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 Open
Arms last year entered into an agreement for use of the Earl
Hargrove Chapel on the campus of LCU for a new church building for
the congregation. Through a series of blessings and miracles, Pastor
Larry told how that now the church owns the property and is destined
to do great things in the community in the name of God.
The Wednesday evening service began with Pastor Wendy and the Open
Arms band leading the congregation in two uplifting songs that
brought the congregation to its feet as they sang along.
As the second song came to an end, Pastor Larry came to the stage
and offered a prayer.
He then told a story that he said was a reflection of both sides of
his life. The story of a young boy who was doing well in school at
first, but by fifth grade he had slid backward terribly. He had
experienced many tragedies, including the death of his mother in his
young life, and each one had hurt and made a negative impact.
At Christmas time he gave his teacher a gift as was the tradition.
When she opened the young boy’s gift it was a bracelet with many of
its stones missing and a half bottle of cheap perfume. As the other
children chided the gift, the teacher went out of her way to admire
it and make over it. Soon she had all the children in the room also
in awe of the gift. After class the boy told the teacher that the
bracelet looked as good on her as it had his mother who had passed,
and the perfume was his mom’s favorite and it smelled as good on the
teacher as he remembered on his mother. The
boy experienced a change that day and so did the teacher. When he
graduated high school he invited the teacher to attend, when he
graduated college at the top of his class, he invited the teacher to
attend, and when he became a doctor he asked her to be there
representing his family.
Pastor Larry said he has been the student in the story, and he has
been the teacher. He said what we all need is people who will
believe in us and hold us up.
Pastor Larry attended Lincoln Christian University and he talked
about the professors who believed in him and helped him. He said
that while the night was about the church it was also about the
school because without the school there would be no church.
He went on to say that in his life, there were those who believed in
him, but even so, he went through a time when he walked away from
God, but God waited on him and welcomed him back when he returned.
Pastor Larry moved to talk about planting a church in Lincoln. He
said that he, 16 years ago had been praying for a place for a
church, and he believed it would be either in Georgia or in
Bloomington, when God said to him that he would have a church in
Lincoln. He said at first he thought it was a joke, and he told his
wife Wendy about it, not believing that it would happen.
Then he said God furthered the mission, telling him that someday he
would do something with the Lincoln Christian University. Pastor
Larry said he again was not believing but God brought the church to
this place and delivered on his promise.
Pastor Larry said that he had been praying for a location and had
been to see a plot of land that was 12 acres, but there were issues
with the land that prevented the church from buying it. He said that
was God too, making sure that there were no barriers for what was to
come with Lincoln Christian University.
Pastor Larry said that he was in attendance at a
leadership conference at LCU when the Lord spoke to him, telling him
to approach University President Dr. Silas McCormick about renting
the chapel. He said that he did not know then that the University
was on the cusp of reorganization, but he did approach Dr. McCormick
who immediately asked for a face-to-face meeting the following week.
Later that night as Pastor Larry was at his then church preparing
for the morning service, he said he received another message from
God. He said Gold told him that HE was going to do something in
Lincoln that would blow people’s minds, and everyone would know it
was from God.
Pastor Larry said there was much more to the story, but he would
move on to buying the church. He said that there was a great need
for money for the church, and God told him if he would “cast the
vision” on the congregation, that he the Lord would bring the church
into $1,000,000. Pastor Larry said that was hard to absorb but he
followed Gods direction and cast the vision to the congregation and
within just a few months, God provided the church $1,000,000.
Pastor Larry went back to the founding of the church in Lincoln. He
said when the church began, his first message was from Luke 15, the
story of the Prodigal Son. He said that the story tells of the
wayward son who leaves his father but returns. He the son returns,
the father does not say “I told you so,” but instead greets him with
open arms and says welcome home.
Pastor Larry said within the church, he often uses that phrase,
welcome home, because he speaks to people who are searching for a
home and he wants them to know that they have found it, that safe
place where people will tell them the truth and welcome them home.
