Thassos Christian Fellowship

What a wonderful day we had today! We got up early and walked into town to catch the boat over to Thassos, an island about a half hour's ferry ride from Keramoti. It was our first time on the ferry and we found it to be surprisingly comfortable and pleasant. It is quite large and has room on it's lower decks for a number of cars, large trucks and tour buses. The passenger area is well furnished with a great coffee/snack bar and fantastic views. As we pulled away from the docks, we were able to get a different view of the town and started snapping pictures. One of the unexpected surprises was the way the sea gulls flew alongside the boat. They hovered very close to the railings, at times letting the passengers feed them right out of their hands. Here's a slide show of our trip over.



We were met at the dock on Thassos by Dimitris Pelides, the Pastor of Thassos Christian Fellowship (TCF). He emailed us saying saying he would be easy to spot. He would be the only bald guy waving a Bible....he was right! He greeted us warmly and as soon as we met, I knew we were going to be great friends. Then he took us over to his car and drove us a few blocks into town (Limenas) where we stopped to have a cup of coffee at one of the outdoor cafes on the waterfront. We were joined by one of the folks at TCF, Edmund (right w/Kelly), who had moved to Greece from Albania.

We sat and chatted for a while, talking about our churches, our backgrounds and how God was moving in our lives. We found that we have a lot in common and became comfortable quickly.

One prayer item; Dimitris is escorting a number of teenagers to England this week. His secular vocation is as a language instructor and has asked for prayer for the safety of his group. They return next Sunday morning.

Then, it was time to go to church! They led us up one of the town's charming and scenic side streets to their church, a converted apartment atop one of the shops on that street. They showed us around and as we entered the sanctuary, we met Kenneth and Elena (left), a couple who are missionaries to Thassos from Sweden. They were getting ready to lead worship. Kenneth was also going to be our speaker for the morning. We were immediately blessed to hear that they were going to be singing worship songs we knew! in English! God is so good!

As people began to filter in, we were made to feel very comfortable and got a chance to meet everyone. They are truly a multi-ethnic congregation and are eager to greet visitors. I noticed a plaque hanging near the entrance (right, click on the image to see a larger view). It was a beautiful and accurate expression of their attitude towards visitors, each other and the Word of God.

Dimitris' wife, Marjo (pronounced Ma-rio) came in and, again, we knew we would be easy and good friends.

Then the service began.

Worship was sweet. The congregation was few in number this week but sang with all their hearts. We sang three songs in English and one in Greek. It was the beginning of a wonderful time with the Lord! Then, Kenneth brought the Word. Starting in Luke, he began to use Scripture to show that we are all soldiers in God's army who are in a war. Cruising deftly through Exodus and parts of Deuteronomy and Joshua, then ending up back in Luke, he taught that a good soldier is obedient, undergoes rigorous training and then carries out his commander's tactical plan. It was his first time preaching in English and only the second time his new bride has heard him preach. He did a truly great job, providing practical and poignant application to each of his points.

After the service, a number of us went back to the coffee shop to get better acquainted. We had a great time of fellowship. We got to spend a good deal of time with Dimitris and Marjo (left) before they had to leave to prepare for Dimitris' trip. Then we spent another hour or so getting to know Kenneth and Elena (right) better.

Afterward, Kelly and I strolled through Limenas. It is very picturesque and very...ummm....European (I guess that shouldn't be surprising). We had a great time. We stopped for lunch, typically eaten around 2:00 (14:00)...but that's for the next posting under "Food Adventures". Meanwhile, here are some pictures of Limenas:



We got back to our apartment late enough (around the usual dinner time for locals - 7 to 9 PM!) to have a home-made Greek Salad for dinner (yum!).

I've been asked to speak at TCF next Sunday. Dimitris will just be getting back home from his trip to England. Originally, I thought I would like to do something from 1 Corinthians 13 concerning love. Now, I feel strongly that I should speak on James 1 and how God uses trials in our lives to draw us closer to Him. I would appreciate your prayers.

Tomorrow night, we have a dinner date with Julian Genov, our landlord, and his wife!