I swept, she scraped

I saw a small group of people erect an entire church building in just 24 hours, complete with carpet, furnishings, baptizing pool and electronics.

When saw it on the evening news my wife and I were so excited about the prospect of something like that happening that we put on tennis shoes, grabbed a vacum cleaner and went to join in the fun.

A small Pentecostal Church in Sterlington, La., with only 30 members, received help from the United Pentecostal Church and a swarm of volunteers came to erect a church for them in just one day. It's part of something the Pentacostals call "Church-in-a-day." In which others help small churches get started.

It was an amazing thing to see. Carpenters, bricklayers, cooks, electricians and just plain folks from all over the country converged on little Sterlington at 7 a.m. Friday morning, facing nothing but a concrete slab. By noon, they had the frame built. By mid afternoon the roof and shingles were in place, along with electrical wiring and air conditioning.

My wife and I were the among the handful of locals who were present. We're not Pentecostal, we just saw a wonderful thing happening and decided to pitch in. We were asked to help clean the floors for the carpet. I pushed a broom and my wife handled a floor scraper like a pro.

Just as promised, in 24 hours they built a church.

I sat and listened to friendly conversations, everyone addressed as "My Brother or My Sister." There was spirit of fellowship in the air. For a few hours there was a heavenly atmosphere, all races, ages and varying denominations all working together for a common cause.

We watched and talked about what we saw and pondered what would happen if more people would do a little less lip service and little more real service without the thought of being paid or recognized?

There is a bible scripture in Nehemiah 4:6 that says, "So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work."


The North Pointe Pentacostal Church is up now. They had a mind to work.

They are having their first worship in the new building today.

I was glad to be a floor sweeper in the project.

See video.