summer church hop

I teach Sunday School...and don't get me wrong, I love the kids and love doing it.  BUT we go to a small church that only has one service.  So, when you teach kids, you don't get to participate in church.   Now, for  the younger kids, there is a rotating teacher schedule.  Where you teach every other Sunday, (though with a lack of volunteers, even that has been sidelined)  but for  my class...nope.  It is hard to get people to volunteer for children's church when there is only one service and double hard to get people to volunteer for my age..4th thru 6th grade.  Most parents want a 'break' from their kids Sunday morning..and don't want to be in the classroom. 
(I do have a terrific assistant...he is a former youth leader...but he has a busy schedule and comes in when he can)

But this summer  Children's church has been suspended.  Lack of volunteers.  So, I've had a couple of months off.  Well, except the Sundays the kids and I decide to meet for a special project.

The other Sundays, dh and I have been going on our own church-hop.   Not with the goal of leaving our church, but to see and hangout with our friends around town who go to other churches.  (though there is a serious shake up going on at our church, for those of you who might like to pray for us...pray for God's will and His Spirit)

First  was the Covenant Church...dh is good friends with the pastor and a few men from a community Bible Study he attends.  It was cool.  They had a missionary family that the pastor 'interviewed' ....  they are in Tanzania, Africa.  But, we will probably be back to hear a sermon.  They have a weekly 'potluck' and get together after service. 

Then, a hop to our own church, with me upstairs I haven't heard a sermon.  It was the start of a series on Matthew...what did Jesus say about ______?   I liked it, it was a good sermon. Kinda wish I could hear the series (good thing they post online)

 Then we visited the church we went to when we first moved to town.  First Baptist.  So good to see old friends, as one of the gals said, it felt like a 'reunion'.  Just loved seeing their grown kids and the next generation, their grandbabies.  siiiiiiiigh.    Again, the pastor did not preach, had a guest speaker...but he was good.  About being content not apathetic.  I was thinking about what he said the next day, so to me, that was a good sermon.  This is a church where everyone hangs out after. It was that way 20 years ago when we went.  What is most exciting to me is seeing the next generation taking ministry into their hands.  The kids my son went to Youth Group with are the ones running the yearly VBS and children ministries on Sunday. 


Last Sunday, the Christian Fellowship.   Very cool, we got to see 2 young people get baptized.  Very warm, friendly people.  Lots of positive energy, and I liked the worship...simple but heartfelt...I got tearful  while singing Oceans.  Dh knows quite a few through his work for the local homeless shelter.   The sermon was on Psalm 91...simple, heartfelt, to the point...we really enjoyed it.  They had a bbq after...but we did not stay.

Fun thing about summer church hopping, sometimes there is food involved!  ha!

So, back to our church next Sunday.  Told the kids we would get together to chalk paint jars.  I also gave them a month assignment of spending time getting to know Jesus.  I have been reading Matthew for myself and a couple of books.   I also bought them Max Lucado books...thinking of doing a 'right/left' game to give them away.

Then back to Covenant to hear dh's friend teach...and a visit to our kid's 'mega church' in the next town.   And that should take care of our church-hop.