Although Ivy Farms Baptist continues services each Sunday morning at 10:45am, GracePlace is taking a break for the summer. I’m over committed and our small congregation agreed to suspend for the summer, and tackle the restart again in the fall.
What did we learn?
- The facilities are old and tired. It was difficult running sound and video from the pulpit. Having a sound board behind the choir loft is unacceptable. We’re going to move it this summer.
- You can’t run a church without help. Too hard to do alone. It wil wear you out fast.
- Frequent communication with all building tennants is needed. I showed up one evening to find the afternoon church had scheduled an ordination service to begin about an hour before my service. I had done some extra advertising that week, and was a little upset. (The deacon calmed me down.) I was reminded that ordaining men for service was worth more than my feeble attempts at doing church. The other congregation closed the auditorium door and I moved into one of the classrooms. We started talking that evening. The communication with that pastor helped convince the host church to let us paint the hallways, and make a plan to renovate the too-small women’s bathroom.
- Just when you think you’re making progress, the devil will find a way to shut you down.
Starting in July, we’ll start the prayer walking again, and start over in the fall. I’m building a Money 101 course and the pastor is getting his parenting workshop ready. If we can find someone to help get the ballfield in shape, we’ll run a flag football league.
Pray with us. With God’s help, we’ll start this again in the fall.
