A Baptist church suffered a terrible fire. The congregation immediately launched a campaign to raise money to build a new building. One especially enthusiastic fund raiser called the Church of Christ preacher across town and asked if he’d be willing to donate a hundred dollars to the cause. After a thoughtful pause, the Church of Christ preacher replied, “Friend, you know I can’t give you a hundred dollars to build a new Baptist church in this town. But I can give you a thousand dollars to help you tear down the old one.”

I am so thankful to belong to a group of churches in downtown Amarillo — elders and board members, pastors and ministers, and more than three thousand Christians — that are committed to loving one another, supporting one another, praying for one another, and moving heaven and earth to help one another. I am grateful to God to be in the middle of a group of Christ-followers who are so willing and eager to put our denominational differences in their proper perspective and lock arms and hearts to worship together and serve this city together in the name and manner of Jesus. Every single thing our four churches do together serves as a powerful testimony and an undeniable witness to Amarillo and beyond that our God really is who he says he is and he’s really doing everything he promises he’s going to do.

The “4 Amarillo” churches — First Presbyterian, Polk Street United Methodist, First Baptist, and Central — came together for our fifth annual Thanksgiving Service last night. Our four churches’ praise teams and choirs combined for a hundred-member ensemble that opened the evening with a bouncy “This Is the Day the Lord Has Made” and closed it with a soaring rendition of “By Our Love.” The room was packed — more than a thousand — the energy was up, the spirit was one of enthusiasm and encouragement. Congregationally we sang “When We All Get to Heaven,” “Count Your Blessings,” “Give Thanks,” “How Great is Our God,” and “How Great Thou Art.” Howard Griffin led us in a powerful responsive reading from Psalm 136. Howie Batson’s benediction inspired. And I was privileged to deliver the evening’s message from John 13:34-35, “Love One Another. Period.”

Privileged is the right word. Blessed. Honored by our Lord to be in the middle of something only God could do. It’s hard for me to put into words the significance of what we do together as “4 Amarillo.” I know there must be other places in Texas and certainly around this country where churches from different denominations worship and work in true partnership and fellowship together. There have to be; I just don’t know of any.

I feel especially blessed to experience so regularly here this heaven on earth. Our Lord went to the cross to eradicate the barriers between us and God and between all of God’s people. Jesus’ prayer on earth was that all of his followers would be united, that we would all be one just as he and the Father are one. And we know that on that last day of glory, all of God’s people for all time will be gathered together around his table, to eat and drink in his presence, at the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb. And, by God’s grace, we are doing that right here in downtown Amarillo! Who would have ever guessed? God be praised!

“The time is now: come, Church, arise!
Love with his hands, see with his eyes.
Bind it around you, let it never leave you,
and they will know us by our love!”

Peace,

Allan

Last night our annual 4 Amarillo week concluded with our traditional ice cream social here at Central. Thirty-one Central ice cream makers and servers lined up to treat our brothers and sisters from First Baptist, First Presbyterian, and Polk Street United Methodist Churches with their own brands of both traditional and not-so-traditional homemade ice cream flavors. Everything from Bob Patrick’s “Plain Vanilla” and Callie Borger’s “Strawberry” to Jimmy Cobb’s “Sextuple C” and Carrie-Anne’s “Toasted Coconut Cream” (best one).

As part of the fun, we had our four assistant pastors serve as ice cream judges. Kevin Deckard, Murray Gossett, Reed Redus, and our own Greg Dowell faced the difficult task with dogged determination, fearless resolve, and 31 plastic spoons. Here are the official results:

Most Creative – Big Red – Kristin McCarrell
Best Presentation – Strawberry Chocolate Chip – Lenda Burk
Most Dangerous – Butter Brickle – Leon Wood
Best Fruit Flavor – Blackberry – Matthew Blake
Best Mix – Banana Nut – Vickie Nelson
Best Classic Flavor – Strawberry Banana – Scottie Witt
Best Overall – Pecan Caramel Crunch – Connie Crawford

First Presbyterian’s Howard Griffin stole a bit from the CofC’s Max Lucado to illustrate just how much noise a bunch of Christian denominations make when they’re shouting their own names but how clearly the name of our Lord is proclaimed and heard when we shout his. Powerful. We watched a slide show that captured most of what our God is doing through our four churches this week at Habitat for Humanity and at the Bible Block Parties at Margaret Wills and San Jacinto Elementary schools. We passed out the T-shirts, ate a little more ice cream, and vowed to continue working and worshiping, serving and seeking our God together as one united group of disciples of Jesus.

It’s one of my favorite nights of the year — definitely in my top two. Thank you to all who made and served the ice cream. Thank you to everyone who’s contributing their own time and energy this week to the faithful efforts to share the love of Christ with the city of Amarillo. And may our Lord continue to work in us and through us — together! — to his eternal glory and praise.

Peace,

Allan

We believe anytime our four downtown churches come together to worship or to serve — to do anything together! — it is an undeniable witness to our city that our God is bigger than our denominational walls and his Kingdom is here and it’s coming and we’re all in on it. Nights like last night here at Central are proof that God is moving powerfully in our city.

More than a thousand Christians from Central, First Baptist, First Presbyterian, and Polk Street United Methodist Church came together here to praise God, to celebrate our unity in the Spirit of Christ, and to be that testimony to Amarillo and beyond. The combined choir of more than a hundred gifted disciples gave beautiful voice to the spirit of grace and peace between our four congregations. Kim started us off with an energetic call to worship from Psalm 32, Burt gave us the expected one-liners, and Howie’s riveting Gospel narrative centering on the healing work of our Lord Jesus was as inspiring as it was clever. A wonderful, wonderful evening together. Only the Prince of Peace can create and sustain the kind of unity that exists between our four downtown churches. And we praise God for that.

The leadership of our four churches announced last night a brand new partnership, as a group, with Heal the City Free Clinic. Beginning December 5, the churches of 4 Amarillo will have volunteers at Heal the City every Monday night to provide prayers and pastoral care to the patients.

First Presbyterian has the first Monday of every month, Central has the second Monday, Polk Street is taking the third, and First Baptist has the fourth Monday of each month. We will be there to pray with the patients, to listen, and to provide any spiritual care that’s needed.

We’re all excited about the potential to join the Gospel work that’s being done at Heal the City. And we give this new partnership to our God for his purposes and to his eternal glory and praise.

Peace,

Allan

Three of the local TV stations did stories last night about our annual 4 Amarillo week. You can access the Channel 4 story by clicking here, the Channel 7 story here, and the channel 10 story here.

I would ask you to please be in prayer this week for our churches and for all the people who are being impacted by these work projects. Pray for the women who will live in these renovated apartments. Coming out of abuse and addiction, enrolled in skills and coping programs, these women desperately need the kind of fresh start and support these little town homes will give them. And pray for the families of the children who are being fed lunch and told about the love of Jesus at Wills and San Jacinto elementary schools. These kids and their folks are mostly living day to day, financially distressed, transient, the majority of them with little to no knowledge of our risen and reigning Lord Jesus.

May God’s will be done in us and through us to his eternal glory and praise!

Peace,

Allan