A Church Without Walls by Chad Thieman

I would like to take a moment to share an experience that I had. It happened one Friday night several years back. I went downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, to pass out some of my poetry, while a friend played worship songs on his guitar. We were on the corner of Front Street and Market Street. It felt a little strange at times being out there witnessing on a street corner, but we kept it up, believing in the talents that God had blessed us with.

As people passed by, I held out a packet of my poetry and asked, “Can I bless you with some poetry today?” Though some seemed annoyed by this gesture and pulled their children away from us, many did accept my little packet of poetry with gratitude. Some of those people even came back later to thank me and my friend for everything we were doing. An hour passed and then two. Soon we were joined by a couple more friends of ours. We all started singing “I Can Only Imagine” and “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.” It seemed for a moment that reality was beginning to shift and that the Kingdom of Heaven was opening up before our eyes. We all felt like little children singing on a street corner. A bird flew down and was flying all around us, and people were noticing the glow on our faces.

It wasn’t too long after that when a couple of strangers joined us and we all got a little bit louder. A few more minutes passed and two young men with guitars walked up, asking if they could join in on the worship. Soon after that, another man approached us and said that he was a worship leader. He asked if he could play on one of the guitars. Then a few more people joined in and before we knew it, we had nine people in all, with three on guitars. We were worshiping the Lord and people on all four corners of the main crossroad could easily see and hear us. There were young teenagers walking by, singing along. People were rolling down their car windows to hear the music and to sing praises to our God.

This was truly one of the most amazing experiences that we have ever been a part of. Our church was on a street corner. It was one without walls. We were having a worship service in the center of downtown on a Friday night. Lives were being impacted and God was being glorified. We had brought a light to the city for a moment in time. We stepped out into the darkness to shine the light of Christ, at a time when the bars began to draw crowds. It was a move of God and hearts were being changed.

I never could have imagined that could all come about because two people stepped out in faith and did something that no one else would do. God used us and He drew people to us. I know without a doubt that we made a difference that night. I know people who never stepped foot in a church before saw, for the first time, the joy, love, happiness, and unity that we have in the Church of Christ.

The Skater

Every day he skates,

Down at the skatepark.

From dawn to dusk,

He leaves his mark;

Both on the pavement,

And on their hearts.

A teenage legend, Aspiring to be;

A mentor and friend, To all who he meets.

Sharing the Gospel, Of repentance and faith.

Christ’s young apprentice, Is at the skatepark today.

He’s found practicing tricks,

Or sitting on his board;

Teaching and praying,

Giving praise to the Lord.

Chad Thieman

Chad writes Christ-centered and faith-filled poetry, parables, proverbs, devotions, and inspirational short stories. He and his wife, Tina, live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They both enjoy walking in nature, inspiring others, and living out their faith in the local community. Chad’s books are available on all major online book retailers.

Click on book cover to buy Chad’s book on Amazon.