by Don Thomas

It’s the week of the Roosevelt County Fair…and call me a hick…but I LOVE this week in our town!! I love the energy, the laughter, the Tasty Taters, (And I LOVE me some Coach J’s BBQ!) the smells, the sounds and the energy!

We have MANY in our church family that will sleep very little and scoop and groom and clean and prod to get their animals to the Sale. Some will have booths that they are selling things. Others will enter their artwork, their sewing, their canned goods, their woodwork…or maybe you just go out and walk the Merchant’s Building and get all the free giveaways! Whatever you do…the Fair is ALWAYS a fun time-rain or shine!

I’ve obviously always been fond of the MUSIC on the Slab! To get to hear local musicians show their talent…and maybe even “scoot your boots” a tad…now that’s a GOOD night! Will Bannister is playing on Thursday night, and Coby Carter is on Saturday night! This year, our own Central Wired Praise Team under the leadership of our own Franklin Smith, will be playing Worship Music on the Slab…for the whole county!! (I want that to sink in a second…our fair ASKED this group to come and play…GOD music…for EVERYONE!! What an incredible opportunity!) I urge you ALL to come out and support this team on WEDNESDAY NIGHT from 7 till whenever their fingers get tired, I guess! And pray that someone might hear this music, and be awakened to a relationship with God!

On Thursday, there is always a celebration of Pioneer of the Year… and I’m a little biased, but I think they made an excellent selection: The 2017 Pioneer of the Year award goes to Leroy & Gaynelle Thomas! For 57 years, they have made Portales their home, and Jehovah God their Lord. They have worked and served on so many committees, projects, and outreaches, we ran out of paper trying to list them! I’m proud to call them Mom & Dad…but this town is proud to call them OUTSTANDING! I urge you to celebrate with them on Thursday at the Pioneer Luncheon!

And Friday afternoon and evening brings the annual Livestock Sale! We are so excited for many families, as this is the culmination of MONTHS of early morning feeds, and late afternoon grooming and exercising of their animals! We are rooting for you, we support you, and we believe in you!! Do great this week, ya’ll!

So aren’t you going to have something “spiritual” in this article, Don? Well…yes. But sometimes the “spiritual” is the “community” of what we are doing! We’ve talked all this summer about “Faith Under Construction” and that we are building MORE than just a building…we are asking God to build IN US a Kingdom Faith! What BETTER way to show that faith to our community, than in how we relate to them in a PUBLIC way!!

Paul tells this to the people of Thessalonica: “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” I Thess. 5:11
We NEED to encourage each other!! We need to celebrate the “victories” in life! And Fair Week is a GREAT opportunity for us as a body of believers, to SHINE HIS LIGHT in a way that the whole county sees it!!

Take time to enjoy the food, the fun and the festivities of the FAIR! And take the Light of Jesus with you as you go!! We are Central…and we’re in this together!!

Shalom Alachiem, Don

Central Christian Church
Service Times
Saturday Evenings:
6:30 p.m. – Contemporary Worship (acoustic) Kid Zone for the children

Sunday Mornings:
8:15 a.m. – Traditional Worship (classic hymns)
9:30 a.m. – Sunday School
10:30 a.m. – Contemporary Worship (Full Band) Kid Zone for the children
Church Location & Address:
1528 South Main Avenue, Portales, NM, 88130