I would just like to thank everybody who has lifted me up in prayer over the past few months. As some of you may already know via Facebook, I believe the Lord has allowed me to find a new home church. It's a very large Foursquare church just around the corner from me (about 3,000 people). It's not a perfect church, but one thing that strikes me is how caring the people seem. Everytime I've visted, there is somebody who hunts me down, introduces themselves, and gives me a hug, followed by a meaningful conversation in the Lord. Their hospitality is second to none.
The pastor, while I just find his preaching ok, seems to have a great heart for the task before him. I've only met him in person 2 or 3 times, yet the other night he came up to me, said "hello jimmy," and talked for a second. He's even called me once on a weekend, and has twice responded to a couple e-mails I've written him, all within 24 hours.
The church seems pretty stable, having just 5 senior pastors in 75 years. The current pastor has been there for 15 years, and the church has grown from 300 to 3,000 people in that time frame. They also have about 50 cell groups in the area.
Though they are a Foursquare/Pentecostal church, I can't say I've seen an overly dynamic services with the gifts of the Spirit in operation so far. But, what they seem to lack in the charismatic gifts area as a church, they seem to make up with plenty of fruit. The church has 4 services, 3 on Sunday morning and 1 on Monday night. They also have a dedicated prayer room, which is tucked in the center of the pastoral/staff office spaces. They seem to have a strong prayer ministry from what I hear.
I look forward to being a part of this church. My heart truly has leaped with joy over being here. Yes, there is a "Church, Inc" feel to it, as they are highly organized and seem to have a lot of "programs." But, having met the people I have thus far, whatever they have seems to be born out of geniune love and care for the souls they have been charged to oversee, and not simply just another cog in some wheel. _________________ Jimmy H
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