From Sampler to Sower

I really don’t intend for this to become a series, but there’s lots of cool stuff happening in Middletown, and I just can’t help but celebrate some of the great people involved in these huge successes.

Yesterday, my family attended the Luray  Harvest Festival, affectionately known as “Luray Day.”  But to fully appreciate what that means, we need to give you some back story.

First, there’s the town.  Luray is officially a “unincorporated community” in north central Henry County, in Indiana.  In other words, it’s a road, along which you can find about ten houses and one small church.  And just outside town there’s a 600 acre gravel pit.  That’s about it.  You can take a virtual tour of the town using Google’s Streetview.  (That’s right, streetview has even been to Luray.)

Back in it’s heyday it was a little bit more.  I hear on good authority that there used to be a blacksmith shop, a general store, a hotel, and a public livestock pen so people driving their herds down highway three could stop, corral their livestock, and rest comfortably in the hotel.  But that was a long time ago.  Luray hasn’t seen that much business since . . . well, since you went to town to look for a blacksmith’s shop.

Then there’s the church.  I’m not sure when the Luray Church of the Nazarene was first founded.  I do know it had struggled for several years.  Back in it’s heyday it was a little bit more.  At one point they even broke the 100 barrier.  But that was a long time ago.  About three years ago it got to the place where the district was ready to shut the doors.  Our church in Middletown was given the opportunity to partner with Luray, and the Blue River Valley Nazarene Worship Center was born.  We still meet in the Luray building, but pastoral leadership is provided by the Middletown Church.  Their campus pastor, Rev. Greg Alexander, who leads the BRV church, preaches every week, and shepherds the Luray congregation is a volunteer from our congregation and works as part of our staff.

Since then Pastor Greg and the great people of our BRV campus have been doing great things to serve their community, regardless of how small it is.  They’re not a huge church.  They probably never will be.  (Even if they reach 100% of their community’s population, they won’t break 100 in attendance.)  But they are having a huge impact on their community and the way their community sees the church.

One of the big events they’ve pulled off is Luray Day.  Years ago, under the leadership of a man named Oliver Nannie (I hope I spelled that right), the little community had an event they called Luray Day.  But when Mr. Nannie passed away, Luray Day did too.  Someone mentioned the old event to Pastor Greg and he said “Why not?”  Last year the BRV church began partnering with their neighbors and together they relaunched Luray Day as an annual Fall Festival to celebrate the community.  With some help from the IMI gravel pit down the road and some other generous sponsors they put on a street festival that’s a lot of fun for the whole family.  A hog roast, ham and beans cooked over the fire, hay rides, hot dog eating contest, cotton candy, snow cones all of it free because of the generous donations of the community.

I love my church because of what she is doing in Luray.  Here are my five favorite photos that demonstrate what I love about my church.  You can see the full set of Luray Day photos on my Flickr page.

5. I love the way it makes my kids smile.

Seriously, look at that smile.  Who wouldn’t want to be a part of a church that could make their kids smile like that?

That’s my daughter and youngest child, Mackenzie, playing on a rope swing during the Luray Day festivities.  She and my middle son, Bryce, probably spent 15 minutes playing on the rope swing.  Which was nice.  That meant Michelle and I could eat our free food in peace at the tables nearby.

Granted, it’s not the Maverick at Cedar Point. But a simple rope in a tree, and some nice people who will let the whole community swing on it can bring that kind of smile to a lot of people’s faces.

In fact, none of the games or attractions at Luray Day were very elaborate.  But the fall festival demostrated that the simple things in life can bring great joy.

Trust me.

I saw that smile on lots of people’s faces Sunday.

4. I love the way it brings excitement to a small community.

That’s a picture of part of the parking area at Luray Day on Sunday.  Who knew a festival in a town of ten houses could generate so much excitement?

I asked someone when the last time they saw that many cars in Luray.

Their answer?

Last year, at Luray Day.

3. I love the way that the church is at the very heart of the community.

Whether we’re talking about our Middletown campus or the Blue River Valley campus, my church understands that it exists as much for the people outside the walls of it’s building as the people who gather each week within it’s walls.  Being the church means finding ways to serve the community.

Sometimes that means seeking to offer extracurricular drama programs when art and music classes fall prey to budget cuts.  Sometimes that means jumping through the hoops and going through the training to become a Red Cross disaster shelter.  And sometimes that means hearing the community say “Remember when…” and asking the question “Why not again?”

Every time I drive by Luray on Highway 3 after dark, I see their red neon cross shining at the very center of their small community. And I can’t help but think to myself, “That’s exactly the way it should be.”

2. I love the people who are the church.

These two men are two of my heroes.  When we began working with the Luray church, there weren’t many involved any more.  But these two men (and just few other people) were.  Pastors came and went.  But these guys remained.  They kept the furnace running.  They fixed the leaks in the plumbing. They gave the offerings that paid the bills.

So when Weldon (the driver) stopped me yesterday to say “Thank you.  I can’t help but think if it wasn’t for your church, our church wouldn’t be here” I had to correct him.

“Actually, if it weren’t for you, our church wouldn’t be here.”

1. I love the dedication that Pastor Greg Alexander shows to the church in Luray.

That’s Pastor Greg there, talking to the sheriff’s deputy who came out to represent the Sheriff’s Department at Luray Day. By day he works as a contractor providing corrosion control services to utility companies in our region.  Or something like that.  It’s way beyond my ability to understand.

But by night and on the weekends he faithfully shepherds the part of our congregation that meet every week in Luray.  And I have utmost respect for that kind of dedication.  I get paid to do what I love and have been called to do.  Pastor Greg lives out what Paul meant when he wrote “What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it (1 Corinthians 9:18, NIV).”

I feel honored to be considered Pastor Greg’s coworker, and I love being a part of a church that raises up and empowers servants like him.