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What have you found so far, Chris?

And James, if you see this, I've tried several times without success to get through to you by phone to get your address.

We finally found a church very close to our home that preaches the gospel, not whatever the flavor of the month/top selling book of the year brand. Music is from the hymnal (yes, there are new as well as older songs there!) but not done manipulatively. Amazing what happens when the praise team is moved to the back instead of the front. I suppose we are a bit stodgy and stuffy. HOWEVER our balance of children/teens/young adults/middle aged/ senior adults closely matches our village, which I believe is quite healthy. Lives are changed here. Not as many walk the aisle as often as over at get jiggy church (sorry, snide senior moment) but there actually are quite a few every month. And did I mention, lives are changed? Apparently the message is getting across.

We have purposely turned away from using manipulation to get "decisions." Our job is get the gospel out. His job is convicting of sin, leading to repentance, and to belief in Jesus for forgiveness of sins.

It is actually a breath of fresh air not to be under constant assault of "why don't we" and "you don't do enough" etc and rather hear sermons about who He was and is, what He did and does, and then step back.

We do not need hired bands, fancy supplies, or marketing gurus. Just preaching the truth is very effective.

I pray all on a search for a church home are as blessed as we have been!

Fremont Baptist uses a hymnal but also projects the words on the wall. We have an organ but no organist. Our average Sunday attendance is about 25. We are looking for a pastor. We have a family band and a pianist for accompanists, and sometimes the band leads a well-known closing hymn a cappella. The band generally has three to five members, playing two or three guitars and sometimes a banjo. No percussion, generally.

Last Sunday, the first for our new interim minister Jeff Barker, also marked the first time I can recall, in the 28+ years I've been there, that we sang "My faith looks up to thee". To my surprise, it went well and I found it moving.

Rev. Jeff Barker:

I just found this. https://babylonbee.com/news/local-famil ... aZeJgbiRfE