He said that another phrase used at the church is “We’re walking in
a miracle.” He said it was true, there were many, many miracles that
had brought the church to this day.
Another phrase associated with Open Arms is “you
matter here.” Pastor Larry said it was a true statement. Every
person matters, and it doesn’t matter what they have done in the
past or what they are doing now, everyone matters to God and to Open
Arms Church.
When the church was founded, it was called the Open Arms Christian
Fellowship Church and he called it OACF for short. But when he
talked to people they would say “are you the pastor from Open Arms?”
He said more an more it became Open Arms and not OACF, and he and
the church have found they like that better, because it is more like
Jesus, accepting everyone with open arms, so from here on, the
church is to be Open Arms.
As he began to wrap up his message, Pastor Larry talked about
realizing the vision. He said a while before any on the vision he
had come about, he had a heart to heart with God, where he just laid
it all out. He told God he knew the vision and was working toward
it, and he knew that God would deliver. But he told God he wasn’t
getting any younger, and though he knew the work would continue
after he was gone to Heaven, he would just ask that God accelerate
the process so Larry Crawford could see some of this vision come
about. He then said, “Well, be careful when you pray. God said well
then how about almost 60 acres and six buildings?”
Pastor Larry went on to talk about what the plans are
for the new church campus. He said the Easter Egg Hunt had been on
the grounds, and this year the Family Fun Day will be on the grounds
on June 24th. He talked about the sports programs that are being
developed, the Ruth Hall will be redesigned to house pastors who are
seeking a great place to come and have a time of refreshing.
There will also be Thanksgiving Meals at the Hall. The church will
continue to partner with LCU for dorms for students, for men’s
retreats and women’s retreats. There are a number of other things
that Open Arms will provided because it has this wonderful campus
that God has provided not just to the church but to the community.
Pastor Larry ended with a personal testimony about his time away
from God. He attended a concert by Christian musician Ron Cannoli.
Pastor Larry sat in front and the musician put him on the spot to
sing Jesus Loves Me. Pastor Larry felt it was God embarrassing him
because he was not walking in Christ. But he later heard the God
say, “I wasn’t embarrassing you. I was asking you to proclaim before
thousands of people that you KNOW that Jesus loves you.”
Then Pastor Larry began calling people to the stage for the ribbon
cutting. There were about 500 people in the congregation on
Wednesday night, and Pastor Larry invited about 50 or more to join
him and Pastor Wendy on the stage.
Among them Pastor Glenn Shelton who was asked to be the first to
speak. Among the things Pastor Shelton shared was a letter that had
been written by Larry Crawford in 2002. He had written to Pastor
Shelton seeking an opportunity to speak to the Pastors church.
Pastor Shelton said that Larry and Wendy Crawford have opened their
arms to him personally and had shown themselves to be friendly. He
said that if you want to have friends you have to be friendly.
Pastor Shelton told the two that he thanked them and that he is
still expecting more great things from them and the church.
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Pastors Kevin and Charlene Wolfe were the next to be called up. The
couple began the OACF with the Crawfords in their home. Pastor Kevin
said that the church began in their home which was big, but nothing
like this. The Wolfe’s had left OACF but now they are returning to
Open Arms and will be a big part of the outreach ministry. The
couple is looking forward to their return to Lincoln and OACF and
are in awe of what God has done with the Open Arms Church.
Pastor Larry called up Doctors Don Green, Keith Ray, and Silas
McCormick. All three have been heads of LCU and Dr. McCormick is the
current president. Dr. Green spoke first saying he was proud of the
Crawfords for their work in the community and also around the world.
Dr. Ray spoke saying it is a “great day for the Kingdom of God.” He
said that the Crawfords and the church have stepped forward and have
done great things to help with the succession of the University.
