Churches
"All I need is an arm around my shoulder on my way.
Did you say that the love of God can hold my heart,
Can wash my fears away?"
Satellite Soul "Wash"
I alluded in a previous blog post about one event that really sticks in my mind that led us to Fellowship Community Church in Grove City three years ago. I promised in that entry to blog about it, but I can't seem to find the followup, so I'm telling the story again.
At one point after we'd been going there about a year (maybe around new members' class for us) Pastor David asked me what I thought was the best thing (or maybe most distinctive, but positive) thing about the church. It took me about 200 milliseconds to answer:
Carol Frey.
We were brand new to the area. We had been married a while by then, and had a three year old, but in a lot of ways we'd never settled down (a long PhD program will do that to you.) We'd been in town less than a few weeks (I want to say less than two, but I'm not sure) and been to one church -- FCC. But Carol Frey (who would later become a dear friend of ours) not only took the time to meet us -- these new, strange out-of-towners -- but she went out of her way to do two other things. First, she invited Asher over to play with Jake (her one month younger than Asher youngest of four), which was a God thing. We'd had been worried and praying that Asher would have playmates, because he'd had only a handful of friends in Chicago and most of them had been from families like ours: in transition and in urban living. We were (probably pretty stupidly) worried about him making friends in a rural environment where all the kids grew up together and already knew each other.
But, to add to that, on that first play date she found out from Sharon that I played guitar and drums, had been leading worship at our church in Chicago, and was worried about finding a church in Grove City where I could minister on the worship team. So she contacted Debbie Throckmorton and set up a "dinner" where they both brought their kids, we brought Asher and my guitar, and Warren (my best friend in Grove City, who I first met that night), Michael (Carol's husband, and another close brother in the faith), and I sat out back and played guitar.
We visited other churches after that, but I'll tell you what I've long since told all of them: my heart wasn't in it. I felt like FCC was the place God wanted us.
Lots of stuff happened in the intervening three years. The church recently went through a nasty turn of events, and has had several people leave. But I'll never forget the kindness Carol showed us in opening up their already very crowded lives to make room.
This makes me think of another story I usually tell in combination with this one, but one I didn't understand until this occured. When I was first driving in high school my dad badgered me into coming to a visitation night with him because there was a couple who had brought their freshman boy to church, and dad suggested that rather than a visit from a staff member, he thought they'd be better served by a visit from the church youth. So, I went, and took a buddy or two with me. We went several times after that, because we noticed that whenever we visited the family almost always landed at our church -- usually becoming good friends. We joked about visitation being the opportunity to add to our social circle.
Of course now, I understand completely. Dad was savvy and shrewd. I can say if Asher had been 13 and Andy Frey and a couple of buddies had visited him that first week after we visited FCC we wouldn't even have bothered visiting anywhere else: even for show. I think you all probably know why.
Anyway, so here it is three years later, and we find ourselves in the same looking boat, but this time there is no Carol Frey. God will use something/someone to show us his way, I know. Pray I keep my eyes open.
Asher, awed by the fact that First EvFree Fullerton sends their kids outside to play on a playground on campus during their kids' time, has stated that's where he wants to go. It's a little big for Sharon and I, but who knows?
Anyway, keep praying for us. Things are falling in to place. God is good.
Did you say that the love of God can hold my heart,
Can wash my fears away?"
Satellite Soul "Wash"
I alluded in a previous blog post about one event that really sticks in my mind that led us to Fellowship Community Church in Grove City three years ago. I promised in that entry to blog about it, but I can't seem to find the followup, so I'm telling the story again.
At one point after we'd been going there about a year (maybe around new members' class for us) Pastor David asked me what I thought was the best thing (or maybe most distinctive, but positive) thing about the church. It took me about 200 milliseconds to answer:
Carol Frey.
We were brand new to the area. We had been married a while by then, and had a three year old, but in a lot of ways we'd never settled down (a long PhD program will do that to you.) We'd been in town less than a few weeks (I want to say less than two, but I'm not sure) and been to one church -- FCC. But Carol Frey (who would later become a dear friend of ours) not only took the time to meet us -- these new, strange out-of-towners -- but she went out of her way to do two other things. First, she invited Asher over to play with Jake (her one month younger than Asher youngest of four), which was a God thing. We'd had been worried and praying that Asher would have playmates, because he'd had only a handful of friends in Chicago and most of them had been from families like ours: in transition and in urban living. We were (probably pretty stupidly) worried about him making friends in a rural environment where all the kids grew up together and already knew each other.
But, to add to that, on that first play date she found out from Sharon that I played guitar and drums, had been leading worship at our church in Chicago, and was worried about finding a church in Grove City where I could minister on the worship team. So she contacted Debbie Throckmorton and set up a "dinner" where they both brought their kids, we brought Asher and my guitar, and Warren (my best friend in Grove City, who I first met that night), Michael (Carol's husband, and another close brother in the faith), and I sat out back and played guitar.
We visited other churches after that, but I'll tell you what I've long since told all of them: my heart wasn't in it. I felt like FCC was the place God wanted us.
Lots of stuff happened in the intervening three years. The church recently went through a nasty turn of events, and has had several people leave. But I'll never forget the kindness Carol showed us in opening up their already very crowded lives to make room.
This makes me think of another story I usually tell in combination with this one, but one I didn't understand until this occured. When I was first driving in high school my dad badgered me into coming to a visitation night with him because there was a couple who had brought their freshman boy to church, and dad suggested that rather than a visit from a staff member, he thought they'd be better served by a visit from the church youth. So, I went, and took a buddy or two with me. We went several times after that, because we noticed that whenever we visited the family almost always landed at our church -- usually becoming good friends. We joked about visitation being the opportunity to add to our social circle.
Of course now, I understand completely. Dad was savvy and shrewd. I can say if Asher had been 13 and Andy Frey and a couple of buddies had visited him that first week after we visited FCC we wouldn't even have bothered visiting anywhere else: even for show. I think you all probably know why.
Anyway, so here it is three years later, and we find ourselves in the same looking boat, but this time there is no Carol Frey. God will use something/someone to show us his way, I know. Pray I keep my eyes open.
Asher, awed by the fact that First EvFree Fullerton sends their kids outside to play on a playground on campus during their kids' time, has stated that's where he wants to go. It's a little big for Sharon and I, but who knows?
Anyway, keep praying for us. Things are falling in to place. God is good.
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