Tag Archives: local

To Honor a Local Artist Cindy Massey and Her Murals

As with all things, change is inevitable. Change is actually the one thing that actually stays constant, and this week we began an extensive remodeling process that would bring the vision of Cornerstone Church together. After more than a year of planning, in February 2012, Cornerstone opened its first off-site location, called our Cornerstone Church at Lee-Scott site. The leadership of the church envisioned a multi-site church, a single church with multiple locations, one where the worship experience, the DNA of the church, would be the same no matter which site you visited. To accomplish this, among many other things, it was decided we needed to remodel the kids area to match all other sites, present and future, which brings me to this post.

Back in 2005, a few years before Deb and I arrived, our local church started to execute plans for a new building. As you can imagine there were so many different aspects of planning and visioning that went on among the staff and executive council at the time, and one of those areas was what we call Kidztown (our children’s area). A vision was put together by the then youth and children’s director for what type of environment would greet the kids visually when they came into the Kidztown area. This vision included a fun themed design of murals with different shops and stores for each room.

Once the theme had been envisioned the hunt was on for an artist who could make this vision come to life. Cornerstone Church decided to hire a local artist, Cindy Massey, to make this vision come alive on the walls of the kids area, and she did. The amazing part of the story is how God works through the church body because after she finished painting the walls of this new church building her family started coming to Cornerstone, and they were some of the pioneers who started the new Lee-Scott site! For about seven years now the kids have walked through the halls of her artistic work, which covered just about every inch of wall and window space we had.

So, here, to honor the work of an artist we hired to cover the walls of the church with beautiful murals, I present a small sampling of that work. Please keep in mind, this is one artists rendition of another artists work (kinda weird), so, along with the thousands and thousands of kids who graced these halls, this is what I will remember about her work. I know Cornerstone appreciates and values the work she did, and I’m glad I can showcase a bit of that here. Thanks Cindy!

Summer in Opelika Leads me to Shoot the Church in Black and White

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I finally put together everything to get a print actually hung on my wall. Amazing what a process that has become. I’m so use to posting and shooting digital that it just felt like quite a task, and took 4 years if you count when I purchased the frames, or 2 months if you count when I decided to get a print ordered. Anyway, I love the shot and how it turned out, and today it makes for the Photo of the Day.

This black and white of the First Baptist Church of Opelika was taken handheld on the corner of the block just about at high noon, when I would never seek to take a photo since everything normally gets washed out and contrast goes to nothing. In this case I love how the final result turned out, and the photo reminds me of lunch I had that day with a friend of mine, David Olive. On a side note, to me, that’s one of the great things I love about photography. This photo may just be a photo of an unknown church to most, but, to me, it’s a reminder of exactly what I was doing, where I was, and what was going on that day. I had just finished lunch with David and was on my way home and just decided to stop see if I could get anything at all in this 100 degree glaring sun. As soon as I stepped out of the car a huge cloud came over, covered everything in shade, took away all the harsh shadows, and left me with a shot I love of this historical church in Opelika.

A Graveyard Tells a Unique Story in History :: Photos

Local Paintings and Artwork of Auburn via iPhone at Publix

Toomer’s Corner to be Rolled in Auburn Soon :: Friday Feet

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UPDATE February 17, 2011: See Poisoning of Toomer’s Live Oaks Article Here along with current photos of the work being done.

It is about that time, less than 24 hours left before the first kick-off of the 2010 College football season here in Auburn. A time of the year that needs no explanation if you live in the South, certainly not if you live in Auburn itself. Tomorrow, the city with a population of 58,000 turns into one of the largest cities in the state and 87,451 will pile into Jordan-Hare Stadium to celebrate. So our Friday Feet is none other than the greatest college player, Bo Jackson.

The photos here are really the calm before the storm. We decided Friday night would be a good time to roam around and gawk at all the RV’s and people who have come to visit. This was actually our first dinner at Hamilton’s on Magnolia. We have been meaning to visit Hamilton’s for literally years I think and just never had the chance. It was super, highly recommended if you are coming to Auburn.

After I get back from the game against Arkansas State tomorrow night I will post some of the days photos as I have for the past several years. I no longer have my super long telephoto lens, but that just makes getting good shots more thought out. War Eagle!

To see some of the previous few years game photos just click on the links below for each game, plus a if you want to see a previous year where we rolled Toomer’s Live Oaks click here.

