The Church at the County Fair

This week I did something I have not done in quiet awhile.  I was in North Georgia and my girlfriend Kristi and I went to the county fair.  For a guy that grew up in a redneck town and spent at least one night a year for several years eating funnel cakes and trying to work up the courage to get on a ride that was put together in 45 minutes , this was quite a trip back in time.  I love to watch people and the county fair is a great place to watch people.  Everyone is there.  The aforementioned redneck is there, the high school football player and cheerleader are there, the chain smoking 22 year old 9^th grader is there and the preacher from Alabama is apparently there.  It’s quite a scene. 

 

One thing I noticed while walking through hick heaven is that there are a variety of booths promoting a variety of organizations and ideas.  I saw several booths that were set up by local churches where you could get information on the church if you happened to develop a spiritual appetite while scarffing down your corndog.  I even saw a booth that the Jehovah Witness’ had set up with information on their religion complete with people in their “Sunday best” behind the table waiting to prey on any wandering soul that might get curious.  I had one interesting conversation with a guy that was promoting a “Fair tax” and he was also very passionate about his idea.

I say all this to point out that in a Southern county the fair represents a place where almost everyone’s lives intersect.  There are a few places like this in our society, places where the church is able to intersect with culture.  Other examples of this are educational facilities, ballgames, entertainment, the arts, and the workplace.  It is in these places the church must make an impact and influence people’s lives with the Gospel.  I don’t know if an “information booth” is the best way to do this, but at least those churches were trying.  They were hoping to give out some handy information on their ministries and one church was serving people by offering free face painting for the kids and a free picture.  These people were doing nothing wrong, they were trying to invest their time in the community and let their church be seen in the community.

My hope for the local church though is that in situations like these we will not simply be behind the “info booth” but will be in the crowd.  We need believers interacting with the community in the cotton candy line, the petting zoo, and pretty much everywhere but the lines for those ridiculously dangerous rides.  The chain smoking, truck driving, gun toting, Hank Williams Jr. worshipping, country boy is more likely to listen to the gospel coming from the guy that he shared a laugh or a good time with than he is from the guy in the suit behind the booth.  I wonder if the rest of the world looks at the First Baptist Church booth the way we look at the Jehovah Witness booth.  I certainly hope not.