Posts Tagged ‘Holiness Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ’Holiness Tabernacle Gives Away 700 Turkeys In Less Than 3 Hours
Wednesday, November 21st, 2012
In a little more than two hours, the membership at Holiness Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ distributed over 700 turkeys to those in need, on November 17.
Lines began forming to receive this holiday blessing well before 9 a.m., as the parking lot filled to capacity. A host of Holiness Tabernacle volunteers helped with greeting and passing out turkeys while Pastor Eddie B Pruitte and First Lady Vivian Pruitte shook hands with each and every person who came through the doors of the church. “This is what God has called us to do. We want to be a blessing to the community. So anyone who comes through our doors on this day gets a free turkey” said Pastor Pruitte, who heeded the call of God to start distributing turkeys to the Woodbridge and Occoquan communities four years ago. Gratitude ran throughout the church as family upon family arrived to receive a turkey. “This is such a wonderful blessing,” said one mother who arrived early for the distribution. “And it was right on time.” When commenting on the ease and efficiency of this year’s give away, Minister Andre Powell turned to the church’s 2012 theme. “This is the evidence of God’s overflow.” When the final turkey was distributed, volunteers from Holiness Tabernacle and the Sherriff’s department posed for a group photo, a tradition that began last year to commemorate the success of the event. Following the group photo, Pastor Pruitte conducted a telephone interview with WTOP, the leading all-news radio station in DC. “Being a blessing for the community is not new to our church,” he explained. “We’ve been reaching out to the community since the days of our founding father, Bishop Charles Mason, and we’re going to continue doing this, because it’s what God has called us to do.” At the completion of the interview, Holiness Tabernacle sounded off with a “Happy Thanksgiving from Holiness Tabernacle!!” All in all, Holiness Tabernacle’s 2012 turkey give-away was a perfect example of a simple truth: when the church sacrifices to help those in need, God provides the increase. Faith, Family and Friends Interview with Pastor Eddie B Pruitte, Jr.
Monday, November 19th, 2012
Click play below to view the interview by Ivy James of Faith, Family and Friends. Hallowed One’s Day 2012 Recap
Monday, November 19th, 2012
In the wake of super storm Sandy, the East Coast of the United States was in recovery mode. From North Carolina to New York, the media reported an overwhelming amount of loss. However, if there is one thing that tragedy and obstacles teach us, it is the power of the human spirit, and the resilience within us all. Nowhere do we see this better depicted than in youthful joy of children! So three weeks ago, with gray skies still looming overhead and cold winds swirling all around, the children of Holiness Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ came together to celebrate the church's annual Hallowed One's Day festival. “As Christians we don’t advocate the Halloween theme, with the witches and things like that, but as a child, who doesn’t like free candy and having fun? It’s a safe alternative in comparison to knocking on doors”, explained Pastor Pruitte in a recent television interview. With all the high-pitched laughter radiating across the church grounds on that night, it’s obvious that this year’s celebration was just as Pastor Pruitte described it: fun! As the sizzling smell of hamburgers and hotdogs invaded the background air, the face-painted smiles of children were seen darting across the parking lot. For three hours, the pitter patter of feet and cries of excitement warmed the chilly night air. Basketball was played, music was heard, and candy was eaten! Sisters Vanessa Alexander and Mary King manned the popcorn machine, joyously providing participants with a delicious American favorite. With gooey popcorn butter still dripping across little fingers, the children even joined in with the adults for the annual Cake Walk. “Call my number, call my number!” participants screamed in hopes of acquiring one of the many confectionary delights up for grabs. There was a fierce and fun battle for both Brother Jay Norman’s strawberry cakes and Sister Lisa Cook’s succulent lemon cake. However, thanks to the generosity of the Holiness Tabernacle membership, there were more than enough desserts to go around. “I want the chocolate chip cookies!” said Jeremiah Paxton with a smile when his number was called. As the night began to wind down, the festiveenergy did not. The children played well into the night, tiring out many of the adults. When reminiscing about the night’s event, one member commented, “After a long day at work I almost didn’t come, but I honestly had a really good time and even won a cake!” And with that, it is safe to say that though Hallowed One’s Day 2012 is over, the memories are not. 2012 Hallowed Ones Day Celebration
Monday, October 22nd, 2012
Join Holiness Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ as we celebrate Hallowed Ones Daywith free food, candy, games and more!
