It is easy for me as a church planter to be so focused on what we are doing as a church that, somehow in our minds, everything about God's kingdom becomes narrowed down to us alone. Church Requel. Of course that's simply not true. We have the privilege of being one small part of God's bigger plan. We want to do our part as well as we can, but we also want to support and encourage what God is accomplishing elsewhere through other pastors and other churches. I'm so glad Ontario Christian Fellowship believes that or we wouldn't be worshiping in their fine facility on Sunday evenings.
It is with that in mind that this morning I attended the very first service of The Church With No Name. Jeff Barnes, my friend and neighbor, launched a church this morning and I was privileged to be there as an encourager. More than fifty folks attended this morning's first service, held at the Quality Inn on I71 and Route 97 between Lexington and Bellville. Jeff has been a senior pastor and a worship leader and today joins me now as a church planter.
I was thrilled to see so many families attend this morning's service. They are blessed with many young children, who met in two separate classrooms apart from the adults during the teaching part of their service.
The church doesn't have a name yet. They are still working on that. I hope somehow the name includes "fellowship," because that is what I experienced this morning. These are people who clearly love one another and want to be together. Already they are planning a picnic this evening and another gathering every Wednesday evening.
And, for what it's worth, I wish Jeff and his church all the best. I'd like to think that as I've been down this path as a church planter for the last year that I can really identify with the challenges that Jeff and his church are about to face. And I can also identify with the many joys he and his new church family will be experiencing together.
Because we serve the same God and are all about His kingdom and not about our own kingdom, I hope that there will be some ways that Church Requel will also be able to become partners with Jeff and his church known temporarily as The Church With No Name.
