PRUDENVILLE – Our church is tucked away in the pines, off the beaten path of M 55, and is commonly known as ”The Little Church in The Woods”. We talk about the church as a building, structure, or a location, but we all know the church is really people like you and me. People who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, crucified, buried, and risen from the dead.
Pathway Baptist Church is a loving church that has a heart to reach the lost with the Gospel. The church is active in many evangelistic outreaches and ministries: The Lions Den addiction ministry, the Roscommon County Jail Ministry, Christian Motorcycle Association, Tract Ministry, Children’s Ministry, and Video Ministry, (pbcupnorth.com).
But for more than a decade the Outdoor Service and Dinner on The Grounds has been our largest outreach. An outdoor service is nothing new, Christians have been worshiping, singing, praising and praying to the Lord, and preaching his Holy Word in the grand cathedral of God’s creation for generations. No man made structure can match it.
It’s been our experience that many folks are more likely to attend an outdoor service with an invitation. It is always our highest attended day of the year.
The logistics of an outdoor service and dinner on the grounds puts the church at Pathway to work, and to work together. It is not glorious work, or work that is even recognized by most.
There is weed eating, trimming, raking, mowing, power washing, cleaning, power cords, sound systems, amplifiers, mics (checked once, twice, three times), praying, and trusting God for good weather, food shopping, food preparation, food ordering, and serving each one with gratitude because they have come, at our invitation, to know the Savior through the hearing of the gospel, believing on him, and seeing him in us. What a privilege.
Serving a good dinner after the service gives an opportunity for names to be spoken and remembered, friendships to be made and deepened, and personal ministry to happen as God's goodness and warm sun shines on us all. We have seen many come to faith in Christ, some follow through with baptism, church membership, and discipleship.
The annual Outdoor Service and Dinner on the Grounds brings a smile to our faces here at Pathway. It is nothing new, but it is always a blessing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pastor Jeff and Judy Tuttle have served at Pathway Baptist Church, Prudenville, MI. beginning in 2009. They have four children and 10 grandchildren.
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