As I have mentioned before, I am continually blessed to have a mother who raised me as a follower of Christ. Some of my earliest memories and momentous events of my life have taken place under the roofs of the small churches my family has attended.
This is the first church I attended. First in the nursery and later on in the pre-school classes I began my journey of learning about Jesus and his principles for living life. One principle I learned as a small child at this church was the principle of the giraffe. We made giraffes out of clothes pins and paper. The principle was, be like the giraffe, if you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all (since the giraffe doesn't make any sounds). This is one of the hardest principles for me to consistently practice.
We made the change to this little church because it was in the Northend where we lived (the historic district of our city) and attending a church closer to home cut our drive time down by at least 30 minutes. This church offered a Vacation Bible School (VBS). VBS was staffed by volunteers and was one to two weeks in length. They offered various fun activities. It was at VBS that two questions were asked by my teacher, that sealed the spiritual direction for my life. The teacher asked if anyone would like to ask Jesus into their heart. For some reason that one didn't hit home with me. It was the second question, that the Holy Spirit used to speak to me. The second question was, "Is anyone not sure if they will go to heaven?" I remember to this day the Holy Spirit speaking to me mind and saying, "Your not sure are you?" I wasn't sure, and I went forward to the teacher become a follower of Christ. Thank the Lord for the volunteers who give of their time to teach children.
Once again, driving time triggered a change to another church. We'd moved from the city out to the country, which made it very difficult to attend our little Northend church. We made a change to a church that was closer to home. It was at this church that two more major events and blessings would take place. The Lord tells us that once we've made the decision to become one of his followers, he wants us to take the next step of baptism (Matthew 3:13-16). I was baptized while attending this church. It was also at this church where our wedding was held and I received the blessing of a wonderful wife.
My late brother was the first to make the change to our next church. One of his friends from High School invited him to attend this church. We too had friends who attended there and my wife and I decided that it would be nice to attend with my brother and our friends. It was at this church where we dedicated our children to the Lord, where they became followers of Christ and where they were baptized. This church represents a lot of fond memories of choirs, plays and friendships that we still enjoy today. This church has a lot of positive programs that reach out to the congregation and the community and we were pleased to be able to be a part of these activities.
It was our son that introduced us to the church we now attend. He and a friend started attending this church. Having graduated from High School, our son attended their college group. My wife's brother's family also attended here. The pastor's missions focused messages really spoke to our heart and we felt the Lord speaking to us asking us to move to this church and look for a new way to serve him. My son attended Bible School in Europe and he met his wife there. They were later married at our church. Plans are in the works for them to dedicate our grandchild to the Lord during one of the services.
I've always found comfort in the love and relations I've formed while attending the various churches that have been interwoven into the fabric of my life. As you can see from the pictures, many of the church buildings themselves could not be considered great works of architecture. Some of them are small and plain. Compared to some of the great cathedrals of Europe, these buildings could never be considered architectural wonders.
However, it's important to note that it's not the buildings, but the people these buildings represent that have provided the love comfort and spiritual nurturing that has enriched my life. It's also critical to understand that it's not attending church that makes you a follower of Christ nor will attending church provide you eternal life. As Ephesians 2:8-9 points out:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
However, if you're not attending a church I would encourage you to find one that will help you learn more about Christ. Be sure that the church's foundation is one that incorporates these words Jesus spoke, in their beliefs.
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
This is one foundational truth that cannot be compromised. Just as we read in Ephesians 2:8-9, it is God's grace through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ, which grants us eternal life. There's nothing we can do to work our way into heaven.
As you know, this next weekend is Easter and I would be a perfect time to try a church out and see if it's one that you would enjoy attending.
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