THE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE FACTOR

I just happened to mention that "today was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day" and the next night there were three dozen such cookies waiting for me on the front pew.  It was certainly a reminder that you always need to be careful what you say while in the pulpit and a testament to the giving spirit of the Eastridge Church of the Nazarene in Kankakee, Illinois.  Eastridge is pretty much your "typical" Church of the Nazarene.  Her weekly attendance hovers around 100 and, like so many of her sister churches, struggles to provide ministries because of limited finances and so few volunteers to draw from. 

She exists in the shadows of two very large Nazarene congregations.  These wonderful churches  provide a myriad of ministries and activities for their people.  They have multiple paid staff positions and a large pool of volunteers to draw from as they strive to be faithful to the building of the Kingdom.

As students arrive at ONU their freshman year they are pretty much directed to First Church or College Church and these two churches do a wonderful job providing these young people with places to worship and to grow spiritually.  However, for some incoming students they feel lost in the "largeness" when their "home" church was much smaller.  That's where, for some, Eastridge comes to the rescue.  Throughout the years this church has provided a home away from home for thousands of young people.  Young people who are searching for their identity and their spiritual formation.  They just feel at home at Eastridge.  It's the "chocolate chip cookie" factor!

Pastor Gregg Chambers

Pastor Gregg Chambers and his people have opened their hearts to these "educational orphans" and made them feel welcomed and special.  One such young man is Matt.  Matt comes from a small country church in Indiana located on four corners somewhere between here and there.  A church where everyone knows everyone else and everyone cares for everyone else.  A church where the pastor knows your name.  Matt has been attending Eastridge for over two years now and chose to stay in Kankakee throughout this summer to serve the church on the praise team and in the pulpit.  He is living in the guest room of the parsonage.  This young ministerial student is ministering.  He is making hospital calls, observing weddings and funerals, and learning what life in the parsonage is like.  He is so certain that the Lord is in his decision to make Eastridge his choice during the school year that, on our Revival Sunday, is transferred his membership there.

Free To Fly Ministries had a wonderful week at Eastridge, preaching, praying, and eating chocolate chip cookies!  but more than anything I was reminded that the Church is in good hands as long as there are churches that are obedient to God's plan and young men and women like Matt, who will continue to follow God's leadings for their lives.  I left our time together BLESSED.