www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--barroomse -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 11/3/2007
Last Visited: 11/3/2007
Welcome to Forefront Church at the White Horse Pub," Joe Heilman, a pastor with a shaved head, earrings and a goatee, said on a recent night.
Barflies and teetotaling Baptists alike might cringe at the idea of serving Communion where beer flows freely.But Forefront is frank about evangelizing folks who are more comfortable with bar stools than pews.
"Forefront Church is a church for people who don't like church," Heilman said, chucking lollipops to the crowd of about 90.
...
The crowd is locked on Heilman and the lyrics flashing on twin plasma screens behind him.He directs their attention to something else: small tin boxes on each table.
Each is a mini-Communion set of tiny glasses of grape juice and fragments of matzoh cracker.The contents, Heilman says, symbolize Jesus Christ's sacrifice of body and blood.As chatterboxes at the bar keep buzzing, Heilman urges the quiet majority to take Communion.
"Come to this place and face God, and if that isn't for you tonight, that is perfectly fine," he said."That's cool."
8 online sources [ view sources ]
Profile is not claimed [ claim profile ]
