and for that reason Jamie is going to get to jump around on stage with the band instead of me this week). And the message will be conveyed in a method geared toward reaching children and their families.
I find this particular Sunday important and impactful for a couple of reasons.
It's important that parents see and aid their children in worship. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6. It's important for parents to see to their child's spiritual life. To teach them the Word, to bring them into worship, and to lead and direct them. We have wonderful teachers and volunteers in the children's ministry at Stonepoint, but we must remember that we as parents are that first line of education and reinforcement. Family worship is a great way to see them in the worship service and to ease them into that transition as they are ready.
It's also important that children see their parents and other adults have joy in worship (and be a little silly). "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise." Psalms 98:4. It is vitally important that children observe joy and excitement in worship. I understand the need for reverence and know its power in song and in word, but across the world we have way too many worship services that look like funeral services. It can be ironic to have a time that is called praise and worship that seems to have very little outward praise. We've seemingly conditioned ourselves to feel that outward expressions of joy and exuberance are to be avoided. That solemnity should rule. And that's a really hard barrier for kids to break. This is what most often separates children out into kids church and big church. We want "big church" to be quiet so the message is heard. We want them to sit still and quiet, when their bodies and our bodies, were meant to dance, to jump, to shout, and to sing praises to our King. We have way too much to be thankful for than to be silent all the time. "I will not be silent, I will not be quiet anymore - Make a joyful noise to the Lord." Our children need to see us being excited, being joyful, praising out loud, so they know it is acceptable and desirable for them to do so. They are little sponges observing and taking in all we do. We need to give them the best example in this area.
So, come join us. Come dance for joy for what the Lord has done. Come sing praises to his name at the top of your lungs. It doesn't matter if you know the words or the tune. It's called a "joyful noise" for a reason.
And if you are worried about looking silly, don't be. We're all in this together and doing it for the best reason possible: all for the glory of God. This dates me, but I think of Undignified by David Crowder Band.
I will dance
I will sing
To be mad
For my King
Nothing Lord is hindering
This passion in my soul
And I'll become
Even more undignified than this
Some would say it's foolishness
But I'll become
Even more undignified than this
Leave my pride by my side
It's all for You my Lord!
If you are looking for a church home, to find a place to truly connect and dig in deeper, you can find out more about Stonepoint here.
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Why I Love My Church 3 - Movie Night
Continuing in the series of things I love about my church - Movie Night.
Tonight is movie night at the church. We'll be at Heritage Park in Edgewood, Texas to gather as a united church and watch a movie under the stars.
We'll gather starting at 7:30 pm for games and fun activities, with the movie starting once it's good and dark. There's plenty of space to spread out a blanket, to set up a lawn chair to get ready for the show.
The church is providing hot dogs and popcorn. Plenty of food to enjoy.
I'm not sure what the movie will be, but it will definitely be family friendly. In the past, it has been the newest Disney home release.
The Heritage Park is a fun place to be in any instance. It's an outdoor museum, with a collection of twenty restored buildings representing life in East Texas from the 1800s to the 1920s.
Now, I know this sounds like an odd one to write about for Why I Love My Church, but hear me out. This goes beyond Jamie and I being movie people.
I love this event because it is so outward facing. It's an opportunity for the church to give to the community. For people to bring guests and family to just be loved on. No ulterior motive, no bait and switch. No Jesus Juke. Just a fellowship event where the church gathers together to enjoy spending time with each other and the church pours out on its members and the community. The church providing free food and a show to whomever comes up.
Now there will be mentions of service times if people would like to come check us out, of other things the church is doing, but they are announcements. We'll pray, we'll eat, and we'll have a good time. A get together with the whole family, if you will.
And it's a perfect time here near Fourth of July celebrations. A time together broken out of the mold of what we think church is. A time to be the Church instead of going to "church".
In the early days of Christianity, "church" took up a lot more time than we would assume. Even more than Sunday morning service, Sunday evening service, Tuesday night prayer service, and Wednesday night devotion.
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Tonight is movie night at the church. We'll be at Heritage Park in Edgewood, Texas to gather as a united church and watch a movie under the stars.
We'll gather starting at 7:30 pm for games and fun activities, with the movie starting once it's good and dark. There's plenty of space to spread out a blanket, to set up a lawn chair to get ready for the show.
The church is providing hot dogs and popcorn. Plenty of food to enjoy.
I'm not sure what the movie will be, but it will definitely be family friendly. In the past, it has been the newest Disney home release.
The Heritage Park is a fun place to be in any instance. It's an outdoor museum, with a collection of twenty restored buildings representing life in East Texas from the 1800s to the 1920s.
Now, I know this sounds like an odd one to write about for Why I Love My Church, but hear me out. This goes beyond Jamie and I being movie people.
I love this event because it is so outward facing. It's an opportunity for the church to give to the community. For people to bring guests and family to just be loved on. No ulterior motive, no bait and switch. No Jesus Juke. Just a fellowship event where the church gathers together to enjoy spending time with each other and the church pours out on its members and the community. The church providing free food and a show to whomever comes up.
Now there will be mentions of service times if people would like to come check us out, of other things the church is doing, but they are announcements. We'll pray, we'll eat, and we'll have a good time. A get together with the whole family, if you will.
And it's a perfect time here near Fourth of July celebrations. A time together broken out of the mold of what we think church is. A time to be the Church instead of going to "church".
In the early days of Christianity, "church" took up a lot more time than we would assume. Even more than Sunday morning service, Sunday evening service, Tuesday night prayer service, and Wednesday night devotion.
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47
This went far beyond the religious activities planned. The Church hung out together. They liked being around each other and enjoyed spending time together.
And it showed to the people around them. Others in the community wanted to be a part of that fellowship. Of that kind of love.
How is your church doing? Do the members actually like to be together? Or do you tolerate each other?
Can you fellowship together and enjoy just spending time and getting to know each other? You know, I think if we cannot get this right down here, eternity is going to be a very long process.
I hope you have a church home that enjoys fellowship as well as the praise of, worship of, and service to our God.
If you don't and would like to see what Stonepoint is about, come pull up a chair tonight. If you are interested in more information on the church, check us out at http://www.stonepointchurch.com.
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