Creative Chaos 10 // Fluid Cards and Local Missions

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Week 10 of Creative Chaos

This is my post for Creative Chaos (see also guidelines) over at Ragamuffin Soul for this week. A few weeks ago our church was finishing up a series called Fluid, see my post Almost Mid-week, Are You Fluid?, that was focusing on local missions.

A Focus on Local Missions

What was so cool about it was the service was almost a Q&A session on what it meant to do missions in the local area. After the quick message, everyone was to peruse the tables around the sanctuary that had “fluid cards” that each had a different mission application to be completed that week.

They were not difficult things to accomplish, and no one could realistically look at the vast numbers of ideas and say, I can’t do that. If they did, there was a card that said, “write one in yourself” and do it. These were tasks like getting food gift certificates for different charities the church supports, washing your neighbors car, mowing someones lawn, sending a card, visiting a specific person in a nearby nursing home and so on.

What was so great about this exercise is that they were things that everyone could participate in, and be part of local missions work. It was meant to be a lifestyle change but it also made a big difference that week.

How Are You Encountering God's People, Are You Fluid?

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It is almost mid-week, have you picked up or thought about your fluid card yet? Brian’s Worship Journey blog this morning, a loss for words reminded me that this is not something we should do, check off the list, job well done, and move on.

This is something we need to keep with us in our hearts each day as we encounter God’s people. So, I posted my mug to remind myself to get on the ball and be a person of action. These do sound like simple things on Sunday morning but we all get busy and have a million things going on all throughout the week, hopefully I can remember to take time out as the opportunity arises.

A Fluid Experience

This is the current series our church is doing on the importance of being mission people. After the service on Sunday, they had tables to pick up various types of cards as examples of how we can be people of action. These are simple things. Baking cookies for the firehouse, providing food for people in need and so on. The cards we picked up was our way of saying, we will commit to being a person of action this week.

Those over at THE FLUID EXPERIENCE are waiting to hear your stories from this week, I am looking forward to them as well. We took our card with us today into town and I can’t wait for it to be put into use.

The Mission Field is Fluid for Local Missions if we Look

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Some times you can connect with a church or a worship service and you just feel the pastor has written or prepared this service with just you in mind. This is true, of course, just ask the pastor. But then there are times like in our service today, when you come to a realization that it isn’t a particular preacher or pastor, it isn’t the music or the person leading the service that makes you feel connected.

It is the underlying philosophy of the church as a whole, to actually follow the teachings of Christ, that makes it special. Don’t all churches do that? Hopefully, but each person is different and where you may connect (meaning a continued growth in Christ) in one place, you may not in another.

The Mission Field is Fluid

A recent message series called Fluid (see updates on the post at The Fluid Experience) got me thinking a little about the mission field of the church (of course the series is currently on missions, so its a good thing it didn’t get me thinking about baseball or something). Missions can often be an interesting subject in the church, with lots and lots of ideas on what it should or shouldn’t be, but it is a hard subject to ignore when it is throughout scripture.

John 20:21 So Jesus said the them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you“

What is often talked about is going to the mission field. Get your shots, passport updated, vacation days set up, and go to some far off place to do mission work. That is great, but what is sometimes neglected is how many different mission fields there actually are, and huge number can be done right now, right where you are in your walk today. No special training, no prep meetings, your set, just the way you are.

Some of us are outgoing, some shy, studious, knowledgeable, and so on, but all are given special spiritual gifts as Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians 12

4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge…

What you notice about this scripture is these gifts are different for each of us. That is because God made each of us in His image, but as individuals. This scripture above is usually used in the context of work or service within the church walls, but I also think it helps explain some of the differences of opinion we have on mission work as well.

It is important (in my opinion) to recognize the differences we each bring to the body of Christ as a whole, and how to use these differences. Where can they be best utilized and most effective. I have been to many churches that try to mold each Believer into a specific category, for a specific program of service or missions work. But not this time.

Local, Regional, National, and the World

Unfortunately I missed several weekends of the Fluid series, but one thing I have taken away from the last few weeks is their focus on missions is to be accomplished in a local area, regional, then national, and to the world. God brings different people into our lives each day, though our normal routine of life. We are not all meant to be missionaries in another country, but we are all missionaries.

Today it was brought home to a local (right where you are) field. This is something everyone can do, right now. Show God’s love for others right where you are, in the field or area of expertise you reside in every day.

Are We People of Action?

One of my all time favorite ways of showing God’s love for others is when you are at a fast food drive through and you pay for the persons meal behind you in line. There are countless examples, and it doesn’t have to be the same thing each time. What are your favorites for local, come as you are, mission work?

Scott Fillmer

Life in Faith & Photos