31 Jul 2024, 10:58Careen Lawrence
Maidstone SDA’s Big Community Breakfast
Galatians 6:2 (NKJV) “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Maidstone SDA Church is located within the heart of the Shepway community, based at the Youth and Community Centre. For a church to be community based, it is important that the church is known, not only by the building which is used, but also as a place where individuals are free to come and share in worship.
The Sabbath School team at Maidstone SDA church made a step which is imperative in answering the call to go out and make disciples, putting on a community breakfast. To complete this task, the Sabbath School team tasked each action unit to go out into the community to hand out flyers and speak to members of the community, inviting them along to the Big Breakfast event.
To put on an event inviting the community into the church is crucial if we are to essentially do as the Apostle Paul instructed in Galatians 6:2, to bear one another’s burden. If we do not know those around us, we will not be able to bear their burdens, and if we do not step out in faith, opening our doors for the community, we will never be able to truly reach those in need.
The day began with breakfast available for all who attended, followed by the Chatham drummers, who played not only to share with church, but allowed for those who may have been too nervous to come out, to share the blessing with us from their homes. Visitors were then greeted, given welcome gifts and the icebreaker followed. The questions posed in the icebreaker, who are you and why, “Mary or Martha” yielded some beautiful responses, individuals who chose Martha said that they are individuals who are here to serve, while those who chose Mary said they want to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him.
There were some members of the community who attended the service as well as having a health check completed with the nurses. Other members of the community who were nervous about coming in, enjoyed the drum corp as they played outside the church.
Deandra Pryce, a member of the Sabbath School team, shared that she felt “it was a good experience, it was a great effort from the Sabbath school department to do something different to make church a bit more exciting for the visitors and those in the community. So, I believe that the event was a great success and everyone's hard work paid off.”
By opening the doors of the church, inviting members of the community to fellowship from Breakfast, is one way to break down barriers to attending church, that community members may have. A valiant effort made from the Sabbath School Department.
Galatians 6:2 (NKJV) “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Maidstone SDA Church is located within the heart of the Shepway community, based at the Youth and Community Centre. For a church to be community based, it is important that the church is known, not only by the building which is used, but also as a place where individuals are free to come and share in worship.
The Sabbath School team at Maidstone SDA church made a step which is imperative in answering the call to go out and make disciples, putting on a community breakfast. To complete this task, the Sabbath School team tasked each action unit to go out into the community to hand out flyers and speak to members of the community, inviting them along to the Big Breakfast event.
To put on an event inviting the community into the church is crucial if we are to essentially do as the Apostle Paul instructed in Galatians 6:2, to bear one another’s burden. If we do not know those around us, we will not be able to bear their burdens, and if we do not step out in faith, opening our doors for the community, we will never be able to truly reach those in need.
The day began with breakfast available for all who attended, followed by the Chatham drummers, who played not only to share with church, but allowed for those who may have been too nervous to come out, to share the blessing with us from their homes. Visitors were then greeted, given welcome gifts and the icebreaker followed. The questions posed in the icebreaker, who are you and why, “Mary or Martha” yielded some beautiful responses, individuals who chose Martha said that they are individuals who are here to serve, while those who chose Mary said they want to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him.
There were some members of the community who attended the service as well as having a health check completed with the nurses. Other members of the community who were nervous about coming in, enjoyed the drum corp as they played outside the church.
Deandra Pryce, a member of the Sabbath School team, shared that she felt “it was a good experience, it was a great effort from the Sabbath school department to do something different to make church a bit more exciting for the visitors and those in the community. So, I believe that the event was a great success and everyone's hard work paid off.”
By opening the doors of the church, inviting members of the community to fellowship from Breakfast, is one way to break down barriers to attending church, that community members may have. A valiant effort made from the Sabbath School Department.
