When I went downstairs near the beginning of In-House (our local drop-in) to get the dodgeballs, two young boys were sitting on the stairs outside the washrooms, eating watermelon. We jokingly fabricated a great big tale of how the seeds ended up on the carpet, since they claimed they didn't do it. When I opened the door to the basement, they asked if they could see what was there. I decided to give them a tour.
We went through the Youth room (where they jumped from risers onto stacks of cushions), into the basement (which wasn't as exciting for them), and then up into the sanctuary. As soon as I opened the door they went, "Whoa, what is this?" and I explained to them that we have church there on Sunday mornings. They asked what time, and I told them. They thought it was the neatest room (and were impressed by the projector screen's ability to go up and down). When they saw the balcony, they were thrilled and ran up the stairs, sitting at the very back in the middle and exclaiming, "This is the best seat in the house!"
It was a refreshing experience to see the building from new eyes. When I told them what we did at Youth, I mentioned that they could join in next year on Tuesday nights. Several times throughout the rest of the tour I kept hearing them say, "Man, I can't wait until I'm in grade 7!"
When we were in the sanctuary, Kyle said, "I was in a church once - for my grandma's funeral." While I didn't let on that this was a shock, it's a remarkable reminder to me of just how important this drop-in program is. To think that In-House is Kyle's 2nd+ time of being in a church is amazing. Without this program, he'd never walk into one of these buildings. Without the love of the volunteers, he'd never get to know God. We can only hope and pray that we can reach out to him through this. It's a solemn reminder of the status of a good portion of society. As Christians, all we can do is keep on reaching out.
Taking Heart,
Paul
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