It's Resurrection (Easter) Sunday and we found an awesome Holy Spirit filled church in Emerald, Isle, North Carolina to celebrate. Emerald Isle is just one of the many beach communities that make up the southernmost part of the Outer Banks. The Outer Banks in North Carolina is an amazing 200-mile stretch of barrier islands off the coast. We are exploring this and other areas of the Outer Banks while wintering in the Carolinas. You can follow our journey on our YouTube channel.
It's not always easy to find a welcoming church, I'm sad to say, but encounter 61 church made up for others in armfuls. The church looks more like a surf shop (which it may well have been before) than a traditional church.
Pastor Joe Strouse, or just Joe as he prefers to be called leads a small (for the moment) non-denominational church with his wife Sonya and a BIG hearted congregation. We lost count of the number of people who welcomed us in. As soon as we sat down, we struck up conversations with people on both sides of us. Both conversations began with us explaining our life as full time travelers, but also included how much they loved their Pastor.
Joe spoke with such emotion and passion for Jesus, we couldn't help but want to stop and chat with him after the service. He told us how the church came into being, and how he was reading Isaiah 61 when The Lord told him to start a church. He listened and now 2 services are barely enough to hold everyone in their current space. Denese and I both felt that the Lord is going to do BIG things in this church. If you are in Emerald Isle, NC. Stop by and "drink" in the hospitality.
Community On the Road
One of the challenges of being a full time traveler and a follower of Jesus is being in community with other believers. It may be hard for some to understand the need to pray for and with others and the feeling of fulfillment afterward. You probably have been to an event or met people where you say to yourself, "wow, I really enjoyed being with them"? Community with believers is like that, but its not necessarily the friendship as much as the unity that satisfies the soul. If you have ever been curious about Jesus or Christianity then there is a wonderful online course called Alpha. Click the link to discover more.
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More To Come
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