Unarmed – But Dangerous
Wednesday, October 10th, 2012
II Corinthians 10:1-4 Last week during prayer, while I was thanking the Lord for smiling upon and blessing the membership, the Holy Spirit called my attention to something. The saints are really unstoppable. Have you not read and quoted, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13); “No weapon formed against me shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17); “…upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18); or “Greater is He that is within thee, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). The list goes on. But the Lord spoke to me from a different perspective. He told me to continue to encourage the saints, because the enemy will not sit idly by and see the saints being blessed without attempting to cause disruption. If we are unstoppable, how and why is the enemy successful? He convinces us to fight without our most effective weapon – praise! Think about it, Paul warned us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God (II Corinthians 10:4). If the war is not carnal (physical) but spiritual, then we must fight with spiritual weapons. When the enemy comes at us, he uses deceptive tactics. He’ll work through an individual (spouse, child, parent, co-worker, church member, friend, or supervisor) to get you angry. Instead of responding in a loving, godly way, we take matters into our own hands and strike back. We’ll get angry, speak in the heat of the moment, develop bitterness, envy, call on a friend and spread the venom. Soon we are so out of character it affects our relationship with God! It doesn’t happen immediately, but it develops over a period of time. Remember, as long as we use our weapons, the enemy cannot win – but if we lay those weapons down; he’s got the upper hand! King Jehoshaphat is a great example of what happens when you use your greatest weapon. In the Old Testament, King Jehoshaphat and Judah were in quite a fix. Three nations had combined their efforts to destroy the Lord’s people (have you ever noticed when people do not like you they find one another and even though they may have had their differences, they unite against you?). The king appealed to the Lord and instructed the people to fast and pray. The Lord’s response was strange indeed. He told them to set the armed soldiers behind the worship and praise leaders. Can you imagine trusting the Lord in a battle plan like that? To us that makes no sense. However, the Lord explains why: He tells the king that the battle is not ours, it’s the Lord’s: that my friend is the answer. When we take matters into our own hands, we are guaranteed to be defeated because we exclude the Lord! If we win with our weapons, what does God have to do? How will He get the glory? How can we declare that God is awesome and He never fails on the one hand, but when a battle or challenge comes, He lets us fight for Him? That does not make sense. What father or parent lets his or her children fight for them? Only those who are weak and cowardly. Of course we know God does not fit that description. Have you ever read what God said how we should treat our enemies? He said to love them (Proverbs 25:20-22). Jehoshaphat and Judah listened to God and of course we know the results. The enemy was so confused by the sounds of praise that they turned on one another and destroyed themselves. It took the people of God three days to collect the spoil! What would happen if we blessed and magnified God when we felt under attack? What would happen if we would worship the Lord fervently when someone mistreats us? What would happen if we praised God with all of our might the next time we felt depression coming on? I tell you what would happen; the Lord would come in and give us the complete victory!! My friend, don’t allow the enemy to disarm you anymore. I still hear the prophecy from my pastor, Bishop Thomas, “Brother Pruitte, and the Lord showed me He is going to give you this entire block. Stay faithful and He will bring it to pass. No one can stop you, but you”. Remember my brothers and sisters; we are unstoppable, as long as we use the correct weapons! Remember this song? If I praise Him, He will fight my battles; Holiness Tabernacle Annual Missions Day a Great Success!
