Outdoor Church

Bruce Yingling

September 25, 2009


Traditionally, on the Sabbath seniors are at Leoni Meadows for Senior Experience, Rio Campus Ministries schedules an outdoor church service. Consequently, on Sabbath, September 19, Pastor Krystalynn Martin planned church for the underclassmen and adult members of the Rio church in the “Renslow Grove,” a grove of black walnut trees near Boys’ Beach where the Renslow family cleared and planted grass for the wedding this fall of their son, Andrew. According to Christine woods, junior, “Outdoor church was a great opportunity to get out of the pews and enjoy worshipping in God’s nature.

After Dean Foster and Steve Martin led out in a song service, Pastor Martin divided everyone into groups who were asked to formulate a spiritual object lesson drawn from the scenic beauty surrounding them and then share that lesson with the entire group.

Afterwards, Pastor Martin presented a short homily, appropriately drawn from Psalms 1. For the audience, it was easy to visualize the Psalmist’s comparison of a righteous person to a “tree planted by the living waters” when they were sitting under a canopy of trees that were flourishing because of their proximity to the Russian River.

After church the cafeteria provided a picnic lunch for everyone.

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Source: http://riolindo22.adventistschoolconnect.org/article.php?id=137

Note: Bolds and Highlights added.
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