Sunday Aug 17th (2:00pm - 3:00pm) at 14th Ave Baptist Church.
14th Ave Baptist Church
6240 14th Ave
Sacramento, CA 95820
Click Here for Map & Directions
Sunday Aug 24th (11:00am - Noon) at Signal Heights Baptist Church.
Signal Heights Baptist Church
7440 Fruitridge Rd
Sacramento, CA 95820
Click Here for Map & Directions
If you have any questions, please contact Greg Kaiser on his cell 916.832.1875 or by e-mail at greg@elcaminobaptist.org
A 26 year old woman walks quickly down J St on a Thursday afternoon. She’s headed home after a long day serving at a local restaurant, and she’s anxious to meet with some friends that get together every Thursday night. She first connected with this group when a friend from work invited her a couple of months ago. She was skeptical about what social time would look like with a group of Jesus-types, but her friend assured her they were cool. She could feel in her soul that something beautiful was happening when the group immediately accepted her. They spent time each week discussing the Bible, but she was alright with that. The Jesus they were talking about sounded like a revolutionary.
A businessman lowers his forehead and rests it for a moment on his desk. Two decades of climbing the corporate ladder are taking their toll—and the ladder is beginning to feel more like a hamster wheel. Things aren’t going so well in his marriage, and he’s not sure why. His coworker Steve can see it in his face. One day at lunch, Steve tells him, “Hey, I want you to come to my house tonight. We’re having a little get-together.” “Are the guys watching the game?” “No, it’s more of a life enrichment meeting.” “What kind, Steve?” “A marriage class.” He stared at Steve for a moment, his pride hurt that Steve would know there was trouble in paradise, but he was getting desperate. He took a deep breath. “So, can I ride with you?”
“Can we go, Nana? Please!” The woman looked at her two grandsons through her bifocals, then at the flyer. “Hmm. ‘Moms & Dads Night Off. Friday from 5-9pm. Fun for kids 1st thru 6th grade. Free event.” She mused silently as the boys waited in anticipation. She’d heard about the group that was putting on the event, and she knew they were Christians. Nana fought the cynicism in heart as she recalled how she had been treated by her last church 21 years earlier. She found out that divorcees weren’t welcome, and from her pain she swore to never associate with a church ever again. The boys will really like it though, she thought, and I could use some time to myself. “All right,” she said.
These people come from vastly different lifestyles, worldviews, and past church experiences. What they have in common, though, is that they all are on the road to Jacob’s well, where they will encounter Jesus. The account from John 4 tells us that the woman was lonely, broken, and rejected by others. It amazed her when Jesus crossed religious, ethnic, and gender barriers by speaking with her. Jesus then revealed to her that her journey to Jacob’s well that day wasn’t simply for physical water; it was for spiritual water that brings eternal life. Then, he offered her that water for free.
This is the Good News that Midtown & Downtown Sacramento needs. And our calling as a community is to call people to drink from the well that is Jesus, just like the woman did. Join the calling.