Wednesday, September 26th, 2012
By Sis Phoebe Wheeler
On September 16 the Holiness Tabernacle Missions Department held its annual program. The theme for the evening was truly about hearing the cries of the poor and Pastor W. Cornick and Body of Believers COGIC were the invited guests for this service. The service opened with prayer and praise as is our custom at Holiness Tabernacle. Missionary Myrna Howard, president of the Missions Department, spoke briefly about the important role that missions plays in the community. She went on to give her testimony of how when she was homeless and didn’t have enough food to feed her children, it was a local church that stepped in and filled her natural and then her spiritual needs. On more than one occasion, Pastor Pruitte has reiterated one of the main focus of Holiness Tabernacle – to meet the needs of the community. With great success, the local Missions Department with the support of the entire congregation has taken that challenge and remained a very active pillar in the community. From distributing fresh produce and meats two needy families twice a month, to sponsoring an annual Free Turkey Giveaway during the Thanksgiving holiday, to providing coats and other clothing during the colder months, HTC has proven to be a church on the move.
Pastor Cornick spoke out of Proverbs 21:13, “Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. He started by telling us that a person had to make a conscious decision not to hear the poor.” “You have to choose not to hear!” he began. Pastor Cornick then went on to warn the congregation that the enemy wants the people of God to turn our backs on those in need. “When people are in a lower state, depression and doubt are able to come in.” He went on to remind the saints that, “when you give to the poor, you are lending it to the Lord!” In contrast, Pastor Cornick also provided an example of people that just want to be seen giving, coming from Matthew 6: 2-3. He went on to tell the story of the rich young ruler. While he came to Jesus thinking he had everything in order, Jesus knew how to get to the meat of the matter and told him to go and sell everything he had! “God allows us to accumulate things in order to help others,” he told the people. Pastor Cornick said that it should be within us to be agents of change, seeking those who are lost. We have to go beyond and get in the trenches and help, because it is our mission to help people that cannot help themselves. He closed by telling us that real listening is a process that includes three steps: hearing, understanding what you hear and finally judging or weighing if what you heard is worthy of your time or effort. With those final instructions, the saints were encouraged to continue to support the work of the Missions Department. The Annual Day service was truly blessed and I for one am excited about where the Lord will take us next! Vacation Bible School 2012: Rocky Point Lighthouse
Tuesday, August 21st, 2012
For three fun-filled evenings in August, the sanctuary and parking grounds of Holiness Tabernacle
transform into an adventure-land where both the young and the young at heart are invited to have a good time, as they learn more about Christ! This year was no exception as the kids of HTC were transported to the Rocky Point Lighthouse during the annual Vacation Bible School, August 8-10.
Arts and craft stations, outdoor games, mini-Bible stories and tasty snacks were all on the agenda during this year’s event. Under the direction of Sis. Yolinda McCown, VBS was not only designed for fun and games. There were also spiritual lessons to be learned as everyone was reminded to let the light of Jesus Christ shine throughout every area of their lives. “Ewww, what’s that?” was the question asked by adults on the first night as Min. Andre Powell led the group in an activity that had them reenact the story of the blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52), complete with sticking their fingers in a dish of slimy mud. And though they were hesitant at first, the hands-on learning left an impression that they wouldn’t soon forget. “Can we say our memory verse,” asked Sis. Delia Pruitte to the little youngsters of her class. “The Lord is my lamp!” chanted the kids as they excitedly displayed their memorization skills to the church. Coming from II Samuel 22:29, they offered a joyful reminder that wherever we go, the Lord desires to be our light and guide.
On the basketball courts, Bro. Alex Powell kept everyone engaged and active as they ran around and played games appropriate for every age group. Door prizes were handed out each night for those who answered questions and joined in the activities. On the final night, each participant received a special certificate and goody bag to mark their time in VBS. The final surprise for the evening was an invitation to eat from a smorgasbord filled with snacks for the kids. “Yes, we’re going to give away all of the snacks to the kids… cookies, popcorn, cake-snacks, you name it!” Sis. McCown told her VBS leaders with a laugh. Everyone was allowed to help themselves to all of the delicious snacks they could handle – a treat for all. And with that, the Holiness Tabernacle Vacation Bible School ended on both a natural and spiritual high. One can only imagine the fun and excitement in store for next year’s Vacation Bible School!
