Hope Springs Christian Fellowship

May 8, 2006- Hopesprings Christian Fellowship- Bangor, Pennsylvania

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to "Hopesprings Christian Fellowship" in Bangor, Pa. They have a great vision for reaching their community, using a "coffee house" on the street side of the building, and a large worship area in a converted warehouse in the back of the building. We toured their building after the worship service. They have a lot of work yet to go on the building, but it is a great facility, and will be used by the Lord to reach many people for the Lord in this Pennsylvania town. Of course, right now, they have their priorities right. They are concentrating first on building their people- building them in the word, equipping them for service, bonding them together for mission. They had a breakfast/brunch before worship, then a wonderful worship service, and a session from the "Alpha" course (on, of all topics- EVANGELISM!) Then they broke up into small groups around tables outside the worship area and had discussion groups on the morning "Alpha" lesson. It was a great way of making the teaching personal, and having people reflect on what they heard and how they will apply it in their lives. They are well on their way to building a vibrant, alive congregation.

Church Visit-Sparta Evangelical Free Church

April 9, 2006- Palm Sunday- website- www.spartaefc.org

This was the first Sunday after my operation on my vocal cords, so I had a day to "worship in silence". Worship was held at the Helen Morgan School in Sparta. This church has grown to pretty large church- the worship service that we attended was full (I guess about 200 in attendance- it was the 2nd worship service that morning, so I imagine that attendance at the worship services number close to 300). The ethnic make-up closely reflected the Sparta area- probably about 99% white. The worship service was more of a traditional European style, with some choruses and some hymns. The message was clearly focused on the meaning of the cross.
If you drive along Route 15, north of Sparta, you will see their beautiful facility which is being built in a strategic location- 110 acres right on Rt. 15! Their building is expected to be completed sometime in June. I believe that they have a bright future, and we pray that they may reach many for Christ in the Sparta area.

Christ Church, Montclair

Christ Church, Montclair, NJ (moving to Rockaway, NJ)
Website- www.christchurchnj.org
April 2, 2006- What an impressive church! This church of about 5,000 members is truly a picture of a "multicultural" church. I have heard David Ireland's presentation about being a multicultural ministry, and I was deeply impacted by his vision. This vision is reflected in their staff and leadership- white, black, hispanic, Asian, etc. are pretty equally represented in their leadership. And, it is represented in the ethnic makeup of the congregation as well. What a blessing, and what a picture of what it truly means to be a "church without walls"- a church in which the walls of division that have separated people of different races have been broken down by Christ. Ephesians 2:14- "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility...."
Before you even entered the church, you were greeted by about 1/2 dozen people, people who were ready to show you where to sit, where to get information, etc. The church has a beautiful facility- classic design, but with a modern feel. You could see a commitment to excellence in everything they did, and the way everything was situated and presented. The sanctuary seats about 900 people, and it was full. The front stage area was filled with people on the worship team, and the words to the worship choruses was projected on a screen placed discreetly on both sides of the worship/stage area. Worship was exciting, heartfelt, beautifully done. People sang with enthusiasm,while flags were waving overhead- symbols of the dove (symbol of the Holy Spirit), and the cross. You felt like you were "covered" by the Holy Spirit as you were worshipping. At the portion about giving, people read statements of affirmation about giving, and then gave their offerings while worshipping. The morning message was not given by David Ireland (he was on assignment elsewhere), but by Barbara Franklin. The message was memorable- on God's favor. What a blessing to know when we have God's favor- that no matter what others say or do, no matter what difficuties we may face, if we know that we have God's favor (His blessing), we have confidence that will not be shaken!
Please pray for this church. They have come under some serious opposition over the past 2 years as they have sought to complete their move to the Agilent site in Rockaway (zoning and planning board issues). Sue and I welcome them, and I hope you do too. Pray that they will continue to be blessed, and to have God's favor as they move closer to us in Morris County!