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Bartlesville

Posted: Mar 02, 2022 9:46 PMUpdated: Mar 03, 2022 11:20 AM

Churches Combine Worship Services in Effort for Unity

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Garrett Giles

Two Bartlesville churches become one in a worship event that brings Christ followers together.

Members of Grace Community Church were welcomed with open arms on Wednesday night by those that call Spirit Church home.

Lead Pastor Jason Fullerton says it was an honor to join forces with Grace Community Church. Fullerton says unity has to start somewhere, and he couldn't think of a better place than church to be the example to the rest of our world, the rest of our culture, of how important it is to realize how much more we have in common than what separates us. He says we may see the world in a different way, but we can take a stance together for unity.

In our world today, there is a lot fracturing along political lines and ideologies. Dr. Rod MacIlvaine (pictured left), Senior Pastor of Grace Community Church, preached on Psalm 133, which reads as follows:

"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore."

While it is a short Psalm, Pastor MacIlvaine says it paints us a wonderful picture of unity. Dr. MacIlvaine says he believes the Psalmist makes us want to want unity by describing it in such a way because of its benefits. He says one of the benefits as described by the Psalmist is that it gives us a foretaste of Heaven as David talks about Mt. Zion as a place where God has ordained His blessing forever while in the New Testament, the location is a picture of Heaven as depicted in Hebrews 12 and Revelation. Good unity inspires us with a longing for Heaven.

Pastor MacIlvaine says unity is more essential right now with everything that has gone on in the past two years, yet it is more elusive because things are so divided amongst us. Dr. MacIlvaine says people have difference much like the Jesus' 12 disciples had differences. He says even Matthew the tax collector worked for Rome while Simon the Zealot was anti-Rome, but there great unit in Christ amongst them regardless of affiliation.

Both Grace Community Church and Spirit Church will debrief and plan for another Worship Wednesday experience down the road. Pastor MacIlvaine says the goal is to have the next event take place at Grace. He says they will switch between the two locations, developing a synergy among the churches with the hope of inviting other churches in the area into the mix to bring a renewal and restoration of unity within our city.

Pastor MacIlvaine says it was a pleasure to see so many people unified for one thing: the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ in our midst. Pastor Fullerton says they love the Bartlesville community and the Lord, and they are passionate about what Christ is doing.

Baptisms and communion took place during Worship Wednesday. Six individuals in total were baptized by the night's end, including a mother and a daughter.

Pictured left is a young member of Spirit Church being baptized by Spirit Church's Next Generation Pastor Daniel Hubler, and Lead Pastor Jason Fullerton.

Those who worked behind the scenes (i.e. sound, light and broadcast crew members, vocalists, and band members) were thanked for their efforts. Pastor Fullerton says it takes an army to pull something off like they did with Grace Community Church. Fullerton says the room was packed on Wednesday night. He says it was a wonderful night, one he will soon not forget.

If you are looking for a place to attend church, you can go to Spirit Church, located at 2121 S. Madison Boulevard on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. Grace Community Church, located at 1500 SE King Drive, holds services at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Sundays.

To learn more about Grace Community Church, click here.

To learn more about Spirit Church, click here.

A Facebook Live stream of the Worship Wednesday experience between Grace Community Church and Spirit Church can be viewed below:


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