Community Church at Murphy's Landing - Personal Statement Example

Community Church at Murphys Landing (CCML) Introduction My visit to The Community Church at Murphys Landing (CCML) is what I will talk about in my first paper. This is a family church where my neighbor attends and she invited me to go with her. The church is quite favorable since members are willing to provide full information that I would require in my study. I found quite encouraging words in the site of the church whereby they advocated making the visitors to be very comfortable. In 2013, I visited the church two times which has been of great help to me since I have learnt a lot about the church. First, there is a weekly gathering which is usually worship through various ways and modes which include: different forms of prayers, there are also hymns being sung, they use guitars to complement their worship and at the end of the worship people greet each other with wide smiles of welcome. In addition, their services are broadcasted on weekly basis and are available in the internet for anyone who will be interested to watch online. Normal church services held on Sundays begin at 9:30AM and there are different services for different individuals for example there are services for students, parents and for children. The church members are very friendly. At my visit, the church members surrounded me after the service and each of them greeted me warmly and provided their contact information. I encountered the son of one of the senior members of the church who works in one of the most famous firm in Saudi Arabia and we interacted broadly and we got to know each other deeply. I could offer help where necessary or other where I could and especially on Christian topics. The mission in The Community Church at Murphys Landing (CCML) equips one with virtues such as loving, it makes one grow spiritually and it also a knowing mission. The mission of this church lives to its best by praying and worshipping together as a community of believers and they grow together in spiritual maturity. Education, prayer cell groups, treating each other as brother and sister and discipleship are the factors that aid in their togetherness of the mission. In addition, they undertake outreaches both individually or by church throughout the world and other churches just to spread the good news. They also participate in global missions in order to spread Christ’s love throughout the world. The church started was started in 1906 as a community church of Greenwood. It is located in Harding Indianpolis, IN 4621 and 7401S. It is also an independent community plan and surrounded by people of the middle class. It is not necessary for one to attend all the meetings and events of the church in order to become a member. Everyone is welcome though all church members seem to be related since they all come from the same ancestry. From the manner of their dressing and the way of presentation, one can tell that they come from middle upper class. the church is only attended by white Americans from varied ages apart from only one man who is Mexican and also very poor. The church members portray a good quality of academic language which means that they are all educated. The CCML church is built using a very modern material both inside and outside. The first thing one sees in entering is the big round table where there files of papers and boobs. The pictures of Jesus are hanged on the walls of the hall. Inside the CCML, there is a big room which is referred to as the sacred space where members use for practice of performing church rituals. A big room where chairs have been arranged facing the stage is right inside. There are different musical instruments which include the piano, the guitar: both instrumental and electrical guitar and drums, on the stage which also had a big cross without the image of Christ just behind it. In addition, on the sides of the room were the two big screens which showed the lyrics of the song being sung and the scriptures read. There was a plate containing water and another one containing biscuits in the space between the audience and the stage. The place seemed the most holy. Ronnie Reiss, the director of worship team at CCML would lead the practice of worship every Sunday. On that particular Sunday, there were only thirty members who attended church. People held their hands together as they begun worshiping. There worship songs comprised of both the traditional and modern songs whereby they used musical instruments while singing. The speakers of the word were relevant and practical and the sermons had their basis from the bible. On Sunday one hour before the service begins, the church members gather and interact socially, inquiring about their jobs, businesses and education. The pastor, youths and parents all help in the organization of the church program. Other leaders such as the worship director, Ronnie, and the senior pastor, Paul Erny, who has served in the church for more than thirty years, chair the congregation. Pastor Paul first served as a pastor in Pennsylvania in the Evangelical Church for about eight years and later he spent thirteen years serving as a missionary and finally moved in to serve as a senior pastor in the Community Church at Murphy’s Landing. On the hand, Ronnie Reiss has also served in the church for almost one year. The two had experience on their jobs and thus they were selected. There are also Life Groups which are groups of four people who come together to offer their support to one another and in their spiritual growth. The church is owned by one family and its leadership is constituted by only three people who include; Ronnie Reiss the worship director, Brandon Owrey the youth director and the senor pastor Paul Erny. According to the website of the church, the CCML structure of leadership operation is biblically based on the Eldership and that the handling of operations of day to day should be handled by the staff of the pastor who include the senior pastor and the director of worship. The CCML also holds other church activities such as the Easter Egg Extravaganza, The Mission Trip of The Youth Ministry, Guest Speaker, Thanksgiving, Community Friends Sunday and Worship Team Practice. During my visit to the CCML church, a guest speaker had visited. The speaker was invited and he talked about life changing experiences that could change both himself and other people. He also talked about how one can become a Christian and he gave out lectures. After the guest speaker finished, Ronnie, the director of worship stood and started the worship service with a song while the rest of the church members stood up, held the hands of each other and begun singing. It took about twenty minutes before the worship session ended with two songs and the senior pastor Paul Erny stood, greeted the congregation and thanked everyone for attending the service and finally prayed as people repeated after him. After the prayer people moved towards the two plates of water and biscuit in harmony beginning from the older people followed by the young ones where each took a piece of biscuit and a sip of water. The members of the CCML show their emotions since I noticed that even before the service begun. The gathering and holding hands of the members and hugging each other show their emotional dimension. During the worship directed by Ronnie, people still hold hands and swing right to left showing their emotions towards the song. Some members cried while others smiled since I was hugged by an old lady who seemed to have been crying after the worship service. It is divine to be emotional while singing. Their sermon is being guided by the Ten Commandments since speakers relate their life experiences and other people’s life experiences to the story of Jesus which is a narrative myth. The speakers also talk about the Ten Commandments and their applications to the lives of people. They also believe in the doctrine which is philosophical that Jesus is the Son of God and he was crucified and He resurrected and assures people of eternal life. This is their dimension on the doctrine and philosophy. Conclusion My visit to CCML made me to learn a lot that I had never come across. I stood in surprise throughout the singing session since in Muslim that is not part of the rituals performed. The fact that all the members of the church were blood related made their emotional connection very strong and also strong in prayers since they would pray for one another. When I left, the members gave me a New Testament bible and also a document on the story of Jesus which would aid in my studies. As a Muslim, I was virtually challenged by the friendliness and warmth that the people in CCML showed me. We still communicate since they still send me emails, thank you cards and mails as well. The experience I got, I pray to god that their prayers will be heard, they would continue growing in spirit and loving others selflessly and also equipping them with knowledge and opportunities to serve Him around the world and also in the communities. Work Cited Moffatt, James. The Bible: James Moffatt Translation : with Concordance. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Classics, 1994. Print. Read More