Buffalo Heart church
One of the greatest thrills of my life was visiting Europe for the first time. 300 year old buildings… eating in Paris restaurants which were older than our entire country. Then I go across Illinois and see small country churches… no historical tours.. but of greater eternal significance than Westminster Abby or The Eiffel Tower and Buckingham Palace the souls who are now in heaven because of them!
My story…Presbyterian, Baptist church camp, now attend Methodist church (Pres. in A’ville fell down), committed my life to the Lord through a thing called Walk to Emmaus after being lead their by Catholic friends.
Mom: pump organ… still today… bumped on R side, feel like speeding up.
My Dad: the local preacher trainer. At 12-noon he’d get up and walk out. One hour was enough. Once hid the collection plate on the new minister … during the collection.
For years, I’d never known anything but small country churches. Fondest church memories: South Prairie Presbyterian church…. located in a grove of pecans in Pike County. The place where I first learned about Jesus. Grandma was the Sunday School teacher.
Read Standin’ the Need. …
I want to do two things, congratulate you on 100 years of bringing souls to Christ, and second, give you some advice on the next hundred years.
First, the news: avg age of avg Presbyterian: 62 In fifty years…no single majority population in the United States. Churches will have to change drastically to meet the needs of the next generation. Is Buffalo Hart willing? Every mainline denomination has been on the decline since 1965. Remember: Christ didn’t say, “What you really need to do is continue doing what you’re doing, but just remember me.” He said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” This means that even churches with great traditions will have to drop behind many of those things we thought were essential but instead were just cultural.
St. Paul said “……..unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it comes not to new life.” I teach in a small school. We can change faster than our larger neighbors. The same is true of Buffalo Hart.
What makes a church a survivor: sticking close to the age-old principles of Jesus Christ while being willing to change to meet the needs of the congregation.
In short, if your number one goal is to keep this church building going, you will probably not succeed. If your chief aim is to follow Christ, no matter what, you cannot fail. Don’t be discouraged by that remark. In reading your history, it’s obvious that you’ve done just that. Your roots are in the Predistinarian Baptist, the Episcopalian tradition, the Christian, the Methodist and the Presbyterian. The cause of Christ has lived on while the name on the door has changed.
Shiloh traveling… small churches are our favorite. The big difference…. the joy of Christ is always there.
Springfield’s largest Methodist church: five services…five full-time ministers (one in charge of raising more money) so-called witnessing… “music for the common people”
Church lady.. Rena.
Song I wrote several years ago about the secret of a growing church… the Joy of Jesus. (sing: Don’t Nobody)