Dr. McCormick was the last of the three to speak. He began by saying
that the last time he visited the chapel he left in tears, knowing
that it was the last time it would be a part of LCU and saddened for
the day. But he found hope in the new life that Open Arms is
breathing into the chapel as their church structure. He said that
LCU had been about building disciples for Christ, and Open Arms is
doing that as well, so the mission of the Hargrove Chapel and LCU is
being carried on by the Crawfords and Open Arms church. These are
facts that he is most grateful for.
Senators Sally Turner and Darren Bailey were on hand for the ribbon
cutting as well. Turner began by saying that she was thankful for
the church and the prayers that it had said on her behalf and on
behalf of her family. She said that she was particularly grateful
for the times that she has called and sought support from the church
in her job as a senator.
Bailey, who lost his run for governor at the last election came
forward with his wife Cindy. He noted that he had flown into
Indianapolis after a visit with President Trump and had considered
he had a three-hour drive to home or a three hour drive to Lincoln,
and he was told to come to Lincoln. He talked about getting word
that LCU was shutting down. Though it did not shut down entirely it
did transition into a new format, he heard it was shutting down, and
he thought to himself that it was wrong that such a school serving
God should go to the wayside. But God had a plan, and that plan has
now come to be.
Dr. Richard Hilton was brought to the center of the stage. He noted
that when God starts something new, he doesn’t do away with the good
old that is already here. He said he was proud of what was being
done at LCU and Open Arms and he was proud of the church for what it
has become, a great influencer in the community and a blessing to
God.
Coming all the way from Georgia was Pastor Tommy Williams. Pastor
Williams showed the Crawfords a great deal of support when the began
the church in Lincoln with the Wolves. Pastor Larry noted that
pastor Wilson drove all the way from Georgia to deliver the first 50
chairs for the new Open Arms Church. Then later he made that same
trip again for another 50 chairs, then the third time, it took a
semi to bring them all.
Pastor Williams noted the Crawfords dedication to God and to
preaching the word of God. He recalled times when Pastor Larry drove
the 650 miles to Georgia to preach God’s word then drove home right
after. Pastor Williams said he didn’t know how Pastor Larry did it,
that it had to have been God who guided those trips. He said that
Pastor Larry had been there for him when he was down and had helped
him in many ways.
Dr. John Castelein was a ribbon holder for the evening. Pastor Larry
noted that Castelein who is a retired professor from LCU was a dear
friend and a great teacher mentor to Crawford. He asked Dr.
Castelein to speak. Dr. Castelein said he was certain that the
Spirit of God was moving and that there was going to be a spiritual
awakening in our nation and that Lincoln was going to be at the
center of that awakening.
The last person to speak before the snipping of the ribbon was
Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch. Welch congratulated the Crawfords and the
church, and said that he had listened with interest to the message
Crawford had delivered at the beginning of the evening, and was
moved and touched by the pastors words. Welch said in many ways, he
as Mayor and Pastor Crawford face similar challenges. Both have hard
truths that are not always well received by their constituents or
congregations. He said that as a politician he is not always well
received, but he has a commitment to be open, honest, and
transparent in his office. He said that he related well to the
Pastor and the church because they have a common circumstance. The
things they do are for the betterment of the community. Welch went
on to say that the city was fortunate to have Open Arms Church
because it is a church that is involved in the community. He said
that the events the church hosts such as the recent Easter Egg Hunt
and the upcoming Family Fun Day are good for the people of the
community and that is a fact for which Welch is very grateful.
Welch also pointed out that City Clerk Peggy Bateman, Alderman Kevin
Bateman, and Alderman Sam Downs were also on stage representing the
city.
Finally it was time for the moment everyone had come to see. The
snipping of the ribbon on the new church building and the Sweet 16
Anniversary of Open Arms Church was a loud and joyous event. The
entire congregation of 400 to 500 people stood up cheering and
roaring for the countdown and the snip. It was so loud that it took
a few times for the word to get to the Crawfords that it was time to
cut the ribbon.
When the cut was over there was free Sorrento’s pizza for everyone
and the evening continued for a time of joyous celebration and
fellowship.
[Nila Smith]
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