ArticleBlog | Patterns and a pub: Two stories about personalities
Patterns and a pub: Two stories about personalities
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 16.06.25
A church birthday party. Baptisms in bathtubs. An orange slide – for children and adults. A pub Sunday roast every week with the preacher and congregation. How often do we let our personalities shape the decisions we make? How can we take inspiration from those who do things differently – where in that ‘difference’ do more new believers come to know the Lord?
This is the story of two very different churches: one rooted in tradition, the other birthed by a missionary compelled to start a church with no financial backing. Though distinct in style, both bring their congregations face to face with God, allowing the Holy Spirit to move and witnessing lives transformed as people commit their hearts to Jesus. An orange slide Attending this church for a single service was unusual for me – straying from our usual family church. Perhaps it was the lure of a sixth birthday party, the anniversary of their church plant, complete with cake and balloons. Or maybe it was the intrigue of the orange slide, which carried children from the registration area – where tea and coffee were served – down to the worship space, where the band played and the pulpit stood. The joy was infectious. Laughter and delight radiated from the team leading the service, and Joel Sales, delivering the sermon, left a lasting impression. Was it always like this, I wondered, or was it just the birthday celebration?
