Labor Day Preaching Conference, McMinnville 2016

I'm hesitant to start out a blog on such a high note...

But this year's Labor Day Meeting was the finest yet to date!

I mean come on, how can you beat a city wide power outage, air conditioning unit failures, coupled with the best preaching I've ever heard??

It was an unbeatable conglomerate of events.

It all started Thursday night, with our ladies bringing in salads and desserts by the drove. 

Such items as featured here below, by our very own Sis. De Kar. 

I haven't the foggiest idea how you do something like that with the frosting...

It really did look too good to eat. 

Bro. Weeks started us off the first night with the unbelievable "When Nehemiah Got Serious."

Bro. Weeks led songs Friday morning,

(you can spy yours truly on the drums, behind to his yellow jacket donned mother)

and Bro. Pope followed with a powerful song.

Elder Morton doing what he does best.

And then, right before Elder Johnson got up to preach, he was strapping on his guitar to sing a song or two, when everything dropped.  

For just a second. 

And then the backup exit signs and lights came on and we knew what was happening. 

We were about to get as Old Time Camp Meeting as we could on that fine September morning. 

Immediately a herd of ushers and cadets made a beeline for the utility closet that housed the main electrical panels for the church. 

Pastor got there first and began, by the light of an iPhone camera flash, to run through all the breakers to see what had been flipped. 

A quick inspection told us that everything was on, there was just no juice coming from the street. 

Calls were made to Mac Water and Light, notices were received from home security systems about power losses, and candles were dispersed in the bathrooms and common areas. 

It was almost....

Romantically reminiscent of days before our time. 

Back in the sanctuary, Bro. Johnson, undaunted by the man-made power loss, began to preach without microphones, lights, or air conditioning. 

But it only took about 5 minutes and a different kind of power came on.

Prayer and Preaching.

The Holy Heat came on, a Spark from the Savior, Voltage from the True Vine, a Surge from the Shepherd, Current from the Comforter began to flow in that house. 

It didn't matter that Bro. Johnson couldn't really see his notes. 

It didn't matter that you could barely hear him when the congregation started shouting and clapping. 

We didn't even barely notice when the temperate shot upwards and kept climbing. 

The man preached with a passion and talked to every heart in the house that day, maybe even for the more effect, without all those conveniences.

I betray the truth not. The service had not been over for more than 5 minutes when the power came back on. 

We ran around flipping breakers, blowing out candles, and turning on lights. 

I believe Bro. Sissel said it best,

"There is no way that was a coincidence. 

God wanted us to have an old time service without electricity."

I really believe He did. 

Friday night, as Bro. Sissel led the worship service, we finally heard Bro. Johnson pull out all the stops on the guitar, when he soloed on "This Train Is Bound For Glory."

Elder Alvear took the pulpit that Friday night, and preached a God-sent masterpiece. 

The Foundation is still there. It hasn't been moved.

After the service, we all lined up in the hallway to get a quick family Christmas photo, 

and then split for the Community Center.

Tylor was making quite a hit with the ladies, so I had to go interrupt. 

I couldn't rely on my eyes so I documented Glenndenning's back flip it for posterity.

Friday night had been B&W night, and I tried to get everyone to do brown and blue Saturday morning, but alas only I remained true.

Pastor had some of his family testify and ended with Sis. Tool-Price.

Bro. Alvear again commenced to preaching.

We had the best preaching.

If you were in those services and didn't break through, I you're broke.


Such amazing preaching, such amazing singing and worship, such an amazing weekend.


Such amazing people we're blessed to be around.









This is going to be the album artwork for our new CD.









William Mello was getting a little excited Sunday night while in line for food so the good brothers of the church lured and trapped him behind the door. Problem is he start crawling out of the top.

I'd give anything for the footage from that camera.








I love this kid.

Benson and I bonded even more when we discovered that we wore the same shoe size.






Max was going around scaring people with a plastic rat he pulled out from somewhere.

He said he put it on Sis. Price's shoulder and when she saw it she said, "Ooooooooh!"

Poor woman.







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You all know the story.

You just had to have been there.

Pictures tell a story, but not every story.

We'll see you all here next year and make some new stories.