A church service to remember
Port Huron, Michigan is no place to go in the winter, but my visit there this past Sunday gave me a wonderful reminder of just how great the local church can be.
In many ways, Cross Current Church, a church of 650, looks like other churches, and last Sunday it started off in an average way. The worship seemed bland and uninspired. As usual, my mind was wandering. Then the pastor (who I’m partnering with to coach the World Racers), Michael Hindes, stepped up and asked a member of the congregation named Mike to come pray.
Because the Holy Spirit was directing the service, not a bulletin, it didn’t matter that Hindes was unaware of the fact that God had been talking to Mike.
At God’s direction, Mike was wearing some old camouflage pants and his warrior-like prayer was a call to battle.
Just prior to his prayer, I felt God directing me to the first verses of 1 Chronicles 10, 11, and 12. If you look at these three verses, you see that there is a battle, we have a tribe, and we have a role.
Someone handed me a microphone and I read the Scripture and said, “What God did with David in Scripture, he did with Mike today. And as he’s calling Mike, so he’s calling this church.”
At this point, whatever plans had been made for a sermon were shelved. Hindes stepped up and asked people what their role in the battle was. He asked those who felt God giving them the gift of evangelism to raise their hands and prayed for them. He asked what else God was saying to people about their roles. Hands went up around the auditorium.
“I’ve been called to mentor younger men,” one man said. Hindes immediately called out three men whom he knew needed mentoring to the man and asked them to begin meeting together.
A number of people said they’d been told they had the gift of healing and immediately were given the opportunity to pray for those who needed healing.
A homeless man came to the front and shared about his epilepsy. About ten people came up and laid hands on him and prayed for healing.
Around the auditorium, three things were happening:
- People connected with God
- They connected with how God had gifted them
- They connected with one another
The body of Christ actually grew spiritual synapses and began to do what it is uniquely designed to do.
The whole service lasted nearly three hours and even at the end people stayed and continued to bask in God’s presence, praying and counseling with one another. I didn’t mind leaving late, asking myself on the way home, “Why don’t more churches do that?”
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can’t wait to meet Hindes.
God is so good and He was definately moving all over the country this past sunday. we are a generation that is hungry for more of God. the cries of our hearts are being heard by our Daddy God and He is answering them!!
check out my blog titled “it’s time” for our sunday story…
http://www.confessionsofaslackermom.blogspot.com
Do you know of a church like that around here? I really want to find a church that isn’t more focused on the clock than they are on the spirit.
Kim – let me talk to you about this.
WOW!! That’s a blessing and encouragement… Thanks for being obedient, Michael… And Seth, thanks for sharing.
In Him,
Diana