Christmas Flashback 1988: Christmas Flashback 1985

Christmas Flashback 1988: Christmas Flashback 1985: Windsor, CT Transformers Electric Train set 1985 Wow, where do I begin? My mom was a big h...

Set Me Free Drama-Lighthouse Church Youth Group 2014

Children's church message!

Children's church brings back so many memories (all good)! 😃

Christmas Play, Skit, Drama Life Church Youth Christmas Drama

The importance of diversity: Multicultural Conference & Festival 2009

The importance of diversity: Multicultural Conference & Festival 2009

Some events that I have attended: Voce Prepares for their "I'll Follow the Sun" Conc...

Some events that I have attended: Voce Prepares for their "I'll Follow the Sun" Conc...

Easter celebrations held across the state

I've been to some Sunrise Services. You sing hymnals & when it's all done there is fellowship afterwords. Sunrise Services is every Easter Sunday and it's from 5 AM-6 AM (Service time varies from different churches). People also enjoy munchkin donuts, coffee, and orange juice, etc.

Parts of Massachusetts that I've been to: Parts of Massachusetts that I've been to

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Parts of New York I've been to: Parts of New York that I've been to

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The time that I was in Boy scouts 1988

I remember when boy scouts had Conservative values back in 1988 when I was in boy scouts.

I must have been 10 when I was in boy scouts when I attended Shiloh Christian Church (SCC) in Hartford on the West Hartford line. In boy scouts us boys were the following: Competitive, some of us were jealous of each other, some of us were like soldiers, and others showcased their leadership skills while in boy scouts. I remember learning about the different knots while in boy scouts.

I used to invite my friend Teyrence to cub scouts & Teyrence used to invite his friend Ian to cub scouts. My mom used to take me, Teyrence, and Ian to cub scouts every Wednesday night at church. I remember the different knots all of us cub scouts used to tie while we were at church (I was always good at tying the granny knot same as the square knot).

One night while attending a cub scout meeting, Brother Norman one of the greeters at (SCC) also in charge of the boy scouts ministry had threw a party for the boy scouts. US boys had come a very long way from the time we all first came to boy scouts and the party was a way to interact with each other. I remember bringing duplex sandwich cookies with creme in the middle to the party we had. For some reason when I have bought food like that to parties I always have a lot left over.

Anyway, Brother Norman noticed I had a whole lot of cookies left over and thought it would be a good idea to use my mom's cookies for snacks for after 3 1/2 hour Sunday church service at Shiloh Christian Church. I initially felt comfortable and I remember saying "Sure why not" and I had given my mom's cookies to Brother Norman because I thought that was a really good thing to do.  Teyrence reminded me that that was a wrong thing for Brother Norman to do. When I had given up the cookies my friend Teyrence 8 going on 9 said to me, "Don't give your mom's cookies away like that. Your mom bought these cookies and you have a whole lot of cookies left over. This man might be a church friend but he is trying to con you out of your mom's cookies by telling you that they would be for after church service on Sunday. This man could take these cookies home to his family and they would probably eat the cookies up or he would probably eat the cookies up. You probably wouldn't see this man in church again or if you saw him again he would probably have an excuse what happened to the cookies and you never know what really happened to the cookies because the cookies would be all gone." Teyrence made a whole lot of sense to what he was telling me. Sometimes kids need to have buddies to make sure that they are not being conned by other kids or in this case an adult. I remember coming up to Brother Norman and telling him that I don't think that it would be a good idea to give away my mom's cookies like that. You would never think that people would try to con people in church like that but the truth is people who are true con artists will con people even in church & from that experience that I had I learned that every one in church is not honest. I still trust people but you have to always be watchful. 

Philippians 4:6-7King James Version (KJV)

"6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." 
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+4%3A6-7&version=KJV

2004 Flashback: 2004 Flashback

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Truth Baptist Church (Christmas Cantata): Truth Baptist Church (Christmas Cantata)

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Housework & Activities: Hanging out riding with a really good friend of th...

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Some events that I have attended: 1985 Fishing Experience

Some events that I have attended: 1985 Fishing Experience:               Groton is a great place to fish in Groton, CT                             ...

Some events that I have attended: Oasis Christian Church Coffee Hour

Some events that I have attended: Oasis Christian Church Coffee Hour: 1.) Did you attend an event at Oasis Christian Church on Sunday? Yes. I attended Coffee Hour after Communion. 2.) What w...

Are Community Churches like Denominational Churches?: Are Community Churches like Denominational Churche...

Are Community Churches like Denominational Churches?: Are Community Churches like Denominational Churche...: 1.) Approximately how many community churches have you been to in your state? 4 or 5. 2.) Are you seeing a pattern in each...

The importance of diversity: The importance of diversity

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Some churches I've enjoyed visiting: Some churches I've enjoyed visiting

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Oasis Christian Church

1.) Did you attend a church service on Sunday? Yes.

2.) What is the name of the church that you attended? Oasis Christian Church.

3.) Where is the church located that you attended? Windsor, CT.

4.) Is the church a big or small church? Small church.

5.) Is the church that you attended a Denominational or Non Denominational church? Non Denominational.

