“Pastor, I don’t feel comfortable with all of these new people coming to our church. I mean just look at them. They aren’t like us.” — Real Quote from a real Elder to a real pastor. What was he complaining about; the 300 + new members that joined the church from 1991-1994 ish. My husband and I were part of that group of new members. I’m not sure if that made God laugh, or cry. I do know that He knows the plans he had for them and us, and today God just smiles.

Skaters shred through the school parking lot every Saturday while we have church. They come close enough to hear the music and glance at the people walking in, but that is it. They have bigger things to do with their time on Saturday night than visit our little mission start. They seem more focused on the curls, kicks, flips, and stops they are trying to perfect than they are us.

They are pretty rough around the edges, these skater boys. They aren’t like us. Or are they? Our door is open, they hear the music as they skate and shred and whatever else they call what they are doing. Sometimes I could swear they slow down just a little with each pass. I could be wrong though.

Funny thing about our little mission start who, worships 50-60 people a week, we have teenagers. Lots of teenagers. While the adults appear invisible to these skaters, the teen girls don’t. So they decide to pay a visit this week.

I’d like to say, they came to worship. But they didn’t. They came to cut up and tease one of the girls they knew from school. All three boys went to teens church and proved to be a challenge for our teachers.

During our prayers in the main hall, separate fro the teens, pastor prayed for those boys. He told God that while we think we know why they came in (girls), we pray that God would call out to them, be real for them and make them his.

When church ended, one of the skater boys left. The other two? They sought out pastor – apologized for the disruption and asked about Jesus.

“What do we need to do to be saved?”

They asked that!

Hmmm.. Kinda reminds me of another group of “not like us” people. The ones the Pharisees didn’t like. The ones who followed Christ in all their humanity and brokenness. They asked the same question of their own Rabbi, Christ. And he answered, “Believe in the one whom God has sent.”

Pastor and those boys sat down on the steps of our make shift alter, the cafeteria stage and prayed.

That’s why we are there!

Forget the politics. Forget about the present ELCA vs LCMS drama. Forget everything. But don’t forget those boys. God didn’t.

ABLAZE CHURCH IS A MISSION START SPONSORED BY THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR, LCMS, TULSA OKLAHOMA. IT IS FULLY SUPPORTED THROUGH IT’S OWN VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS AND MEETS AT LIBERTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT 7:00 PM EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT. THE SUPPORT STAFF ARE 100% LAY-MINISTRY VOLUNTEERS. OFFICIATING THE SERVICES IS REVEREND TIMOTHY DREIER, ORDAINED LCMS MINISTER AND SENIOR PASTOR AT THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE OUR WEB PAGE AT WWW.ABLAZECHURCH.COM