Sue says: Our cell group met Pastor Alfred of the Kindeng Four-Square at his building this morning. The pastor is in the middle with his child and his Bible. These outreaches to community congregations allow our students to have experience relating to believers outside their denomination and using what they are being taught.
Two of the gals helped lead singing. Our whole group introduced ourselves and sang a special number together. Then the group did a contextualized skit about the Good Samaritan. The man who was beaten by robbers became a poor man in the village that no one helped. The self-righteous ones were two church women who wouldn't share what they had. An unbelieving man took the poor man to his own home and gave him food and drink.
Our student preacher is himself a Four-Square pastor. He could therefore preach a very convicting message and have it be accepted. He hit us all right between the eyes with a challenge not just to keep religious laws, but also to develop our relationship with God to such an extent that His concerns for all people become our concerns. He challenged us not to be amassing wealth for ourselves, but instead to look out for the needy who live right around us. The congregation opened their hearts to us and the student preacher's message.
In the time of testimony that was part of the service, the elder got up to praise the Lord for helping the community get tough on marijuana. The community put pressure on marijuana growers among them, and a couple large vehicles full of the drug were removed from the area last night. Local police and the media were on hand, and the story will hit the news tomorrow.
This congregation is a healthy mixture of men, women and children of all ages. We look forward to working with this active group this year.
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