ELIZABETHTOWN — Things are looking up for a new church that has arrived in Bladen County.
The Vertical Church is one church that takes place in three different locations: Lumberton, Pembroke and newly, Bladen County.
“This church is unique, because, by having different locations, we are able to reach people in not just one community, but three different communities,” explained Brandon Meadows, pastor of the Bladen County location.
In each community the Vertical Church is planted, it not only reaches out to the people that do not come to church, but they also reach out to other churches in the community.
“We enjoy partnering up with other churches and doing things that serve the community,” explained Meadows. “I believe that churches in communities should work together, because together we are stronger.”
Vertical churches not only interact with other churches in their community, but they also come together themselves. During special occasions, the Vertical Church will have one service that includes all three locations of the church.
“The services are full of energy and passion for the Lord,” beamed Meadows, “and people can come as they are and feel free to worship. We have live music, and we put the words of the songs on the screens, so people can lift their hands.”
The Vertical Church is open to everyone that would like to attend.
“We are imperfect people that serve a perfect Savior,” elaborated Meadows. “We do not expect people to be perfect, because it is okay to not have everything together. Yet, we hope that people’s relationship with the Lord will grow every week.”
Including services, the Vertical Church has programs that will help people draw closer to the Lord. It has “V” groups, which are weekly gatherings in the homes of people who have volunteered to hold Bible study. The church also has a program called “Fuze” for youths of grade six through grade twelve. Every Sunday at 6 p.m., the youth will have food, fellowship and time for worship. On occasion, the youth will have mission trips, seasonal activities, summer camps and retreats. The church also has opportunities every Sunday for the children to grow their relationship with Christ.
“For the children, we always change our methods of teaching kids about the Bible to keep their interest,” explained Meadows, “but the message never changes. Our methods include making the kids feel as if Vacation Bible School is every Sunday. I feel like we shouldn’t wait once a year to make things excellent, because we serve an excellent God, so why not make things excellent every Sunday?”
The Vertical Church has a mission and a vision for not only the children, but everyone who comes into their church.
“We want to lead people to be passionate about Christ, so those people will lead others to be passionate about Christ,” continued Meadows. “We face an imperfect life and imperfect selves so we must look vertically to a perfect God.”
Elizabethtown’s service begins at 10:30 a.m.; Pembrook’s service begins at 11 a.m.; and Lumberton’s services are held at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. The Bladen County congregation meets at the old car dealership at 2603 W. Broad Street in Elizabethtown.
For more information on how to get involved, contact 910-258-5852 or visit the church on the web at www.govertical.org.
Rachel Horrell is a summer intern at the Bladen Journal and can be reached by calling 910-862-4163.