Faith Community Church adds second service

Posted 9/5/19

While American church membership has declined sharply in recent decades, Faith Community Church, located west of Ralston on the Cody/Powell highway, continues to grow.

More than 170 people are …

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Faith Community Church adds second service

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While American church membership has declined sharply in recent decades, Faith Community Church, located west of Ralston on the Cody/Powell highway, continues to grow.

More than 170 people are now members of Faith Community.

“Church membership has easily doubled in the last year and a half,” said Clyde Seifert, Church Council president. “And we are taking action to welcome everyone who wants to call Faith their church home.”

Pastor Dave Seratt, who came to Faith Community in April 2018, attributes the growth to God.

“This is nothing I am doing, or that we are doing. God is calling people to come, and they are responding,” Seratt said. “It’s one of the most exciting things I’ve been a part of, and our church body feels the same. We stand ready to serve the Lord.”

With the seven-year-old church building bursting at the seams on Sunday mornings, plans have been made to add an additional church service. Starting this Sunday, one service will run from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Children’s Sunday School will follow from 9:45-10:30 a.m., with fellowship time taking place during Sunday School. A second service — identical to the first — will then take place from 10:45-11:45 a.m.

Seratt said that on Sundays, the church’s Christian education will focus on children.

“Children need leading, teaching, and nurturing; adults can take the initiative to grow,” he said. “We will offer adult education as things unfold, but for now, our kids are our priority.”

In addition to adding a service, the building once known as “The Little Red Church on the Hill” is thinking about adding on. A committee is considering options.

“We are going to be good stewards and follow the Lord’s leading in regard to building,” Seratt said.

Seratt, who has led several congregations over more than 30 years as a pastor, recently shared his vision with Faith Community.

Seratt’s vision includes four specific areas: friendly to friendship, faith in action, expanding our Tent Stakes, and Discipleship.

“This has always been a friendly church. New folks always comment on the friendly atmosphere, but it’s time to take that further — to really build strong relationships with one another,” Seratt said. For instance, he said people could invite people they don’t know so well to their homes for meals.

Faith in action refers to being intentional as a church body in serving local communities in different ways, but collectively.

“There are so many things we can do by multiplying our efforts, but multiplying them in a similar way — for example, everyone praying for our schools one month,” Seratt said. Different outreach ministry opportunities will be coordinated each month.

“We do ‘church’ well,” Seratt said. “But we need to get out into our communities and bring Christ to them.”

The addition of a second service and the discussions about possibly expanding the building are part of “expanding our tent stakes,” he said.

The last piece of the vision is discipleship. “Everyone needs a Barnabas, a Paul, and a Timothy in their life,” Seratt said. “Someone to mentor you, someone to walk alongside you, and someone for you to mentor. This keeps us growing, learning, and teaching.”

Seratt has asked his congregation to pray, be patient and participate. With so much growth so fast, there have been challenges — including with communication.

“There has been a lot going on for a long time, and we have tried to keep up with what God is doing,” Seratt said. “Sometimes we make mistakes along the way, but we ask that grace flow to and from one another.”

For more information, visit www.faith-community-church.org, or call Seratt at 307-272-7655.

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