Thursday, April 14, 2011

New Church

We dedicated our new church last weekend.  It really is beautiful.  If you've followed this blog a bit, you know that the huge wooden altar cross was still standing in the rubble of our old church after the tornado.  It is back in its place of honor in our new church.

These pictures were taken last Sunday.  They aren't mine because I was singing in the choir.  Our church is lucky to have a couple of good photographers.
Our church is also fortunate to have a wealth of adorable kids.  Almost three years ago the children sang a song based on Joshua 1:6:  "Be strong and courageous."  It was their message to our congregation after the tornado.  They sang the song for us again on Sunday morning.  I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one with "leaking eyes."  (Quoting Dad here!)

In the months after the tornado, those adorable kids endured Sunday School sitting on the kitchen floor.  We were having church in our fellowship hall, but the rest of the church building was gone or needed extensive renovation. And now...
the work is completed.  At the afternoon dedication, the choir sang for the first time in three years:  "All Good Gifts" and "Holy Ground."  It wasn't hard to figure out that the music was chosen carefully. 
At the conclusion of the service, there was a reception in our newly remodeled fellowship hall.  The extensive use after the tornado meant that it needed a face lift.  It got it just in time for Dedication Sunday.
Now that the pulpit furniture has arrived and the fellowship hall is finished, I think our church is now complete.  For three years I routinely avoided church services in our cramped, claustrophobic conditions.  It is nice to be back in regular worship with our congregation. 
Tiny Town's UMC is a beautiful sight.  "We are standing on Holy Ground, and I know that there are angels all around."

Now I owe you a post with pictures of our beautiful new schools.  My goal is to get that accomplished before the 3rd anniversary of the tornado.  There's a lot of holy ground in Tiny Town these days. It takes a bit to get it all together.

4 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

What a lovely new sanctuary! I still think it amazing that the cross stood tall after the tornado.

FlowerLady

P.S. I'm still around, mostly at my main blog.

Kim said...

It's beautiful. I love the cross and the stained glass. What a wonderful message of rebirth during this Easter season!

Anonymous said...

Thanks to the choir for the beautiful songs.

Mary said...

Beautiful! All for the greater honor and glory! :D