Creekside Carnival
Today was our annual Creekside Carnival. At our carnival we have "blow up" rides like the big slide and the moon-walk. There is the sea of balls and velcro wall. We have games like the ring toss and plinko. There are horseback rides and a hay ride as well.
The carnival is a way for us to give back to the community in a small way. There are people who come each year as though they were going to the State Fair. One gentleman said today that this was their 6th year in a row to be there. Each year we make pictures for the kids who ride the horses. He said that he had one for each of the past 5 years on the refridgerator at home.
We have people from all walks of life attend. There are the middle class families who want their kids to come to a safe place to have fun. There are people from many races and religious backgrounds. Then there are the people who are the poor of our community who came and eat as much food as they can because they don't get to eat that well always.
One of the most amazing reactions that we get every year from people is when they find out that the carnival is free. One little twelve year old boy today asked Ellen who was serving nachos and cheese, "How much are those?" She answered, "They are free, do you want some?" He replied, "Yes, I've never had anyone give me free food in my whole life!"
It astounds me how we put a price tag on everything. People are looking for the strings that are attached to everything we do--even in the church. Do you ever think that people wonder, "Are they trying to get something out of me?" Do they ever hear our language concerning the lost. You know, we call the "prospects." It's like they were a sale we needed to make for quota or something.
Please don't hear me say that Creekside has got all the answers and don't hear me tooting our horn. But people need to be served. Then they will see Jesus. We need not try and "convert" them. The love of Jesus will do that if we will just learn to be the legs and arms of Jesus.
I pray that the Creekside Carnival and all the works that God is doing in our world will somehow show people that we are here to serve and let Jesus do the saving!
The carnival is a way for us to give back to the community in a small way. There are people who come each year as though they were going to the State Fair. One gentleman said today that this was their 6th year in a row to be there. Each year we make pictures for the kids who ride the horses. He said that he had one for each of the past 5 years on the refridgerator at home.
We have people from all walks of life attend. There are the middle class families who want their kids to come to a safe place to have fun. There are people from many races and religious backgrounds. Then there are the people who are the poor of our community who came and eat as much food as they can because they don't get to eat that well always.
One of the most amazing reactions that we get every year from people is when they find out that the carnival is free. One little twelve year old boy today asked Ellen who was serving nachos and cheese, "How much are those?" She answered, "They are free, do you want some?" He replied, "Yes, I've never had anyone give me free food in my whole life!"
It astounds me how we put a price tag on everything. People are looking for the strings that are attached to everything we do--even in the church. Do you ever think that people wonder, "Are they trying to get something out of me?" Do they ever hear our language concerning the lost. You know, we call the "prospects." It's like they were a sale we needed to make for quota or something.
Please don't hear me say that Creekside has got all the answers and don't hear me tooting our horn. But people need to be served. Then they will see Jesus. We need not try and "convert" them. The love of Jesus will do that if we will just learn to be the legs and arms of Jesus.
I pray that the Creekside Carnival and all the works that God is doing in our world will somehow show people that we are here to serve and let Jesus do the saving!
posted by Keith Davis at
6:21 PM
2 Comments:
We've come a long way from the film strips, haven't we? It gives me such joy to hear about churches that show the world Jesus.
By
Thurman8er, at 11:34 AM
Keith you are so right. How can we get people to understand that "it isn't about me" unless we're living that life of service to others - with no strings attached.
For the last few years during the Christmas time, we've gone into the neighborhood our church sits in and sang Christmas Carols. One of our members has a hay wagon and we pull it behind a tractor. After singing at someone’s home we invite them to come with us, sing, and then return to the building for some free chili and hot chocolate. Invariably we get the same kind of reactions – “what is the cost” or “what is the catch?” Christians must be about the act of serving and allow God to bring to fruition the seeds that are planted.
By
cwinwc, at 3:18 PM
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