Romans 1:13 Bearing Church
In 2011, I returned home to the Cleveland–Gaston County part of North Carolina. I had stopped working at Adventhome, a troubled teen group home because the hours were very long and abusive labor. I was suffering from work-related stress, and severe depression was beginning. I was away from home for a few years, so I returned. I missed my church family as much as I missed my blood-related family. But transportation to my church was a significant issue. My mother was very helpful in her loving way and advised me to apply for disability; little did I know I had autism. I went to counseling talking to a woman named Ms. Donna, and I told her not being able to go to church because of transportation made me depressed. Donna told me to give the church a break and try a place called Adventure House. Adventure House is a clubhouse for mentally challenged people. Members are encouraged to do some work and participate in weekly socials. Religion is allowed, but Adventure House is not a church. In 2015 I looked for a place to live that was closer to the church I loved. The Lord helped me find a decent home, but from there, I moved a few times; now, I attend the wonderful Fort Mill Seventh Day Adventist Church. Each Sabbath, I experience the fruit of love with my church family. I feel sorry for Christians who don’t seek fellowship in church worship. My heart and soul pray for them, but they often continue to worship by themselves. God bless the Bride of Christ; Jesus loves you, and so do I—a bondservant of the Lord, Samuel Jerry Head.