As is typical in this church (and probably in the ‘Bible belt’ in general), there was an invitation to salvation. Four kids went forward to pray with the leaders at the front and other kids gathered around them in support. It was a good experience. Since they are low on adult leaders, I plan on helping out where I can. It looks like people are getting saved. If they come forward thinking they need to keep ‘giving their life to Christ’, I want to help them understand salvation and the believer’s eternal security. I often wonder what is communicated by our Christianese phrases. They might mean something to us, but to an unbeliever, what does it mean to ‘give your life to Christ’ or ‘repent’? Although I have never ‘led someone to Christ’, I hope to communicate clearly to anyone who asks me to pray with them.
Another weekly activity began for me on Sunday. I volunteered to go to a place called Cedar Ridge for 4 hours on Sundays. It is a drug and alcohol rehab treatment center, a safe place where men can go when they struggle with addictions. Although the center keeps the clients busy with meetings and requires them to surrender their cell phones, it does have an open door policy. They are free to leave if they want. My job there is not strictly defined, so I hang out with the guys and sit in on their meetings. Because the center receives government funding, I am not allowed to ‘proselytize’, but I am free to talk about my beliefs if they ask.
That was the first time I have ever been to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Maybe a more proper name is ‘Addictions Anonymous’. A couple of the guys had devastating things happen in their lives, so they turned to drugs. Needless to say, addictions didn't solve their problems. The session talked about God or a higher power and even closed with the Lord’s prayer. I pray that God will make Himself known to these guys through me so they won’t continue on in futility, but become children of God. Those who belong to God have hope.
Thank you for praying!