today at the Park…2-13-18
One of the fellows at the Park this Sunday asked
how the idea of this gathering at the park on Sunday mornings came about…I will
give you the “short version” of what I told them.
Back in the late 90’s (that’s 20 years ago!) I was at a men’s retreat
in Colorado that my friend Michael Wells and Abiding Life Ministries
International had put together. These
were always a fabulous time focused on Colossians 1:27, “Christ in me, the hope
of glory.”
We had a nice cabin to stay in, and one of my
“cabin-mates” was a great guy named Greg Wray.
He is from Modesto, California.
Greg owns an auto mechanics shop.
He and his wife were part of a group of Saints who met in homes, shared
the joy of Christ with each other, gave their offerings to missions, and did
some “mission” work as God led them.
One evening he told of a guy in their home group
whom God gave the idea of taking some coffee and donuts to a local park and
sitting at a table to wait and see if there was anyone who came by and
visited. As God would do, over time the
opportunities abounded. As I heard Greg
talking about this, I felt in my Spirit that this was the real thing…and that
IF God would have it, I would like to try that wherever I was at the right
time.
About 20 years later, the right time presented
itself. The right place was there. The ministry was born of God. A simple, practical “go out into the highways
and hedges” action. And here we are
headed to our 3rd anniversary in just a few months.
I have connected with Greg on a few occasions to
share the highlights, and I am thrilled to call him a friend. But more so, he is a brother-in-Christ that
God used to speak a thought about ministry that today is a blessing to Barbara
and I, our two daughters and their families, and to many who “wander in” to the
pavilion near the bridge of South Street just on the south side of downtown
Nacogdoches, Texas, each and every Sunday morning. Thank God for His Shepherding!
There is a lot more ministry than what takes place
at the pavilion…save that thought for another day.
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Christ in the Park ministry
a
ministry of
Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
P.O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches, TX 75963 936-559-5696
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