I appreciate and enjoy the comedy of Dennis Swanberg. His humor is clean and comes from years of being involved in the pastoral ministry. Most of all, it delivers a great deal of truth with a kick of humor. I leave you with this to enjoy as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday.
I love the community I which I live. I love the community in which our church has been planted. I believe with all of my heart that the best years are before us and that we are going to make a difference in our Jerusalem. God is giving us at Port Royal Baptist Church some new and creative opportunities to minister to the people of Port Royal. For this, I am thankful. Two such opportunities come our way in the month of October: the Festival of the Sea community festival in Port Royal and our annual Fall Festival and Trunk-or-Treat.
October 16th brought the Festival of the Sea in Port Royal. The purpose of this festival was to highlight and bring attention to the businesses located in the old village section of Port Royal. There was food, music, a car show, and local business vendors lining Paris Avenue. We had the opportunity to set up a booth and introduce our church to the people who stopped by. We gave away cold water and popcorn, along with information about our church and its ministries. Face painting and balloon animals were a big hit with the children. I am proud of the 27 volunteers from PRBC who gave their time during the five hours we were there. I want to also thank Larry Leming, Missions Ministries Director from the Savannah River Baptist Association, for spending the day ministering with us. It was a great day of meeting people, building relationships with people and businesses, and sharing the gospel as allowed. Below are a few pictures from the day.
October 31st brought our annual Fall Festival and Trunk-or-Treat. Halloween brings with it the carnival-type atmosphere of fall festivals and similar events. We wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to provide a safe alternative to trick-or-treating. With food, games, prizes, fellowship, and conversation, we were able to bridge the gap between entertainment and outreach. It was a real privilege to spend some time with the people of Port Royal. We had approximately 150 people on campus Sunday night. I want to thank all who made this year’s fall festival a success. You are appreciated and you labor was not in vain. Below are a few pictures from the night’s activities.
Most everyone has seen the cultural phenomenon that is Survivor. This television reality show puts two teams against each other through a variety of physical challenges. The goal is to outwit, outplay, and outlast your opponents. Today, we had our own version of Survivor at Port Royal Baptist Church. Monday is back-to-school day so we hosted a Survivor Back-to-School Fun Day for our kids and guests. We divided our kids into two teams and they competed in four team challenges for points. After all the competition, everyone was rewarded with an all-you-can eat ice cream bar. Here are some pictures from today.
I would like to thank all of our parents and everyone involved in our children’s ministry for their hard work in providing our kids and guests a fun and relaxing day. Your dedication and positive attitude is much appreciated my me, your pastor. Job well done.
Actually, leaving in an Impala is more accurate. We are leaving early this morning for St. Augustine Beach, FL for our summer vacation. St. Augustine Beach is one of my favorite places in Florida. I enjoy the beaches (in small doses), the history, and the atmosphere of this old Spansh city. I am looking forward to a time of rest and unwinding with my family. I hope to post several times this week about the sights and sounds of St. Augustine and the random things that catch my attention. I think I hear the waves…..
I have an eclectic taste in music. I enjoy styles from contemporary Christian to 80’s music (I am a child of the 80’s). One of my recent favorites is the song, “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s. I am also a fan of Christian comedy, especially Tim Hawkins. I heard him for the first time at the Florida Baptist Pastors Conference several years ago. His style of comedy is clean and is based upon church life. In case you need to laugh, please enjoy this song by Tim Hawkins.
Those of who are connected to, and part of the local church know there is a pattern to how we conduct our worship services. This entire experience begins the moment an individual gets out of their car and continues until they drive out of the parking lot. This “order” is something we have become familiar and comfortable with. I wonder what it looks like to someone who comes into the church for the very first time? Further, what if everyone else conducted business like we “conduct” our services at church? The video below is a light-hearted parable that I believe, at least in part, answers that question. While this video is funny, it is at the same time painfully true. It made me think about what we do. Enjoy.
The week leading up to Vacation Bible School is always filled with activity. There are teachers decorating, lessons being finalized, and many “quick trips” to Wal-Mart for needed supplies. I always enjoy this week. I enjoy walking around and visiting with our teachers. This is a unique time to spend some time with them in a different environment. I enjoy watching the sanctuary and other rooms being transformed from their typical look into theme-related masterpieces. Hard work is the descritpion for this week. This week of hard work prepares us for a week of hard work of a different sort. Our Vacation Bible School begins on June 7th. It is on this day that our students will begin their tour through the Australian outback. I have posted some pictures of the work that is in progress around our church as of today. The train has left the station and it won’t be long until its arrival.
Here is our train for the Worship Rally
Beginnings of our Missions Harbor
Santuary view
Ticket Booth
The Road Less Traveled 
