In a small church eight miles east of Natchitoches, the congregation of Christian Harmony Baptist Church feasts on God’s Word in ways most churches don’t ever attempt.
NATCHITOCHES – In a small church eight miles east of Natchitoches, the congregation of Christian Harmony Baptist Church feasts on God’s Word in ways most churches don’t ever attempt.
More than two years ago, George Holland, a member and former pastor of the church, had an idea. He thought the church family should study the book of Acts Wednesday evenings. Seventeen people agreed with him.
And those 17, give or take a few, ended up studying the book of Acts every Wednesday for two years straight, said Christian Harmony Pastor David Matlock.
“We didn’t realize it would [take] that long,” Matlock said.
No one did, including Holland.
“As we got involved in it, we decided to break it down [verse-by-verse],” Holland said. “I answered what questions I could. Each session lasted about an hour.”
The group just used their Bibles and a few extra study books to tackle Acts. Matlock said it was life-changing.
“We learned a whole lot about the acts of the apostles,” he said.
“It was a great study,” Holland added.
One thing that really impressed Matlock was that by studying the book so deeply, he and others realized the apostles were just people.
“They really were just like me and you,” he said.
Throughout the study, participants knew that at the end of the study, a test would be offered to those who wanted to take it.
“George [Holland] made it up,” Matlock said. “Only a couple didn’t take the test.”
Everyone received a certificate for passing the class.
Matlock encourages other church bodies to approach a Bible study in the same way, to choose a book in the Bible and go through it verse by verse.
“You get more out of it,” he said. “It’s time-consuming” but it’s worth it.
The people at Christian Harmony liked it so much they started another study two months ago.
This time they are going verse by verse through the book of Romans. Holland said they are still in chapter one. Often, only one verse can be covered each week because of questions, research and discussion.
Bible study for the members of Christian Harmony Baptist Church isn’t limited to Wednesday nights though. Several members are taking a class through Faith Bible Institute, a distance-learning series of college courses also being offered at the church.
“It takes three years to finish,” Matlock said.
It is broken up into semesters. An individual can start at any time because after the entire course is completed, it starts over. Participants get college credit.
“It’s less than $100 a person [which includes textbooks],” he said. “That is 60 hours of classroom instruction.”
Matlock and his wife Shawnda just completed the three years of classes.
“They aren’t easy,” Matlock added.
Seeing others in his congregation committing to three years of Bible instruction really doesn’t surprise Matlock.
“They [his congregation] have a hunger for God’s Word,” he said.
Yet, they don’t just keep their eyes in their Bibles. Christian Harmony members also are reaching out to their community.
“We kind of have different things in the community,” Matlock said. “We usually have a singing every second Friday of the month. And every first Friday of the month we have Family Game Night.”
Anyone who is interested is welcome to come and have a meal and play board games. Though they aren’t seeing hundreds of people coming through the doors because of game night, they have had people come to church because of it. Matlock called it a “slow growth, a lasting growth.”
Both Matlock and Holland said the congregation is small, just 35 people usually on Sundays.
But those 35 people are committed to Christ and loving their community, exactly what God has called them to do, said Holland.