Did you just say “church”? Stop…back away slowly. On second thought…RUN!

Ahhhh…here I am again in awestruck amazement. I continue to be lifted up by the outreach of love and support that my family and I have received from new friends and neighbors here in this place called Cedar Falls, Iowa. I have to tell you that I’ve never felt so much of a sense of community as I do here. People here are so quick to invite you in, to come see what they are all about and they want to know what YOU are all about as well. How refreshing! I’m continuously drawn toward that sense of well-being and balance that people seem to have around here. This place fits me well.

So, we’ve been going to a new church since we moved. Now, don’t get nervous and stop reading because I mentioned the word “church”. I know you…I AM you. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up in a very spiritual family who went to church every Sunday. I was also confirmed into the Methodist church when I was a child. I went to youth group on Wednesdays and church camp during the summers with friends. However, I moved to a new city when I was 12 and really never found another place where I felt like I belonged. As a teenager I was as far away from the church and religion as one could possibly be as most teenagers are. So, after becoming a teenage mom (go figure) I searched here and there for my daughter’s sake but never found a place that made me feel like home. Yes it was true, I didn’t want those hypocrites teaching my child something that I didn’t feel was true and authentic. They don’t know me. They don’t know my name. They don’t look me in the eye. I’m just another account added to their bank roll of the 2,000 people who are already there. I gave up, as many people do, and that was that. I didn’t need an organization to be a Christian. Plus, I had so many questions and felt such desperation and disbelief when I turned on the TV and the media was always focusing on those radicals and extremists who shook their bibles in the air and pointed their fingers at you. They seemed to interpret the bible in such a scary way that it made me want to run. So I thought… well I PRAY, I’m SPIRITUAL, I have FAITH and that’s all I need. End of story. Right?

Well, when our new friends and neighbors, Chris & LeAnn encouraged us to go with them one Sunday, I thought... well it’s a new town, a new scene, a fresh start, why not? Besides, I left my “past” 1,000 miles away back in Georgia. No one knows me here. Well let me just tell you, this was not my TRADITIONAL Methodist church where we had the Opening Hymn, The Worship Hymn, The Doxology and then The Closing Hymn. Oh no no no! This Call To Worship was unlike any other I had experienced before. This was an auditorium with a black curtain back drop and a wide open stage design with beautiful colored spotlights. There was a guitarist and a drummer, and a person standing behind a techno keyboard/digital sound stand that blurted out beautiful acoustics that were pleasing to my ear. There was even a smoke machine that filled the room to make it feel cool and inviting. Yes, this was a production! Where had I been all these years? So THIS is what people have been talking about! Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I LOVED IT!

Now, I’ll tell you that I’m definitely going to miss my traditional hymns. You know the ones you can sing by heart but you still feel the hymnal in your hands. But these NEW songs will become "traditional" for my boys and this makes me happy. To hear the words “I wanna go to church Mommy” come out of your 2 year old's mouth is so precious and endearing. And when you drop him off in the nursery and he comes home with a little paper crown that says "Child of God", it just makes hearts come out of your head. How about when you hear your 10 year old the next day singing a song about “God being his rock”. Why did I let my fears keep me away all these years? I feel sad for my now 18 year old who never truly experienced this and I sit and think of her every Sunday and wish she was here with me in Cedar Falls, Iowa at Prairie Lakes Church hearing the same message that I’m hearing. But, it gets even better. They post every sermon to their web page so I can share it with friends and family. How great is that? I’m so impressed by the modern technology that is being utilized here in this church. They keep with their message of Loving God, Loving People and Influencing the World using their technology. When you drop your kids off, you have to “check in” and get a sticker with your child’s name and a sticker for yourself with a corresponding number for safety and peace of mind. There is a café where you can purchase coffee and baked items and sit around and chat with your friends before and after the service. The bulletin only shows news and info about upcoming events and info on the current sermon series. There is no strict agenda. I get to wear jeans and flip flops and no one looks at me like I don’t belong. The pastor is on Facebook and Twitter. He blogs and influences people with his charismatic energy. He encourages you to reach out locally, nationally and globally to meet the needs of others. This is it! Now THIS is the way to get your point across my new Pastor friend! I want to listen to this! I want to come back again and again and hear more! Praise God for leading me here. I pray that I can return in service to others what this church is providing to me and my family.

For more information on the church itself, click on the Faithline link on the upper right to the PLC website.

http://prairielakeschurch.org/default.aspx