6.) Is this the first time that you attended this church that you went to? Yes.

7.) What was your experience like at this church that you attended? I could feel the love from the moment me & my mom pulled in the church parking lot!

8.) You mentioned that you and your mom had a warm welcome at this particular church. Please explain. The people were loving on us as they greeted us. I have not experienced a warm-welcome at a church like this in a while at a church.

9.) Was there any special event going on at this particular church? We had communion because it was 1st Sunday.

10.) What time does church service at this church start? Service is at 11 AM.

11.) Was there anything that you noticed that made you feel like this felt like a church home? Yes.

12.) What did you notice about this church that stood out the most out of all of the churches that you have visited? "Come as you are" people dressed comfortably, church had people of all races', and me and my mom really enjoy worshiping and fellow-shipping with everyone at church service.

13.) How long was church service? 1 hr. 20 minutes.

14.) Do you see this particular church as a possible church that you and your mom would consider attending regularly? Definitely!

15.) Do this church remind you of a particular church or churches that you visited? Yes. The Full Gospel Interdenominational Church growing up & Faith Community Church only in the sense that you put your offering in a box after church is over.

16.) When anyone go to church they for the most part like to fellowship and that's normal. People also go to get their praise and worship on. What is the praise and worship like at the church that you and your mom attended? Very lively & what we are used to!

17.) How did you first hear about this church that you and your mom attended? I spotted it in the phone book and saw the phone number and address.

18.) Were you glad that you came to the church service at this particular church? Yes!

19.) Do you think this could possibly be your church home? I don't know (I have to keep coming then I will know).

20.) Did you hear a really good word? Yes! I was blessed by the word that guest speaker shared. The Lord's return is near!

Attending Church Services Up North and Down South

Up North

Down South

Visiting churches is always a good way to decide if you are going to be a member of that particular church or not. I've visited so many churches in the Greater Hartford area. I've been involved in Children's church, Youth group, Sunday school, etc. and I always had fun interacting with children when I was in children's church and teenagers when I was in youth group. The fellowship is awesome and meeting different people is always a great experience! When you visit churches it's important to remember that church services is important, this will help you decide to choose which church is right for you. I must mention this that chances are that you may have to travel out of state to find a really good word church up North. I find that the churches that are around me where I live in Bloomfield tend to be traditional. What I mean by traditional, you have to look a certain way and some churches take up 3 offerings. My advice is to stay away from churches like that. The reason I say that is because it's almost like you are felt to feel condemned for not giving if you are not able to give every offering. Also, you should be able to go to a church and feel comfortable. I mean men can wear jeans if they want or women can wear makeup if they want. Any church that have people wearing dress clothes "dress to impress" is not a church I feel comfortable being in. The Bible says "come as you are" and that's how all churches should be. Try not to be involved in a church pass 2 hours. First off, any church that goes beyond 2 hours long, will not have you under any anointing. Them kind of churches I encourage you to walk out and never go back and don't look back. If a church service can't respect people that got to eat, have to take medication, or any emergency that he or she have to tend to, then that church is not a church you want to be a part of. The church is designed to do the following: Praise and worship, offering, preaching the word, prayer, and altar calls for anyone who would like to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior. What I noticed in quite a few churches that I've visited is when a pastor of a church or churches may ask if anyone has a testimony or a praise report. Pay careful attention to the length of their testimony or praise report. If their testimony or praise report is anywhere between 3-10 minutes long, then it's most likely a good testimony or praise report. However, if their testimony or praise report is 30 minutes or longer, then it's most likely a long winded testimony or praise report to where people wish that he or she will hurry up. Having long winded testimonies and trying to impress people, it don't really impress people. Those are just heads ups on the churches up North that I am mentioning.

Meanwhile, churches Down South are the complete opposite. Whenever I visit a church down South, the people always greet you and are very friendly. By the people tending to be more hospitable down South, they make you feel right at home when you visit a church or churches. The church services are timely and they don't hold service all day long. The longest I've been in a church down South was 2 hours that I can remember but for the most part 1 hour- 1 hour 30 minutes. The church service consists of the following: Praise and worship, Tithes and offering, the pastor preaching the word, prayer, and altar calls for anyone who want to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior. Church flows smoothly and people usually fellowship with others after service is over. I have nothing but good things to say about the churches down South. People may ask you if you want to join and become a member. If you're just visiting, then let them know that you're from out of state visiting. The people always say, "You're always welcome here and that you have a church here that you can visit." The people in the churches down South are always welcoming and they say, "Thank you for coming and come back again anytime you are in the area."

It's not that the people in churches up North are not welcoming. The people in churches down South is friendlier in how they welcome you than the people in churches up North. Probably one of the biggest difference with churches up North and the churches down South, is people go where they are led to go to church. The people down South have a much better understanding of that than the people up North do where I'm from. Just because you've been to a church 5 years or longer does not mean that you are going to stay at that particular church forever. God call people to minister, even start a church of their own, and people just have to understand that where I'm from and not be so envious. It's not good to be envious of anyone when it's God calling them to do something. Christians need to learn how to be in agreement with one another and God may even lead him or her back to that church if he feels led to send them back there.