|
Built on Faith - A
Visit to the Faith Assembly of God |
|
|
Last weekend I visited a 9:30 a.m. adult Sunday school class taught by Don Hudelson and heard a passionate exposition of Matthew chapters 24 and 25. In a youth class, youth pastor Joel Beard was leading a probing discussion of the role of women in ministry. Worship was held at 10:30 a.m. in the fellowship hall. It exemplified a blend of joy and reverence with a worship team leading a time of praise and singing. Pastor David Andreasen offered a challenging meditation before the Communion service, and then preached an articulate and penetrating sermon on the Apostle Paul's interrogation before Felix in Acts 24.
Faith Assembly of God has maintained a long presence in the Lincoln community. It is a member of the international Assemblies of God, which was organized in 1914 as a fellowship for Christians who believe in the active presence and influence of the Holy Spirit. In practice, they are Pentecostal, believing in the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. In doctrine and theology they are conservative and Biblically centered. The origins of the congregation in Lincoln can be dated to 1930 when the church was organized out of the prayer meetings held in the home of Walter and Mabel Tabb. In the 1940s the church met in downtown Lincoln. In 1957 they built the facilities on Kickapoo Street. The move to the present site on Nicholson Road took place in June,1999.
According to Pastor Andreasen, the decision to move from their facilities on Kickapoo Street to Nicholson Road in 1994 was made for spiritual reasons. "God was working on our congregation," he said in a recent interview. Linda Tucker, a church member, echoed that idea when she described standing at the site before construction started. "God was here before the bricks were laid," she testified in Sunday school class. The building project has been a growing experience for the church. The new classrooms and facilities have been financed and built on faith. Even while awaiting the sale of their previous property, most of the work has proceeded on a "pay-as-we-go" basis, according to Pastor Andreasen. Financial commitments to missions and ministries have been upheld throughout the building process. Church members and brethren in the Assemblies of God have provided most of the labor and finish work. So far, church offices, several classrooms and a fellowship hall with kitchen have been completed. For the time being, worship services are held in the fellowship hall until the main worship auditorium is finished. The congregation has paid special attention to the completion of a nursery and has provided plenty of spacious restrooms. The building is all on one floor and is fully accessible to those with physical difficulties.
|
It is clear that the present leadership has positive goals for the church. In 1992, Faith's senior pastor, David Andreasen, his wife Kathy and their three sons, came to the church. Andreasen is the son of a pastor and a 1980 graduate of North Central University in Minneapolis. He has previously served as a youth pastor in Belleville, Illinois and as a senior pastor in Warren, Illinois. The call to ministry has had a long hold on his life. He first felt that call when he was eight years old and that call has "never abated, never left," he said with conviction. "It never occurred to me there was anything else.”
In addition to Pastor Andreasen, Pastor Joel Beard and his wife Shelley, are youth leaders for the congregation. Beard graduated from Lincoln Christian College in 1992 and was ordained in the Assemblies in 1999. His wife also serves as church secretary. In addition to coordinating youth activities, Beard also has been implementing his dream of establishing a mid-week ministry group for the church. Who is the "typical" member of Faith? Pastor Andreasen notes that the "one constant is there is no constant" in profiling the membership. Few members have roots in the Assemblies of God. Members come from several backgrounds but share one common trait-they have experienced the healing and "filling of the Holy Spirit," and then look for a church. For example, Bertie Bowns testified that her husband was both converted and miraculously healed during a visit to an Assemblies church. The future of Faith Assembly seems bright. Through their association with the Assemblies of God churches, Faith is part of one of the fastest growing religious bodies in America and the world. Many scholars believe these churches are meeting the needs and answering the questions of many people. During an interview last week, Pastor Andreasen shared three dreams for the future. He hopes that Faith will be a church that is "passionately serving," - discovering and using their Godly passions and abilities. Second, he hopes that the members of Faith continue to build relationships and friendships-not just on Sunday but seven days a week. And thirdly, that Faith would be a "training ground" for Christ and a "beacon" in the community. For meeting times and activities at Faith visit their web page at http://homestead.juno.com/lincolnfaith. E-mail address is lincolnfaith@juno.com.
|
