The Elements - Soft Opening...

So, let me first say, "Wow!!!" What a beautiful few weeks for the Alicea/Elements/Rap Fest fam.
In order:

1. We got blessed with Isabel Rose
2. I got ordained
3. We opened up our spot at 2901 Bruckner Boulevard.

Pretty exciting stuff!



So last Sunday we had out first service at the spot...that's what we've been calling it all this time, "The Spot!" LOL To fully appreciate how much work we put into getting this place open I was going to put up a pretty long list of things we've done, literally the work we've put in. I changed my mind, it seemed too weird to list it all here. But know that it was hours and hours of work, away from our families, in not-so-good condition. Talk to any of the guys, they'll tell you.

We also thank God for the benevolence of our sister churches, Harvest Fields Community Church and Church of the Revelation for allowing us to get rid of a significant amount of garbage by using their dumpsters. We'll never forget those blessings!

So, Sunday, Oct. 25th, 2009, we had our "soft opening". I say soft because we have none of the bells and whistles we're all accustomed to in our 2009 church experience. Instead we had primed sheetrock, used folding chairs (donated by Westchester Christian Worship Center in White Plains...they're been amazing with donations and such), some cracked windows we're getting replaced soon and a boom box for sound to go along with our INCREDIBLE worship team, Ipod! LOL We had no spotlights, no microphones, no speakers, no fancy offering baskets, no ushers, no first-timers cards, no nothing. It was just God and His people...and it was beautiful!!! As Pastor Joe from Crossroads told me, "It wasn't soft in heaven." Praise God! I know I'm going to miss moments like these unless we're intentional about creating them again. Something to keep in mind.

Anyway, our service was simple and beautiful. The very best ministry of The Elements, Sharing is Caring...our children's church...was in full swing in the back room. Oh there's another thing we don't have a door between the two rooms! LOL Our newest best friend Dylan is helping us with that one, praise God for sending workers to His house! But you can imagine how much fun it was to preach above the sound of children from the ages of 3 - 10 just LOVING their children's church. Sharing is Caring is off the hook! It was so much fun that some of our adults joined in on the fun and sat in their chairs with them to help with crafts. Beautiful!

The service itself was beautiful as God wants us to, not just as a church but individually, know that He sees the end of a thing right from its beginning and He wants US to see it too. To know, to have faith, regarding where He has us all headed. Live as if it were so already even as you're in that journey!

And finally, we had so much beautiful fellowship. It wasn't just about "the coffee is good" or "we still have to finish the basement" type talk...oh there was that too, but there was REAL fellowship. Celebrating birthdays (October's a huge month for us), making new friends, connecting with people who just happened to stop by. In the midst of it all I took some time to walk away from the crowd and just listen. I wanted to hear if I could hear God in their discussions and while I may not have heard the words "God" or "Jesus", I knew that what I WAS hearing was true fellowship. People were really talking, real talk, not just surface talk. One tell-tale sign of good fellowship: no one wanted to leave!

Later, I walked over to our multi-purpose room that is currently mostly used for children's church. I sat at the first chair by the door and just watched as people talked and then I saw it. I saw IT! I saw one of the kids, Blakey, lying on his back on the new carpeted floor, playing with a toy, legs crossed and just right at home. Let me say it again...he was right at HOME!

Folks, if you've read to the end of this then I want to make sure you get this, we've created a place that regardless of its appearance right now, feels like home. It's a place for people to come from all over, from every walk of life and feel at home. It's a place where God's people can come and share and love on each other. And if Sunday was any indiaction, it's a place where God will make His presence known through the simplicity of church!

Bless you!


E