The following narrative is a dream. It was originally presented to the church on
May 6th. It is a vision –
that is to say that it is a work in progress that could be, if we can only
imagine a place …
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Vision
Casting Sabbath
– May 6, 2006
Imagine A
Place
The year is 2026 and I want
you to Imagine a place… a church… a church that is so involved in
their community that:
Pre-Christian Ray, a 28 year
old resident of
“Yea”, he said, “I noticed an
ad in the newspaper that said, ‘Men’s group going fishing! Fun, fishing and
food, come join us”. When I got there I realized they were from a church! Just
a bunch of regular guys who enjoy each others company and like to fish. I’ve
got to say… I had a great time, I’ll probably go again.”
Two days later, Ray is in
Sunrise Coffee Shop and he overhears two ladies talking in the next booth. “My
kids just love it”, one lady said, “It’s called the KID’s ZONE. It’s at Eugene
Church of God (Seventh Day). They meet on Sabbath, that’s on Saturday you know,
and they have several programs for my kids. There is a bible lesson, a
recreational time and then they have a kid’s theater with movies and skits. We
can stay there the entire morning and a good part of the afternoon and the kids
don’t even get bored. And these activities continue during the week and provide
an after-school play time in an enclosed area supervised by adults. They also have something called “SEEKERS”
where they do badges, crafts, and bible stories. Tonight the whole family’s
going to a Movie Night at the church. They have several big screens, and we
have popcorn, and food. Why don’t you, Don and the kids join us?”
Two weeks later Ray hears on
the radio that E/CG7 is sponsoring a seminar on Career Counseling, and when he
gets home and tells his wife, she says, “I heard about these guys, they held a
seminar a couple of months ago on parenting. Jim and Nancy, down the street
went; they said it was amazing, I think they are attending that church now. And
we have also received door hangers that said that some of the people in the
church were praying for our families and the neighborhood. They pray that our
kids would be safe and protected, that our lives would be fulfilled, and that
we will receive the love that God has for us.
Ray decides he needs to check
out the church. He goes to the Webpage. There he sees pictures and information on:
1.
Location and
times of service/ over 1000 in attendance last week
2.
Order of service:
·
first service –
8:30 AM
·
·
Second service –
11:15 AM
·
Afternoon
Activities
-
education &
seminars
-
Fellowship
activities (food and fun)
-
Evangelism projects
·
Hispanic service
– 4:00 PM
·
Young Adult
worship – 7:00 PM
3.
Children’s
programs in rooms that are decorated in
4.
Young adults at a
concert
5.
Small Groups
doing: (fishing, bible study, motorcycle, drama, singles, women’s, men’s
groups)
6.
A place online to
put prayer requests and where you could ask questions about life and the bible
and someone would respond
7.
Social Activities
for all ages
8.
The Sabbath
Morning message as a downloadable DVD
9.
Books and music
resources
10. Information about their counseling center
But, in addition to all the
amazing stuff available… Ray is most impressed with the expressions of the
people he sees in the pictures. They are smiling, laughing, praying, and
studying the bible together. And there were pictures of men and women with
their kids and their young people. Ray thinks to himself, people always talk
about quality time! These people are doing it.
And then Ray reads the church
Purpose Statement: Love God… Love People! And Ray thinks; “now that’s
refreshing. Simple and I get it, and I must say that these people have got
something I want, that I’m missing. Maybe there is something to this God thing.
All I know is that I want what these people have.
So Ray decides to do a
drive-by. Get a look at things but don’t get too close, at least not yet. On
Friday night he gets his wife and the kids and drives to the church. As they
enter the driveway to the church they see the church name, Church of God
(Seventh Day) surrounded by a beautiful fountain, declaring that the church exists
to be a “well of living water, springing forth to everlasting life. The grounds are lush green with trees,
flowers and manicured grass. The property appears to be about 6 to 8 acres with
lots of parking. The building appears to be about 36,000 square feet and is 2
stories, stucco, earth tones, nice but not showy.
As Ray drives around the
building he sees a huge outdoor facility (roof no sides) with picnic tables and
BBQ’s. There are Sports Fields, an enclosed children’s play area, and an
amphitheater against the back of the building with a big sign advertising
upcoming concerts for the community. This is like a park, he thinks.
Ray remembers the webpage
that listed two services on Saturdays. He takes a family vote and they decide
to come to the 2nd service… tomorrow.
As Ray and his family arrive
at the church on Sabbath morning, it’s raining (what a surprise), but no
problem because there is a large covered area over the entry. As Ray pulls in,
he sees a sign he didn’t see before. It says, “Guests… please turn on your
lights.”
Ray does so, and as he pulls
up to the front doors, Natalie, dressed in a COG7 jacket, approaches the window
and welcomes the family. Once the family is out of the car Ray is directed to
park in an area close to the front doors with a sign that says “Guest VIP
Parking”. As Ray catches up with his family and the parking lot greeter, the
greeter puts a small VIP nametag on Ray’s shirt and escorts the family into the
building.
As the family enters the
building they step into lobby, also called the family room. Ray thinks to
himself, this is one huge family room, and it is! With a 20-foot ceiling and a
total square footage totaling 2/3rds the size of the main sanctuary it is big.
But it’s big for a reason. So much of the family life of the church will go on
in this room. This is a room for relationship to happen in a natural and casual
manner.
The décor of the lobby is
warm, inviting with lots of greenery. There are banners hanging from the
ceiling, and art on the walls. The lighting is indirect and well planned to set
the mood. Scattered around the room are AV monitors with announcements of
coming events, ministry opportunities and signups right on the screen, General
Conference Mission projects, speakers talking about current events, and a
special area for people to log in their prayer requests on a computer.
