Open House

This weekend was the open house for the new chapel in Bella Vista. What a beautiful building. I hope it's bursting at the seams before we know it. 

This was a huge event. Huge. I accepted the assignment to be over the primary room portion of the tour and have been meeting with the rest of the stake committee for several months. We spent a lot of time planning how we would best put on the event for the community and invitations to attend were extended to the 15,000 people who live writhin the boundaries of the building. This is a long awaited meetinghouse and very special to me. I greatly anticipate the day when we are in a ward that meets there. 

Primary is a large organization to present in just a 2-3 minute stope during a tour of the building. After a lot of thought, I decided that everyone who toured our building would have different needs. So, with the help of some great lady friends, we gathered and set up several displays to represent and showcase some of the things we do in Primary. That way, visitors could spend their time looking at the displays that interest them or meet family needs most. 

We made a DVD with some favorite videos published by the church on the Mormon channel with a collection of some well loved primary songs, "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus" and "I Am a Child of God"  with photos of children and families and primary classes. It was perfect. The DVD played in the background on loop and really invited the Spirit into the room. 

The different table displays were: gospel instruction, with a collection of lesson manuals from 18months all the way up to the 11 year olds. It was important to me to show that we don't just wing it and come up with our own doctrine. The children are taught actual lessons from the scriptures and curriculum comes from the same manuals that are the same doctrine world wide. 

Singing time: the children spend about 20 minutes every Sunday singing and learning songs that coordinate with the gospel lessons. I love listening to them worship and strengthen their testimonies through music. My girls' piano teacher is our ward primary pianist and Reese and Quincy already recognize through her service how they can develop and use talents to praise God and serve others. Corbin and Soren both love singing time with our chorister because she is so  enthusiastic and fun and they can feel her love of the doctrine behind the lyrics. She testifies of Christ and they learn through singing with her. 

Sharing time. These are the lessons that I get to teach on Sundays to the combined groups. The lessons are simple and teach pure doctrine. There is a yearly theme (this year is families are forever) and each month has a theme that supports the yearly theme. Each week in a month the lesson builds on the gospel concepts a little bit and really teaches in a beautiful "line upon line, precept upon precept" kind of way. For the display, we blew up one month of lessons from the manual to poster size. 

It wouldn't be a room for children if there were nothing for visiting children to DO when they came through, so we had an activity table.  We bought several yards of thick fleece and had a station for busy little hands to cut fringe strips around the edges for tie blankets that will be donated to the children's shelter. 

Faith in God, Scouting, and Activity Days. These are huge programs for boys and girls ages 8-12. Katie and Valerie provided scout shirts, manuals, neckerchiefs, photos, and sample activities to display from activities for the Cub Scout and Faith in God programs.  Jill collected items for the Activity Days display and they both turned out great. 

Tours began Friday and went all day Saturday, ending with a really fun community concert in the chapel with beautiful music. I bounced back and forth between the open house and Sue's funeral and the concert all day, and it was a rich experience to give tours and tell investigators about what I believe and why I choose to serve.  There are many many auxiliary groups and programs that all run simultaneously in this church and the goals are the same for all: To serve others and increase faith in Jesus Christ. 

I personally can testify that this church has blessed my life in infinite ways. I love my Savior. I love his church and even when I feel physically or emotionally weary, I am strengthened and lifted up when I serve him and work to build His Kingdom. 

So thankful for this lovely new building. It is more than a church, it is a holy place offering an invitation to come closer to Christ and be made better through him. I feel this blessing and His love for me when I am there.