I’ve seen their building from the A449 as I come and go from the train station in Stafford (England), wondered what the church might be like, and determined to visit on my first available Sunday … which was today … 22 July 2007.
What was it like? Refreshing! Let me explain.
Last night, just before retiring for the evening, I Googled the Rising Brook Baptist Church, just to get the times of their services. But once on their website, I discovered all kinds of exciting things, so I arrived in time for coffee 25 minutes before the second morning service began.
Just inside the main entrance, I was met by a gentleman named David, who as it turned out is the senior pastor’s father! As we drank coffee and chatted excitedly, John (a medical doctor and teaching/mentoring surgeon) joined us. Ten minutes in the door, and the spirit of the place was self-evident and a mile high!
David also told me about an American couple who are members of their congregation, and just before the congregation erupted in “Open The Eyes Of My Heart, Lord,” I met Jeff and Ruth Russell. The Russell’s have been in Great Britain with The Kardia Foundation (based in Nashville, TN) for two years now, working with the medical community and medicine for the performing arts.
And as we’re moving into the auditorium, Ruth introduces Luis (from Argentina) who is visiting Rising Brook Church for the first time … so we all sat together … once we could find enough seats … and were refreshed by the worship. RBC has a great band lead by Dave Summers that truly engaged the congregation of some 300 worshippers. And the morning message, delivered by Ali Summers, was powerful, addressing four responses found in the soap-opera-like passage of 1 Samuel 25:2-42.
After exchanging contact information with Jeff, I was introduced to Martin Young, the Senior Pastor, with whom I’ve be having lunch soon, and dashed out the door to make my lunch appointment several miles away! What a wonderfully refreshing worship experience and to realize all over again how small our world really is and how wonderful the family of God continues to be!
And to my newly made friends at Rising Brook Church … thanks for the time of refreshment!