There is seating around the
room organized into 4 conversation pits with comfortable chairs and sofas. In
the center of the room is a fountain and waterfall with a small sign that says,
“Baptismal” and the verse, – “The water I give will become a spring of water
welling up to eternal life.” To one side
of the room is a coffee bar and tall tables with seating similar to Starbucks.
Near the front door is a
welcome and information center where Ray and his family receive a special gift
for attending, a packet of information and the offer of a church tour. Before
leaving the center they are asked to fill out a guest information card.
They enter a hallway to the
right of the lobby with a sign that says, “KID’s Zone, and Nursery”. At the
entrance to the hall is a counter with a check-in station for children on one
side and babies on the other. Parents have a credit card that they swipe to
check-in each child. A numbered label that sticks to the child’s shirt is
printed after the swipe of the card with a corresponding label for the parent.
Past the security station the nursery is on the left with a common wall with
the sanctuary. Inside there are one way windows looking in. Next to the nursery
is a room for mom’s with nursing or crying babies. This room also has windows
into the sanctuary and sound from the sanctuary.
Across the hall and around
the side of the building is the KID’s ZONE.
At the other side of the
lobby the sign on the entrance to the hall reads, “Library/Resource Center,
Prayer Chapel, Youth and
The Library has books, tapes,
teaching materials, prayer recourses and a checkout station for tapes, videos
and movies. The prayer chapel has a common wall with the sanctuary and like the
nursery has one way windows looking in. It’s very peaceful and warm with soft
music playing in the background. It’s obvious that this church is serious about
prayer. A prayer team is praying for the
activities of the day.
Next is the Youth and Family
Recreation Area. This is a large room with pool tables, ping pong, interactive
videos, a small stage with a big screen for presentations and music and
multiple smaller rooms surrounding the large one. These smaller rooms are for
youth classes and small groups. Presently this area was being used for Jr. High
and
Next beyond the kitchen is
the multi-purpose Gym with full court basketball, volleyball court bleachers.
The kitchen has a pass-through and a door to the gym so that banquets and large
meeting can be held in this room.
Ray’s tour guide tells them
that if they continue around the hall there are the church offices and adult
classrooms. In these classrooms we have
Ray is almost overwhelmed by
this time. This is not what he imagined goes on behind the church walls. This
was interesting, relatable, relational, and interactive and might he go so far
as to say feels like fun.
By now the second service was
about to start. Ray and his wife entered the Sanctuary through the lobby. They
were immediately met by sharply dressed ushers who handed them a bulletin and a
prayer list, and seeing the VIP tag escorted them to reserved seating in the
center front of the room. All along the way to their seating, people are
smiling and greeting one another. When they got to their seats, there was
another couple sitting next to them who introduced themselves and welcomed them
to the church. Some friendly dialog ensued and this couple invited Ray and his
wife to join them after church for the Chili Cook-off and concert that was
happening on the church grounds. Donations from this event are to go to a youth
and adult mission trip to the
While visiting Ray looks
around the Sanctuary. It is a large beautiful room. Looks to seat about 5 to
600 people. It does not have any windows but is brightly lit with lots of
theatrical lighting. There is a large stage in a half circle with 3 large
overhead screens. Announcements of coming events are being presented on the big
screens with soft music playing in the background. From the raised stage the
floor comes out about 20 ft. and then rises 2 ft. It then goes back 12 ft and
then rises 2 ft. and so on making about 5 raised levels from the stage to the
back of the room. This allows for good viewing from all seats, it keeps the
back close to the front, and with the movable chairs, tables could be brought
in making the room multi purpose for large seminars or events.
Then the service began. Ray
had not noticed the 12-piece band and the 40-person choir takes the stage. One
of the ministers welcomed the congregation and opened in prayer, and the
Worship service began. The music and singing is amazing. Celebrative and then
soft and devotional. A mix of contemporary and traditional styles of music.
Words and images flowing across the big screens and mood setting lighting all
enhance the worship experience. Ray finds himself moved by the experience and
not just because of the excellence of the presentation but because of the sincerity
of the congregation. They all seem to be singing to an audience of one. They
are singing to Jesus, their Lord and Savior.
Following the worship is a
time of corporate prayer. On the AV monitors were all the prayer requests that
had been logged into the webpage all week as well as the prayers logged into
the prayer station computers. In addition to the personal prayer requests
different ministers led the congregation in prayer for the city, the government
and the world. Ray thinks to himself, “These people really do love their God
and the people and the people in their world. Lucky people!”
Then came the message. The
lead pastor took the stage and began to speak from his heart. Ray felt as
though the pastor had been following him around all week due to the fact that
the message so spoke to his thoughts and situations. The message was from the
bible but addressed the topics of life. The pastor shared personal experiences,
funny experiences and stories. Following the message there was a time for people,
who were so moved, to commit to a change in their life by coming forward and to
be prayed for and encouraged. The service ended with a special song whose words
encapsulated the morning’s message. Ray and his wife feel as though they could
stay and do it all again.
Ray and his family left
church that Sabbath convinced that the had found a church where the members
loved people as they loved God – a place where the life of Christ flowed into
them like a river and then out into the community. Here was the life that they were looking
for.
Imagine a church that was
praying people long before they ever knew the church existed! They were looking for something that was
authentic, biblical, filled with life with opportunities to love others. They didn’t know it at the time but what
attracted Ray and his family to Eugene Church of God (Seventh Day) was the
loving prayers of the people.
Ray and his entire family
over the next months continue to attend each Sabbath. They receive a visit from
one of the pastors, church people reach out and welcome them. They accept the
Lord into their lives and become active participants in the life of the church.
They attend
And all this and more… If we can Imagine a place… Right
here in
A place called:
AMEN!
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