I want to thank everyone that worked at, or sent supplies to, our annual Lights on the Bluff community
event. It was a tremendous success; the community really showed up. And…..you guys really showed
out. I saw so many big smiles on the faces of our guests, especially the children….and there were a lot of
children.
I’ve been asked several times why we go through all the work that it takes to have Lights on the Bluff.
That is an excellent question. It is a lot of work and a lot of us are getting older. As far as I know we
haven’t attracted any new members from the attendees. So….why do we do it?
First, community. We want people to know that we care about our community. We want to give them a
wonderful experience that helps them to make special memories with friends and family. People then
have an incredibly positive impression of our church. Many people told me that they appreciated us
doing it and several said it is an event they look forward to each year.
Then there is publicity. You may not have given thought to our location. The church is barely visible
from the two main roads coming through Bluff Park. Not a lot of people drive by the church on a daily
basis. Unbelievably, even with our sign across from CVS, people in our community do not even know we
are here. I spoke with a young man once who lived in the apartments below the church for two years
and he didn’t know there was a church on the hill! But this event even makes people look us up on a
map so they can get here. (A quick “thank you” to Natalie for her tremendous work getting Church on
the Bluff “out there” in the public eye.)
Then there is uniqueness. I don’t like to use the word “compete” when I speak of our sister churches in
Bluff Park, because we are not in competition with them. Their success is our success because we are all
seeking to grow the kingdom of God. But let’s face it: we can’t compete with them when it comes to
community events like a fall festival or an Easter egg hunt. They have a lot more resources and
manpower. They can have pony rides, live camels, and the like. We can’t touch that. But the Hay ride,
make and take ornament, free hot dogs and a place to roast marshmallows, cupcakes, and even boiled
peanuts? We can do that, and we can do it well.
Let me share with you a funny sight. I watched as one little boy roasted marshmallows. He would roast
two at a time, and while eating them, would grab two more and begin roasting them. I watched as he
ate eight of them and he was still going strong as I walked away. (And he could have eaten as many as
he wanted; if we ran out, we would have gone over to the Pig and picked up some more). But I
wondered if he slept at all over the next couple of days…. that’s a lot of sugar!
So, yes, we will do it again. Thankfully, we have a year to rest!
Say good things about your Savior and His church
Bro. Tony
event. It was a tremendous success; the community really showed up. And…..you guys really showed
out. I saw so many big smiles on the faces of our guests, especially the children….and there were a lot of
children.
I’ve been asked several times why we go through all the work that it takes to have Lights on the Bluff.
That is an excellent question. It is a lot of work and a lot of us are getting older. As far as I know we
haven’t attracted any new members from the attendees. So….why do we do it?
First, community. We want people to know that we care about our community. We want to give them a
wonderful experience that helps them to make special memories with friends and family. People then
have an incredibly positive impression of our church. Many people told me that they appreciated us
doing it and several said it is an event they look forward to each year.
Then there is publicity. You may not have given thought to our location. The church is barely visible
from the two main roads coming through Bluff Park. Not a lot of people drive by the church on a daily
basis. Unbelievably, even with our sign across from CVS, people in our community do not even know we
are here. I spoke with a young man once who lived in the apartments below the church for two years
and he didn’t know there was a church on the hill! But this event even makes people look us up on a
map so they can get here. (A quick “thank you” to Natalie for her tremendous work getting Church on
the Bluff “out there” in the public eye.)
Then there is uniqueness. I don’t like to use the word “compete” when I speak of our sister churches in
Bluff Park, because we are not in competition with them. Their success is our success because we are all
seeking to grow the kingdom of God. But let’s face it: we can’t compete with them when it comes to
community events like a fall festival or an Easter egg hunt. They have a lot more resources and
manpower. They can have pony rides, live camels, and the like. We can’t touch that. But the Hay ride,
make and take ornament, free hot dogs and a place to roast marshmallows, cupcakes, and even boiled
peanuts? We can do that, and we can do it well.
Let me share with you a funny sight. I watched as one little boy roasted marshmallows. He would roast
two at a time, and while eating them, would grab two more and begin roasting them. I watched as he
ate eight of them and he was still going strong as I walked away. (And he could have eaten as many as
he wanted; if we ran out, we would have gone over to the Pig and picked up some more). But I
wondered if he slept at all over the next couple of days…. that’s a lot of sugar!
So, yes, we will do it again. Thankfully, we have a year to rest!
Say good things about your Savior and His church
Bro. Tony