I have been going to church almost all my life and my mind has been cluttered with lesson plans, music, sports, finances until about 20 years ago. I experienced a little bit of God’s love. In having that small party with him I knew there must be more. The race has started and after 20 years I’m still chasing that for which my heart is hungering.

Churchgoers are searching gathering places not for programs just to get the children out of the house, not for pretty furniture that’s comfortable, and not for high-powered preaching that misses the mark in our personal lives but for His presence. They are looking for the place that has more of a God-centered party than a man-centered party. There is more than we thought.

I was looking through the church directory and found that Rome and Floyd County have many churches to select from and some newer ones on the horizon. Do we need more churches? With only 28 percent of Rome and Floyd County churched and many churches fighting to stay afloat, yes, we need more churches. Churchgoers feel that God would continue to raise up more churches until one was willing to be used to fulfill His agenda for this area.

The time is not to change churches, but a time to search out His agenda for your area and pursue it.

Folks, let’s forget about the new blue and red carpet and recapture our communities. They used to say the biggest cause of atheism in the world today was Christians who praise Him with their lips and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what the world finds completely unbelievable. It is time for a change of venue.

RICHARD RIGGS, Rome