Cowboy Churches

Hello Everyone!  We are new to the ICCAN and I must say that the last few days have been a breath of fresh air for me.  I have been on the website every opportunity that I have and been wonderfully blessed.

In November 2010 we opened the doors of a small country church in a rural community near my parents farm between Dougass and Cushing in East Texas.  The building was a beautiful Iron Ore Stone building and had been "shut down" since 2007.  The members had all passed on or were in assisted living and no one was attending.  We were able to open the building for just the light bill payment (about$50.00/month) and began having church with 8 in attendance on even Sundays of the month.  I was still rodeo announcing at the time and it fit my weekend schedule.  We struggled for the first year to have an attendance of 12 on most Sundays until the fall of 2011 when we began having church every Sunday.  I had announced a rodeo in August in Orange Texas when there was a severe drought and the evening temps were in the 100 degrees.  On the Saturday Night Performance I stroked out from the heat.  I finished the performance with the help of my wife (a paramedic) and the other paramedics and was taken to my motel room.  It was there that the Lord said to me I was done as an announcer which I had done for some 20 plus years.

In the Spring of 2012 we began advertising as a Cowboy ministry and our attendance had still not grown.  Had I missed the Lord? Was this all there was ever going to be?  Other churches in the area were about the same 12 to 20 in attendance.  Even some of the members were saying "well it's never been larger than 30 for years due to the size of the community with 5 churches in a 10 mile radius". Had I missed it?

In the Spring of 2013 I had a banner made and tied it up on a couple of  T post in the front yard of the church saying "AMONG FRIENDS COWBOY MINISTRIES" of Looneyville, TX. Suddenly by mid summer our crowds began reaching 30, then 40, then 50.  The Lord sent us a keyboard player, guitar player and a Praise Team leader.  They joined my Mom on the piano and brother Johnny on the drums.  WE HAD A BAND!!! We began having Saturday Night Singings, Sunday services outside, at the Lake, and here on the Farm. I continued to preach the Word with demonstrations and enthusiasm. Our last singing in April filled the building up!

In addition to the increased numbers in attendance the Lord has blessed us with the talent and funds to do much needed repairs and improvements to the building and grounds. We know have a newly remodeled fellowship hall, Sunday School Room, storage room, new ceiling and new carpet in the auditorium. We recently also added a parking area and will begin adding additional handicap ramps and steps with nice decks and covers. God is so good!

I have prayed for other ministries that I can find fellowship and a kindred  spirit and from what I see here on the ICCAN website is an answer to my prayers.  Thank you Mike Holmes for introducing me to the ICCAN. 

Finally, I said all this to say simply "DON'T GIVE UP!  STAY TRUE TO YOUR CALLING! GOD NEVER FAILS!"

How do we find contact information for the churches?