For Pastor Godfrey Miranda, opening Sabbath at Castle Rock Church plant was filled with adrenaline and pressure, but also with “gratitude for the very vocal and tangible support from the surrounding church community.”
Meeting on April 22 in the fourth-floor lobby of Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, the 80-plus attendees sometimes had to wait for additional chairs, contributing to the general excitement of the day.
Area pastors from Franktown, Newday, Littleton, Denver South, and LifeSource churches sent video greetings to the new plant that were played during the service and which received warm applause. “This is something that the whole community and God desires to see happen,” Miranda said.
Among the special touches of the day, according to Miranda, were having Rocky Mountain Conference president Ed Barnett and vice-president Eric Nelson present to give perspective on the background work that took place over the past several years leading up to opening Sabbath.
“What a high Sabbath we had on the opening day of Castle Rock’s church plant. It was thrilling to have so many people in attendance and heartwarming to see at least 20 children,” said Barnett.
According to Barnett, Rocky Mountain Conference has a church planting committee that “strategically looks at the best places to plant a church.” They’ve recently voted to start a downtown church plant which should be in place when Shawn Boonstra presents the 2018 evangelistic series in Denver.
Miranda’s message, titled “Starting Point,” explored the idea that the church doesn’t have a starting point with any individual, but begins when its members “behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). “That’s the only starting point for the church; that’s where the world needs to be brought and what they need to see,” he explained.
Evidences of God at work were seen by Miranda through families whom he had never before met attending in search of a home church, along with CONNECT cards turned in with requests for prayer or looking for a small group where people could volunteer.
At the end of the service, each family received a gift bag with several small items including a Steps to Christ and a bag of microwavable popcorn containing the message, “So glad you popped in today!” Host families invited everyone in attendance to their homes for lunch and quality fellowship.
“It’s an amazing feeling to see dreams and plans actually become reality,” Miranda expressed, “and realize only God could do that.”
Photo: Kathy Martinez
