Mountain Springs Fellowship Baptist Church

There are hundreds of Baptist Conventions in the World and even several dozen in the United States. Some Baptist churches however are not associated with any specific Convention or Association and are purely Independent. Mountain Springs Fellowship Baptist Church is one of those Independent, Bible-believing churches and are committed to spreading the Word of God. I visited Mountain Springs last Sunday for their 11am service. 

They started out the service with singing praise with a choir and then they had prayer.

Senior Pastor Dr. John Adams gave a sermon about the Sons of Thunder, James and John. In the beginning, the two were difficult, would not back away from a confrontation, were aggressive and prideful. God, however, drew them close to him. They were sent to the Mount of Transfiguration and witnessed other miracles - by the end of their lives, they became known for something very different. James was the first apostle to be martyred and John became known as the apostle of love. The preacher's lesson was how God turned James and John into very different people through a relationship with Christ and you can find transformation through the same. The minister shared with us that Intimacy with Christ brings a revelation of self. The minister also spoke of ways to better represent Christ in your worldly relationships. He spoke of Reacting versus Responding. He defined Reacting as doing or saying something without thought. Response, he said, requires thought and you should ask counsel of The Lord for the right spirit in your response. Responding will be more in line with God's Will as counsel has been sought first. This will make all of your relationships more genuine and true to your Christian values.  

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. ~ Ephesians 4:32

After the sermon there was a child dedication ceremony. Sandra Burch performed a beautiful solo, "A Mother's Prayer." Baptists do not baptize their babies, children are baptized when they are old enough to comprehend the commitment and take the Christian faith as their own - usually no earlier than 10. The dedication ceremony was basically a blessing of the child by the family and the whole church community. The family took the baby to the front of the congregation, and each member laid their hands on the child's foot, head, etc. And the family and whole congregation said a prayer over him. All of those a part of this young child's life made the commitment to help raise the child with Christian and biblical principles and support him on his Christian path.  

It was a wonderful event to witness.

THANK YOU Mountain Springs Fellowship Baptist Church for letting me witness the dedication of a precious child.

The Potter's House

Pentecostal churches have a unique history in that they were the first interracial churches in the United States. In the early 1900's, one of the biggest churches that contributed to the spreading of the Pentecostal faith, the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angelos; held services that were ethnically diverse. The denomination, Potter's House Christian Fellowship, is a church that was founded by Pastor Wayman Mitchell and split from the Foursquare Pentecostal church in the late '60's. It experienced a large surge of growth during the Jesus People Movement. The unique denomination now has over 2,000 congregations worldwide. 

They believe "The Holy Spirit is God, the Lord and giver of life, who was active in the Old Testament, and given to the Church in fullness at Pentecost."

GOD'S FIRE NEVER BURNS OUT

The name of the church came from a biblical reference: 
The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. He said, “Go to the potter’s house. There I will give you my message” ~ Jeremiah 18:1-2

Pentecostal religions have several distinct traditions - Glossolalia or speaking in tongues, Baptism with the Holy Spirit (salvation), and Revivals.  Glossolalia is believed to be a person being filled with the Holy Spirit, there are generally three types:

1. Tongues as a Sign to Nonbelievers - Acts 2:11
2. Tongues for the Strengthening of the Church - Requires Interpretation - 1 Corinthians 14:5
3. Tongues as a Private Prayer Language - Romans 8:26, 1 Corinthians 14:4 

I attended the Albuquerque Potter's House Christian Center 6pm Sunday Service. In jeans and a sweater, I was underdressed. Almost all of the women wore dresses and the men wore dress shirts, slacks, and a tie or even suits. 

The service opened up with lively group singing and prayers. During the prayers, the pastor and people in the audience spoke in tongues at times. 


Pastor Lee Wilson gave the sermon. He spoke of believers being a light in the World ~ the smallest of lights can illuminate the darkest of places. He called upon us to not allow things of the material world to come between us and God. He preached that to have a powerful relationship with God, all we have to do is ask. He shared that the true Freedom of life is allowing the Power of God to work, uncontrollably in our lives. 

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.  ~ John 8:36

After the sermon, most of the congregation went up front and knelt down to pray and receive God's blessings. 

Many people came up and greeted me before and after service, they seemed like a very close group of believers. 

They also have live music and entertainment on Saturday nights. 

THANK YOU Albuquerque Potter's House for sharing your form of worship with me. 

Note: This denomination is not associated with the Mega Church The Potter's House in Dallas or Denver.