VINEMONT – While most churches in the area have wonderful Bible schools in the summertime, Cathedral of Praise Church of God in Vinemont hosts a three-day Family Fest event instead. Mainly geared toward the children of the congregation, entire families tend to gravitate to the church and enjoy the fun as well. This year’s Family Fest was held Thursday through Saturday night.
“The event was spread out over three nights of kid centered services, which were led by our children's Pastors, Dennis and Amy Shockley,” explained Dwayne Harbison, lead pastor. “Then on Saturday night, at the end of the program, we gave away free backpacks to all the school age kids who attended. Each backpack we gave away was filled with school supplies, and the backpacks were separated by age groups so that each child received the appropriate things needed for the school year.”
“This is our fourth year to do the backpack give away,” Harbison continued. “It was born out of a desire to help local families with their back to school expenses. The program has really grown quickly,” he chuckled. “The first year we gave away 150 backpacks, this year we gave away 312,” he said with a big smile on his face.
Family Fest is a high-energy program with lights, music, drama, etc. This year’s theme was Game Show Mania and each night was filled with special versions of the old game shows from TV – and lots of prizes. Thursday’s game was “Price is Right”, Friday’s game was “Let’s Make A Deal” and Saturday’s game was “Minute to Win It”. The games were played with added religious lessons and the children had a blast.
With humble beginnings, Cathedral of Praise started out with 20 members four years ago. Today the church has a very active and growing congregation of over 200 families. Small children and babies fill the place and are proof that God is certainly at work as the church grows.
This statement from the church’s says it all. “At Cathedral of Praise, our doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds, regardless of where they are on their spiritual journey. What people usually notice first about us is the life-giving nature of our ministry. We want to be the kind of church that’s described in the Bible, where there’s relevant teaching, heart-felt worship, honest friendships, constant prayer, and compassionate care for those in need. In short, we’d like to have the kind of contagious Christianity that can influence and encourage the entire community, one life at a time.”
If you or anyone you know would like more information about Cathedral of Praise Church of God, feel free to visit their website at www.cathedralofpraisecog.tv or you can give them a call at 256-737-7291. All are welcome to visit the church during any services they offer. The church is located at 14142 AL Hwy 157 in Vinemont.
