jstefan posted on June 16, 2010 15:20
Out of our comfort zone! That’s how I felt along with about 15 other Westminster Adventist church members on Mother’s Day along Main Street in Westminster MD! With the pioneering work of GROW Mission to give us confidence, we sang, puppeteered, fellowshipped and spread the good word of Jesus Christ! We set up our program on the pavilion at Locust Lane just across Main Street from the Public Library. We had a puppet theater, Martha’s piano, Hakeem’s drums and Dominique’s smiling indomitable spirit and 3AM; we had literature tables, banners, fliers; we had Pastor Jonatan and Daniela to translate into Spanish and to preach a good word! We heard Howard Karst’s cool sax playing a powerful song of faith which seemed to echo down Main Street. Pastor Steve Wall shared a short message on the 90/10 principle dealing with stressful situations!
George, a local citizen came in off the street dressed in baggy pants and a tank top, but when he sang the Lord’s Prayer he drove the demons away! This event was not just for us but open for the sidewalk crowd to participate. Sidewalk traffic was sparse but we undertook a trial run and will better know how to plan our next event the week of June 6 beginning at 6pm! Just think if we had 50 of our members supporting with at least their attendance!? The crowd would be contagious! The thrill of meeting people right off the street; passing our literature praying for people out in the open air; what better way for our church to be involved in telling the world of our God!?
GROW mission is one of our church’s greatest assets! Before the event on Mother’s Day, they had their pavilion set up in Dutterer’s Park where they fed over 70 people while they fellowshipped and shared with the people off the streets of Westminster! GROW has put a good name on our church! People are hearing that our church is not afraid to mingle with the crowd from the streets! The question for us as a church: are we ready for them to come to our side of the “tracks” and worship in our church; will we know what to say and what not say to these children of our Heavenly Father? One way I know to prepare is to come into the streets and support the church June 6-12; and then again July 6-10.