Yesterday was another great day at Fellowship Church.  We had an outdoor service (pics below), and a potluck dinner, complete with football, wiffleball, basketball, slip and slide, group sings around a big oak tree, and whatever else people found to do.  Here are some highlights for me during the “Party in the Park”:

*We focused on Psalm 107 and started a new series called “Nature lover”, referring to falling in love with who God is, and not what He can do for us.
*All week and even to that morning, people asked me “What do we do if it rains”, and I responded, “It doesn’t rain during the Party in the Park.”  So there were people praying all week.  I learned this lesson from my friendship with this church in 1996.
*Our volunteers did an amazing job setting everything up and preparing for the event!  Fellowship rocks!
*The band was amazing!  Playing a mini concert of songs from Lifehouse, Coldplay, Steve Fee, and Delirious.  They even read Scripture for the service!
*The “Best Thing” Project – awesome!  We’ve already heard some great stories about how God is using this, and we’d like to hear more. 
*The best story I’ve heard so far with my own ears is how this family helped a woman  in our church fix the muffler system on her car with a hanger wire, then gave someone else their money to go get the parts she needs and he fixed her car!  Unbelievable!
*The party afterwards was great!  Although my face, neck, and bald spot (how times are changing) are now burnt.  So much for the rain!
Here are some pics!

The band practicing before the service started

The back row enjoying the service. 

The preacher bringing it.

I was a recipient of what came from this sweet grill!

Sue set up shot and chilled through the afternoon.

This young one chilled too – slip and slide style.

How was your weekend?

In this post, Susan commented that she “really enjoyed the discussion.”

Last night, a lady in our church got this bright idea to invite some of her friends to an inpromptu potluck grill out (aka barbeque, cookout, shindig, etc…).  This week Carie is away taking a class for AP Spanish certification (or certificacion, if you please), and so I popped over to the house of the fam having the grill out and we had a great time eating and chatting and enjoying one another’s company.  Four or five families took the family up on her offer and community was built – just like that.

Now in the process, Susan shared something that was she was going to be going through on Thursday and it led to this pretty intense, 2008 style discussion where everyone chimed in and gave their opinion (their were a wide variety of opinions by the way) using Scripture, real life circumstances, and stories of what people around us have gone through considering this subject.

In the end, I was able to see about 4 different opinions to a really hard topic and appreciate why several people in my church think and believe certain things about life.  And I wonder what would happen if more people decided to give away their nights to a community of friends and acquaintences in an effort to get to know people more, rather than sitting in front of a tv or working on the lawn. (2 things I didn’t say in this statement:  1.  Sitting in front of a tv is wrong.  2.  Working on the lawn is wrong.  Thank you)  Would our lives change for the better or worse?  Would you feel stifled with too much community or could you use a bit more, even with your friends?

Would you, like me, feel stuffed like Thanksgiving after 2 pieces of chicken and an interesting couscous dish?

So I’d like to thank my friends (4 different life groups in our church represented) who took a step with me and in the spur of the moment decided they could use a night with friends.  I sure could because I miss Carie a lot!

This post was specifically written for Randy Elrod’s Watercooler Wednesday!

The internet on my computer is down,but I had to find myself on another computer to share with all who will listen about yesterday’s service.  It was Fellowshipable!  Not sure if this is a word, but go with me.

Before the service I thought we were going to get hammered in attendance because so many people have been on vacation and doing their thang, so I brought a few members of the team together (Al and Billy) and told them that no matter how many people we have in this room, we will do what God would want us to do if the room was packed.  Then I prayed with them, and felt much better. 

But alas, it’s not just that the room was packed, but the spirit in the room was unbelievable.  It was electric!  Here are some of the highlights of the morning service for me:

*We finished the “One prayer” series.  This has been amazing and couldn’t have finished on a better note.
*The band, led by Al, had a smooth sound yesterday right off the bat.  They started the service with a jazzy blues jig, and never slowed down.
*Going up to welcome our attenders for that day, and just watching more and more people come in the door.  I wonder if North Point has (relatively speaking) thousands of people coming in late.  Just to let everyone know, our service really does start at 10:30 am now.
*Getting to worship (with music) without being distracted by a whole lot going on.
*The Production team played this video that showed all the churches participating in One Prayer this year. 

I have been saying all along that 1,200, then 1,300, then 1,400, then 1,500 churches were along for the ride, but seeing it scroll in front of them made those numbers come to life!

*The crowd cheering two times in that video:  When Fellowship Church’s name scrolled by, and at the end of the video. 

*Craig’s message or his prayer for the church was “Make us one” and all I can say was how it evidently impacted our church.  Even on video it connected in a way that was clear by the end of the service.

*Our church commiting in their prayer and singing to be one in heart and purpose.  POWERFUL!

*At the end of the service during the last two songs, I went to an office and knelt down and prayed for our church.  Then the band played and for the first time ever, I couldn’t hear Al and the band – only the church as a whole. 

*You need to know that several people in our church community gave up their time to serve on Saturday in the spirit of One Prayer and picked up trash to give back Tacoma St in Worcester for the kingdom of God.  We prayed together, and had a great time too.  Here are some pics:
 

So this was my weekend.

*Next week, we’ll have the “Party in the Park”.  Our morning service will be outside at 10:30 am!  Save for rain of course.  Bring a blanket or a chair, and invite some friends.  Afterwards we’ll have a potluck dinner with your choice of games or talking or whatever you want to do!