I grew up in a place where Saturday night could mean hanging out at a bonfire. Not the school-sponsored-go-team-built-by-the-booster-club kind of bonfire…I’m talking about the kind built by redneck kids out of fallen trees, old shipping pallets, and Stag Beer boxes.

Here’s what I remember about building bonfires.  They start out small.  It’s dark.  You have to scrounge around for ANY available fuel. If you’re scared of spiders and snakes like I am, it’s scary.   At first it’s constant work trying to keep your little flame from going out.  Something happens as it grows, though.  As the bonfire grows, things get lighter.  Your search for fuel can extend further out of the clearing into the woods.  You begin to drag fallen limbs out to the bonfire that you couldn’t even see before.   Friends show up.  Yes, before twitter or even cell phones, when a bonfire gets big enough, people will show up.  (Hopefully not the Sheriffs Deputy…but that’s a completely different story.)

At a certain point, a bonfire can take on a life of it’s own.  “Refreshments” and music show up.  Farm boys with pick-up trucks show up with everything from shipping pallets to wicker lawn furniture to toss on the fire.  At a certain point it really doesn’t matter who started the bonfire, because people you’ve never even met are feeding it and joining in the party.  Bonfires are like that…

…and so are churches.

I woke up thinking about building bonfires because of what I have seen happen at actionchurch over the last few months at Frank Theaters.   The more “fuel” we have…the more we will do in our community and world.  The more people see the glow of our bonfire…the more fuel they will bring.

We’re just going to keep on Loving God, Loving People, and Taking action with EVERYTHING we have…throwing EVERYTHING on the fire…’til the cops have to come and shut the party down. :-)

¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father –  Jesus (Matthew 5:16)