Love, Serve, Impact: Pulaski Church of God prepares for new building, vision
What happens in a community when church members dedicate their lives to Love like God; Serve like Jesus; and Impact with the Holy Spirit? The Pulaski Church of God (PCOG), under the leadership of recently appointed Senior Pastor Don Jones, believe they are called to be a church that serves.
Although the church has always been active in numerous projects, such as Operation Christmas Child, Back to School Bash, The Dream Center, Feeding America, Go Pulaski, and networks with other like-minded local churches, Pastor Jones affirms it is time to step-up their efforts. “In our current culture, church and ministry have become an option instead of our passion. God has hit the reset button, and He is calling us to do better.”
Over the next few weeks, as they prepare to break ground for the physical rebuilding of the church, PCOG leadership and members will be casting a new vision and mission for the church. Image Ministries, as this new vision/mission will be called, speaks of having a heart for serving the community through God’s eyes of compassion, caring and tenderness. Numerous creative ministry opportunities are being considered which will positively impact the community.
Referring to the account of creation in Genesis 1:26, Pastor Jones explains that mankind is created in the divine triune image of God (the Trinity). “God’s DNA is love. Jesus’ DNA is servant mindedness. Holy Spirit impacts and impowers. God is calling us to function and operate in their image.”
“The goal of the vision / mission is to become a living example of Christ to our community and our world by reflecting His image, modeling His servanthood, and creating opportunities for people to be impacted by the Holy Spirit.”
Pastor Jones seems to have come to the PCOG with the right credentials and experience for the current season of change and growth. He has served in youth ministry and pastoral ministry and directed several building projects. For three consecutive years (2003 – 2005), while serving in Spotsylvania, VA he managed concurrent building projects; a remodel for a child care center; and construction of a family life center.
Pastor Jones shared, “In our effort to serve today’s generation, our Pulaski facility has a contemporary design that will be attractive to young families. The new building will provide state-of-the-art media with an enhanced social media platform and higher advanced Facebook for live-streaming; enhanced on-site security; and a secured state-of-the-art children’s wing and playground.”
Not wanting to focus exclusively on the building itself, Pastor Jones reminds us, “Our mission is greater than a new building. The church is not chandeliers, padded seats and the state-of-the-art media. The church is those sitting next to us.”
Since the fire on January 10, 2017 that destroyed the sanctuary, the PCOG has been holding services in temporary locations. First at the Appalachian Conference International Pentecostal Holiness Church campus in Dublin, VA; and currently in the combined fellowship hall and dining center of the PCOG Family Life Center, which was built by the church congregation in early 1990. Many other area churches showed love and support during the crisis by donating sound eqiupment, chairs, music and musical instruments.
Because of the limited space in the dining center, adjustments had to be made in the size of the music ministry. Instead of a traditional church choir, there is an anointed praise team, keyboard, drums and guitar. But Tony Eads, Music Pastor, says that when they get into their new facility they will “honor the tradition of a choir in the church but step into the future of what God has for us.”
He adds, “We are looking for people, including high school and college students, to be part of the PCOG music ministry … voice, keyboard, string instruments, etc. If you have a gift, let’s see how God can use it.”
For the past 17-months, people have driven past the property on Bob White Boulevard and wondered when the church would be rebuilt. No doubt many have reminisced about the miracles and wonders they experienced in that building…salvations, weddings, baptisims. The PCOG has longevity in the community and will celebrate their 100-year anniversary in the Fall of 2019…hopefully in their new facility.
And somewhere in that new building you will see the revitalized mission for the PCOG prominently displayed on a wall: Love like God, Serve like Jesus, Impact with the Holy Spirit.
By DANIELLE REID, The Patriot