“I’m on my way to a friend’s house and saw the open doors, so I thought I would pop in and have a look.”

We had just finished the official dedication ceremony for the new Cork Seventh-day Adventist Church and were upstairs talking when Annemarie Freeman brought Karen upstairs. I immediately engaged Karen in conversation and offered her some refreshments. I discovered she was originally from England but had been living in Ireland for about 20 years. We chatted happily for several minutes, finding we had many common interests.

Karen explained that a friend of hers was very interested in the Jewish community, and since the new church was a former Jewish synagogue, Karen asked permission to take some photographs so her friend could see what had happened to it. Many other local people were also curious to see the changes. The wide-open doors during the two days of special celebrations were an invitation for the community to pop in and chat with the Adventists. The church is in an ideal position for a lot of foot traffic, with a college just down the road and a fitness gym next door. When it was a synagogue, the building was closed to the public. But now the doors are wide open to welcome everyone and provide a place to have their questions answered.

As Karen and I chatted more, she seemed very knowledgeable about the local area and the Christian community in Cork. I wanted Pastor Lorance Johnson to meet her, so I drew him into the conversation. She shared some useful information about other Christian activities in Cork and suggested that the Adventists dialog with another group that is also very community-minded.

Please pray for the members in Cork City that the local community will welcome them and that the newly opened church building can be an effective center for ministry.

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