Granny Beth's Church

This is the church that Granpa's parents began attending when he was just three years old.  All of Granny Beth's life is wrapped up in this church.  It means the world to her and the handful of people who still attend here.  It's a large sanctuary with classrooms downstairs and a full size gymnasium and fellowship hall next door.  

I wish the world could have seen the joy on the faces of folks when they realized it was John and his family flooding through the doors that morning.  They didn't hesitate two seconds to ask him to lead the singing, as he had filled in for music ministers in the past and they remembered his wonderful voice.  (I even think a few of them didn't even try to sing so that they could hear him!  I know I did!)






After the service everyone went over to the Fellowship Hall for one of the famous North Jackson Fifth Sunday Pot Luck Meals. There may be only a handful of folks attending here, but they have always put on the best food in the county!  Unfortunately, because we had to drive from home, we weren't able to bring anything, so Granpa ran next door and got a bucket of Church's chicken to contribute.  (Forget that store-bought stuff!  I wanted the home-cooking these wonderful homemakers brought!)

After the meal, we went back over to the sanctuary to take a few pictures.  These windows are special to us because our teenage sons helped install them when we were members here after Granpa and I first got married.  That was almost thirty years ago! They still look fantastic.  I wish the whole town could see this place from the inside!  These are double-pane windows and the outside pane is reflective to help control the Texas heat.  Because of that, from the outside, one can't see the beautiful stained-glass colors.  It is so relaxing and refreshing to come in here and settle in for a great sermon!

And here's something one doesn't see in churches much anymore - if at all.  The Church Covenant is a document that a congregation agrees on and puts up at its very beginning to define who and what they are and what they believe.  Even Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community Church in California published an article in the Baptist Press recommending pastors and congregations adopt church membership covenants.  This document has existed since 1921, and has hung in this building since 1940 when this sanctuary was built.  It is the third Baptist church established in Palestine. 

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