Oak Ridge Today

Living Water Christian Fellowship moves, has guest speaker Sunday

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Tony Slay, Amy and Rachel

Living Water Christian Fellowship of Oak Ridge has moved. Their new location is the Iris Room at ORAU’s Pollard Conference Center.

J. Tony Slay of Jacksboro, Tenn., will be their guest speaker this Sunday, Jan. 19. His daughters Amy and Rachel will lead worship.

Slay is founder and chief executive officer of Ministry International Inc. and of Ministry International Institute. MII is a helps and resource ministry for ministers of Jesus Christ from every background. Slay is bishop to more than 350 ministers in the United States, and he has trained and equipped thousands of ministers around the world, a press release said. [Read more…]

Faith column: Change the world like it really matters

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What an amazing sight! A middle-aged woman and a man sitting at a picnic table surrounded by fascinated young people all listening attentively to what she was saying. I wanted to go over there but didn’t. I waited to see what would be said afterward.

Revonna has had visions. You might ask, “Visions? Were they about the past? The present? The future?” The answer is yes. They are as ancient as the earth and as modern as tomorrow. These kids wanted to hear about it.

We don’t do church like everyone else. We didn’t even mean to start a church, and I’m not sure we should even call it a church. One night with seven people present, after three hours of nothing but prayer and scripture, suddenly the Holy Spirit broke in and spoke to us that we were to meet in our basement on Sunday morning, and have Rich Bean bring the message. We were shocked honestly because none of us had talked about it. Rich didn’t even answer whether he would do it or not. One woman said, “Yes, please.” I responded as any gracious hostess would, though tentatively, “Ok.” Everyone then left. [Read more…]

Faith column: Looking into the faith community, tour of Covenant Presbyterian

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My husband Jack and I recently visited the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church. I had read his impressive bio on the church website and expected that a man with such a long list of accomplishments must be well into his senior years. However, when I met him, beneath the wise and aged appearance of his gray beard, I found a very humble, gracious man close to my own age.

Dr. Nick Willborn began our time together by giving us a tour of their new church facility. It’s the church that sits on the pinnacle of Commerce Park overlooking the Solway entrance to Oak Ridge. One of the first things mentioned is that they are already beginning to discuss Phase 2. I think they’ve only been in this facility for one year!

After enjoying the beautiful view and observing the cars racing by below, we entered the sanctuary from the narthex. Immediately, I noticed the calming soft green they chose for their carpet and chair coverings. “It’s warm in here”, I said, referring to the ambience rather than the temperature.

Dr. Willborn wasted no time explaining that everything about the design of this new sanctuary was intended to point each worshipper to ponder the attributes of God and of the Christian life. First, he pointed out the rays of sunlight beaming in through high windows intended to bring reflection on the “light” given to the Christian pilgrim from the “Light of the world.” He continued by explaining that the vaulted ceiling is designed to speak of the vastness of all that God is.

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