COGIC Presiding Bishop’s Visit To Historic First Jurisdiction of Virginia
Tuesday, August 14th, 2012
Elected to the position of presiding Bishop in 2008, Bishop Blake has been appointed to serve on a special presidential advisory council on faith-based and neighborhood partnerships. He also works to meet the dire needs of children affected with AIDS in Africa. Come out and join Holiness Tabernacle, Bishop Blake and the 1st Jurisdiction of Virginia as we support our prelate Bishop Ted Thomas who is running for the General Board. Vans will be available to transport those interested in attending. Because this is an important event for our jurisdiction, there will be no local services at Holiness Tabernacle Thursday, August 23 and Sunday, August 26. Visit COGIC VA 1st Website for more information.
Happy Birthday Pastor Pruitte!
Thursday, July 26th, 2012
Fourteen years and Counting…
Monday, July 2nd, 2012
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” – Matt. 16:18
Holiness Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ culminated their 14th Church Anniversary similar to how it started, in the beginning of May, worshipping in the beauty of holiness. Three dynamic preachers were our invited guest, Bishop Brown of The Church of the Blessed Trinity, Elder Ray Satterfield of ”Save A Life” Ministries COGIC, and Administrative Assistant William Coles of Loving COGIC. They each brought words of power and encouragement with haste. Reminding Holiness Tabernacle that it is time to stand up and speak out against all ungodliness, no matter the cost. “What the Old Testament said 1000 years ago in the past, we’re talking about in our present but it shall come to pass in the future,” said Bishop Brown. During this Anniversary, we were reminded of the importance of “the Church”. During his visit, Elder Satterfield said, “the Church isn’t ours…It’s Jesus’s church. He died for the church.” This church is protected by the Lord and covered with his stamp of approval. It was great to see the people recognizing the potential within these walls as the speakers reminded us why we are here. Eyes were opened, and deliverance stretched out throughout the service and praises filled the sanctuary. This anniversary, by far, was one of the best ones yet. The Lord truly met us in this place, each and every time we gathered to celebrate. The words of the speaker left you with a hunger to want to know more about what God was preparing for Holiness Tabernacle. It was such a great time that even the youth spoke out. One of our youth, Bro. De La Cruz had this to say about Bishop Brown’s prophetic sermon, “Man, he made it so real… I’m going to read that again when I get home.” As we continue to worship the Lord on this corner, we know that the Lord will allow us to see many more anniversaries. We will continue to grow into the church God desires us to be, and strive to do more in our communities as God have called us to do. |
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As some of you may know our theme this year is, “Preparing for the Overflow”. The Spirit began to recall to my mind some of the many blessings He has bestowed upon the members of this local assembly. We have witnessed miraculous healings, (brain tumors, dementia, sight regained, lupus symptoms) to name a few. We have seen marriages restored, homes purchased, promotions on jobs, marriages, healthy births, souls saved and sanctified. Why just this past weekend the Lord blessed the saints with four brand new vehicles (that’s right – over the weekend!)! Without question the services have been highly anointed and sprit filled. It has been a banner year of growth. While I was thanking God for His blessings and keeping His promises, He brought this thought to my mind.
After the saints of God gave liberally to support the continued work of the Missions Department, First Lady Cornick blessed our hearts with a sermonic solo, singing “Go ye therefore,” which ushered us into praise!
Out in the parking lot, under large tents filled with long tables and chairs, Sis. Dymond Starr assisted the youth in making crab t-shirts by using their hands, fingers and lots and lots of red paint! “Come, let me give you a hug,” was the running joke as people ran, scattered and squealed with delight to move out of the way whenever paint-covered hands came a little too close.
On the evening of August 23 Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr., presiding bishop for Church Of God In Christ, Inc., will be the special guest of Bishop Ted Thomas, Sr., and the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Virginia at their 98th Holy Convocation.
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