By NICKI WILPULA - community@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon
JEFFERSON —
One of the many missions of Jefferson United Methodist Church is to take the word of God outside of the church building in order to reach people where they are or at a place more comfortable than a traditional church building. This month the church’s alternative worship, Worship on the Water (WOW) begins its fourth season at Lake Roaming Rock. In September 2008 the church began another alternative service, “WOW-2,” 11 a.m. Sundays at Harassment’s in Jefferson.
The Rev. Josh Arrington, associate pastor at Jefferson UMC, is in charge of the alternative service ministry. The Rev. Meredith Coleman is senior pastor at Jefferson UMC.
“Worship on the water” services will be 10:30 a.m. Sunday and July 25 and Aug. 29 at Lake Roaming Rock, 1550 Lake Crest Drive dock. The service will include a message and praise music. People are welcome to attend by boat or on the dock.
WOW-2 at Harassments includes a contemporary praise band and video clips and a message from Arrington. A free breakfast is served at 10:45 a.m. Once a month Communion is served.
“We specifically wanted to reach out to people who would not walk into a church,” Arrington said.
When the alternative worship committee of the church was looking at the possibilities for a location they thought the bar would be a good choice.
“Terry Schlay, owner of the bar, kind of looked at me and said, ‘You’re out of your mind,’” Arrington said. “I told him it could be true. I’ve been told that many times.”
They agreed to give the idea a try. And less than two years later, the services are averaging between 30 and 40 people a Sunday.
Arrington said the interesting part of it is that Harassments does have a Sunday license, so while people are drinking on one side of the bar, they are having a service on the other side. The pastor often chats with some of the bar patrons before the service or after.
“We’ve gotten a good relationship with them,” Arrington said.
The church’s outreach ministry also partners with the bar in community projects. Dawn Ondo, manager of the bar, puts together food baskets for the needy at Thanksgiving time. Church members help out with that project as well others, such as the motorcycle run in the fall.
“It’s not just worship on Sunday. We are also reaching out in other ways through Harassments,” Arrington said. “We have a great time and it’s not your grandma’s idea of church. But people are being touched and reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
