Pastor’s Corner | The church goes

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Recently I was reading a column written for a newspaper (no way of knowing which one) by Virginia Rose who was a member and Sunday School teacher for many years at Avoca Christian Church. She has gone to be with our Lord many years ago, yet some of the things she wrote in the article still speak much about the little church where I’ve been privileged to be pastor for, come this October, 17 years.

The title of the article is “Preachers come and go, but Avoca Church goes on” and is a synopsis of the history of the church. It mentions how the church began meeting in the old Avoca school house - just east of where the church now stands and how they went around through the community asking for donations to help build the church, which was, to quote, “built at a fast rate under the supervision of old Uncle John Mills” and was dedicated on Oct. 10, 1910.

Although it was originally called the Avoca Community Church, it finally became known by its present name, the Avoca Christian Church. Since the time of its dedication it’s been remodeled twice, building classrooms for Sunday School and indoor toilets replacing the “outhouses” many of us remember.

As I read the article there were several things that “jumped” out at me, not the least of which was our little church had a birthday and turned 100 on Oct. 10.

But I suppose though the one thing Virginia said that spoke to me most were the words she closed her article with.

She said “This little church has seen members of its congregation come and go, and many changes have been made, but it still goes forward with the Word of God as its goal.”

As I think about those words, I hear those very words echoing down through the ages since the time Jesus established the church to our present day - “Members come and go and many changes are made, but Christianity - the Church - still goes forward with the Word of God as its goal.”

The Bible records, and history shows, it doesn’t matter what obstacles are placed in her path, what laws man makes to obstruct, what persecutions are brought against her by Satan and the minions of Hell, the Church still goes forward with the Word of God as her goal.

We should be always remember as we see the destruction and persecution brought by Satan and his minions, the seemingly unending stream of ungodliness emanating from every form of media in our time and hear the frantic words of those who should know better who believe darkness is winning the battle in our country, that regardless of what we see or hear, the church has been, is, and always will be victorious; not because we’re the church, but because Jesus won the victory for us.

Because Jesus paid the price, won the victory and makes it freely available to all who will believe in Him, those words Virginia spoke are still as valid as the day she wrote them. The church still goes forward with the Word of God as its goal.

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Editor’s note: Charlie Newman is pastor of Avoca Christian Church. To contact him, write in care of The Times at [email protected] or P.O. Box 25, Pea Ridge, AR 72751.

Church, Pages 2 on 10/20/2010