shinewriter

First time in a New Church
by Stephen Clover

Recently Hine an I were reflecting on our life together. We have now been married twenty years. To our horror we discovered that we’ve lived in a different house for each year. This includes places like Christchurch, Wellington, Timaru and Hamilton. Then there is good old Temuka, Wanganui, or have they decided on Whanganui.

I write this from Invercargill my wife is a little hesitant. But then I’ve lived here three times. Over the years we’ve come up with a fail safe formula. It’s to do with finding a church home.

Now the first time in a new congregation people crawl all over you. You are the flavour of the month. It does get a bit sickening at times. But deep down we love it.

The following Sunday things are a lot quieter and we can get on with our father’s business. We listen to the sermon and find a few cracks. By now we’re are getting confident so a mid week meeting is a must.

The third Sunday has arrived and we are cooking with gas. We’ve made some friends an are on first name terms. It is now time to pray it through and wait on the Lord.

Then we arrived in Invercargill. My third time and Hine’s second. We had been to four churches already and were getting a little tired. At ICBC
they had just begun a six part series titled ‘Living Your Faith’. Six dynamic sermons. Each geared up to give the believer some strong keys in Christian development.

Six sermons over six weeks, Sunday morning and night. In the evening another Minister looked at that weeks topic from a different perspective. Messages about, Behaviour, Service, get the idea. Then there was Word, Prayer, another about Spirit. Incarnation brought the series to a close. But not quite. A seventh week brought a summing up.

Members of the congregation were invited to step up the front and give their opinions. Something I found interesting. Most churches I’ve been in we usually do that at home over lunch. Usually with a mouthful of food. Hence the expression ‘roast parson’.

In spite of all these new experiences Hine and I were most impressed. I’ve been a Christian for twenty five years. Even I learnt something.

But yes, we stayed and so we shall until God is ready to take us out on another adventure. It is always fun wandering around God’s vineyard. And it’s all worthwhile when He is holding your hand.

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