Curtis Road Church of God

June 15, 2025 Father’s Day

Everyone I pass at the Curtis Road Church of God welcomes me as I come in. Lots of handshakes. Under the grand cathedral ceiling are four sections of padded chairs. Worship band instruments sit on stage behind a transparent pulpit. A US and a  Christian flag stand to the side. No bulletin or order of service is given out, but I am smilingly handed a visitor card.

After reading from Psalm 122, Pastor Bryan offers Father’s Day wishes. Packages of donuts, specially labeled with the church logo, are available to all the men. Next, the pastor happily announces that all bills have been paid for the parking lot and landscaping projects. Give God a hand. After a prayer for the offering, it's time for the perhaps fifty people present to walk around and greet each other. The couple of kids there leave for their Sunday School class.

The band, led by the powerfully beautiful voice of Pastor Anna, takes us into the first segment of worship. At some point, Bryan steps up to give a mini lesson on the song from Isaiah 6 which his wife had just so movingly sung. He explains the ancient custom of a conquering king adding a part of the defeated king's robe onto his own robe, extending it. This leads to encouragement for people to step out of their comfort zones and request prayer which is freely given. After this ministry time, we go into the worship music again. As the last notes recede I think, having been there an hour, perhaps the service is ending, but this is when Pastor Bryan comes to the stage to deliver his message of the day: Legacy Builders. He begins with some statistics: 6% of kids are faithful to God with no parental modeling; 15% with the modeling of their mothers; and 55% if their dads go to church. It’s important for dads to step up and build into the lives of their children. Bryan shares stories of example. The service ends with a prayer that we can all leave a valuable legacy to the generation that is following.

Don’t forget your donuts!

First Christian Church

June 1, 2025

First Christian Church on Staley Road west of Champaign-Urbana definitely has the big church vibe. Cars were pouring into the lot when I arrived for the first of two services. I was welcomed by a few people. Got a cup of tea and found a seat with a couple hundred others in the open-ceiling auditorium. Basketball goals were folded up overhead. Yahweh We Love You led into worship before a quite time for taking communion on our own, the elements of which were available from baskets at the doors. This was also the time those who wished to give could deposit their offerings.

A young woman was then baptized in a big tub at the front. All were invited to repeat a confession of faith with her.

By video a guy told how getting involved with one of the church teams had impacted his life. Finding a way to serve helped his family get connected and was a good example for his kids. People can learn more about this involvement by visiting the Next Steps area in the foyer. Faith is not just about what I receive, but also what I give, the man said.

After leading us in the Lord’s Prayer, Pastor Eric Friedmann spoke from the first few verses of John 17, pointing out that this chapter is also a prayer of the Lord. (If anyone doesn’t have a Bible, btw, they can stop by First Steps and pick one up for free.) Whereas the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 is short, linear, and practical, the priestly prayer in John 17 is more emotional. Jesus prays for God’s glory over his own. Do we? Jesus prays for the eternal over the earthly. Both are good. What’s our balance? Jesus prays for what he can do for God over what he wants God to do for him. “Prayer is having God’s ear so that he might have our hearts.”

A worship team of eight led us through a couple of songs in the still-darkened auditorium, as lights shown out from the stage. Someone who had been serving at the church for ten years shared a few sentences again encouraging people to visit the Next Steps spot to get plugged in and, to my surprise, the service was finished.

Hurrying out because I was cold, I remembered something special about this place. They have an indoor playground and surrounding walking track that’s open free to the public. What a great service to the area for cold or rainy days!