For 10 years, Brian and I have been attending a small church in Alfalfa. (Brian for a little longer as he attended before we were married.) It was a wonderful church family with good, solid preaching from the Word of God and wonderful hymn singing. I became involved with planning Sunday School and VBS, Brian played the piano every Sunday. Both of our children were born while we attended.
Around Christmas of 2009, the pastor's wife became ill and he felt it was necessary to step down so he could care for her. Brian stepped in as the speaker, but never felt called to become the pastor of the church. One of several reasons was that we lived 30 minutes away from the church and the community. Alfalfa is a rural, farm community that we just don't understand. (We're city folk through and through.)
After 18 months of Brian filling the pulpit, the seeming lack of desire of the people to really search for a new pastor or help out in the church, the numbers dwindling to 7 adults and 6 kids, and the desire for us to be part of a church body in our own community, Brian announced our leaving the Alfalfa Community Church after Easter and the high probability that the church would close. (Interestingly enough, in one week one family in the church pushed the AMF area director to find a pastor and he took over the week after we left. Sadly, the direction the church has taken does not seem to be very solidly based on the Bible.)
A couple years ago, Ed Nelson and his wife began a church in Redmond. Now, Redmond has a lot of churches with a few on our road. Sadly, most of these churches have the wrong doctrine or their music is painful to sit through. We don't enjoy the choruses or praise/worship songs popular in today's churches. We prefer the hymns. The Berean Bible Church has a traditional service with hymns and good preaching. (No drums, no worship team, no bells and whistles.)
We have been attending for a month and a half and already feel so welcomed and loved. The majority of the members are in their 60's and above and no other children attend, but Brian and I have come to realize that is not what church is about. It is a time to gather with other believers and hear from the Word of God. We do hope that other families might start to attend because of our little family being there.
It is an active little church, too. They have a weekly Bible study, monthly men's breakfast, monthly potluck, and other activities scattered throughout the month. We have already been added to a deaconess list and she hugs me every Sunday. We see different opportunities to serve and be a part of this caring and loving body of believers. It truly is good to be in the house of the Lord!
Around Christmas of 2009, the pastor's wife became ill and he felt it was necessary to step down so he could care for her. Brian stepped in as the speaker, but never felt called to become the pastor of the church. One of several reasons was that we lived 30 minutes away from the church and the community. Alfalfa is a rural, farm community that we just don't understand. (We're city folk through and through.)
After 18 months of Brian filling the pulpit, the seeming lack of desire of the people to really search for a new pastor or help out in the church, the numbers dwindling to 7 adults and 6 kids, and the desire for us to be part of a church body in our own community, Brian announced our leaving the Alfalfa Community Church after Easter and the high probability that the church would close. (Interestingly enough, in one week one family in the church pushed the AMF area director to find a pastor and he took over the week after we left. Sadly, the direction the church has taken does not seem to be very solidly based on the Bible.)
A couple years ago, Ed Nelson and his wife began a church in Redmond. Now, Redmond has a lot of churches with a few on our road. Sadly, most of these churches have the wrong doctrine or their music is painful to sit through. We don't enjoy the choruses or praise/worship songs popular in today's churches. We prefer the hymns. The Berean Bible Church has a traditional service with hymns and good preaching. (No drums, no worship team, no bells and whistles.)
We have been attending for a month and a half and already feel so welcomed and loved. The majority of the members are in their 60's and above and no other children attend, but Brian and I have come to realize that is not what church is about. It is a time to gather with other believers and hear from the Word of God. We do hope that other families might start to attend because of our little family being there.
It is an active little church, too. They have a weekly Bible study, monthly men's breakfast, monthly potluck, and other activities scattered throughout the month. We have already been added to a deaconess list and she hugs me every Sunday. We see different opportunities to serve and be a part of this caring and loving body of believers. It truly is good to be in the house of the Lord!
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