After driving back to Tennessee, we spent our last few weeks staying with the Botkin and Courter families. I had the privilege of teaching at the Christ the King Church, and we got to meet up with many, many more families over that time.
On Friday 27 Nov, we flew to LA for our last 3 days. We went to the Lighthouse Community Church on the Sunday, to meet up with our "yet to meet" friends, Rainier & Cindy Ray, and their beautiful little baby daughter Alice.
Rainier and myself have been corresponding by email over the last 18 months or so, but had not met in person yet. The church Rainier & Cindy attend, is in the process of transitioning to a family integrated church. It's so encouraging to see churches doing this, thoughtfully, purposefully, gracefully, sensitively, sacrificially and courageously. The church is gradually allowing families to experience worshiping together, at present doing a family Sunday every 5th Sunday. Eventually they plan to be fully age-integrated.
On Friday 27 Nov, we flew to LA for our last 3 days. We went to the Lighthouse Community Church on the Sunday, to meet up with our "yet to meet" friends, Rainier & Cindy Ray, and their beautiful little baby daughter Alice.
Rainier and myself have been corresponding by email over the last 18 months or so, but had not met in person yet. The church Rainier & Cindy attend, is in the process of transitioning to a family integrated church. It's so encouraging to see churches doing this, thoughtfully, purposefully, gracefully, sensitively, sacrificially and courageously. The church is gradually allowing families to experience worshiping together, at present doing a family Sunday every 5th Sunday. Eventually they plan to be fully age-integrated.
Associate pastor, Eric Wayman teaching from God's Word.
The Lighthouse Community Church, Costa Mesa, CA.
When churches do this, based on the right convictions, and not rushing but laying the doctrinal foundation down first, people respond much better, as they see the "why" behind the "what". The focus of such churches, as with our own in NZ, is not being family-integrated, as much as being Christ-centered, and just avoiding that which divides families. It's not something "radical" for a church to be age-integrated, but simply something that churches did for hundreds and hundreds of years, before they began basing their model on that of public education models.
Our time with Rainier and Cindy was a blessed one. Holly turned 13 on that Sunday, and we spent the day in fellowship, really feeling like we were with friends who we had years of history with, yet we had only met that day!!! The body of Christ is so awesome like that.
One more blog to follow......
Our time with Rainier and Cindy was a blessed one. Holly turned 13 on that Sunday, and we spent the day in fellowship, really feeling like we were with friends who we had years of history with, yet we had only met that day!!! The body of Christ is so awesome like that.
One more blog to follow......
Our friends Rainier & Cindy.
A birthday treat for Holly - getting her ears pierced!