Impact Sundays:
Some may still not understand much about what goes on at Impact, and really, no amount of blogging can replace spending time involved with the various minitries. However, we hope that some of our posts will help. Maybe a "day in the life" will give some insight from my perspective. Being the bilingual minister, there is still so much on the English-speaking side that I miss out on, but I tend to get to touch on a variety of the Impact body life just by walking through the building sometimes. Here's what I know that goes on every Sunday.

Sunday morning: I drive in from Kingwood (35 minutes away) and try to do some prep-work for the upcoming activities. Sometimes I get to meet up with the worship team men at McDonalds to eat breakfast, but at least we unite in the prayer room to lift up some songs and put the days plans in God's hands, before getting busy. While some of the "hermanos" set up sound and computer equipment, making last minute changes to songs or PowerPoint items, the rest take off on our routes, picking up members in different parts of the city who don't have means of transportation. Already the building has been cleaned by the custodial staff, the chairs have been arranged by Alfredo and Xavier (who rent a small house on campus), Darrell Washington and Winston Bridges have started doing some things to prep the kitchen, Charlie Lott is setting up the tables in the main hallway to welcome everyone with coffee and a friendly word or two, and the technical team on the English side makes last minute adjustments. Greeters take their posts, ministers and helpers arrive in vans with members. The English worship team meets to go over plans as various bible classes begin. Kids classes for each age are available up through high school. Adults on the English side have a few options for Bible classes, while the Hispanic congregation begins with a time of praise before studying together in their auditorium. (Plans for more options are in the works at this writing. A "New Christians" class is to begin in the next week or two.)

Between class and main assembly is a 15 minute recess where parents gather up children and everyone has a chance to mingle. Assembly time begins at 10:30 or so as members are ushered into their respective auditoriums. Traditional worship services commence with a time of praise, prayer, participation in the Lord's Supper, a message from the Word, and body life announcements. (Once every 6 weeks, the entire congregation meets in the larger auditorium for a bi-lingual assembly.) At the closing of this time, those with special prayer needs are invited to meet in the prayer room where elders and ministers are on hand.

At the last Amen of the Hispanic side's prayer, those members exit as soon as possible to visit and wait in the hallway as their meeting place is rearranged into a dining hall. Several of the "outdoors men" help with the set up along with members and visiting congregations. The visiting group for that week, having come from an area congregation, has come to provide and serve food for the weekly Impact Sunday lunch. (From the beginning, Impact has made a point of having a fellowship meal following Sunday worship assembly. This not only allows those who really need a hot meal a chance to fill their bellies, but it also gives the Impact family a greater opportunity to get to know each other more.) This meal is an example of how Impact is more than just a campus specific entity. Several area churches of Christ are VERY involved in the ministries to the downtown community through Impact. After lunch is over, those with van routes take people home, as others help clean up and put things away. Amazingy enough, the building in fairly quiet by 2:30pm.

Once or twice a month, the Hispanic side invites the church to play soccer in a nearby park. Otherwise, the afternoon is pretty calm. Not much else happens on Sunday in large groups, but several small groups meet on Suday evenings. Where most of those meetings occur in houses where members pray, sing, and discuss scripture and its application before eating together, the Hispanic group meets in the Youth Development Center. The setting is still more informal and is generally followed by refreshments and fellowship or extra prayer. Like I said, this is from my perspective. So much more goes in to the preparation of classes for young and old alike, coordinating meeting areas, directing parking, special meetings, etc. God, however, knows all that goes on, and His hand is guiding it, thankfully.