Horseback rides, roping tricks and hamburgers brought smiles to several boys recently as the New Day Cowboy Church welcomed residents of Joseph's Home for Boys to the Creasy Farm in Candler County.
New Day Cowboy Church is a newly formed ministry that is designed to bring the word of God to those who may not attend church, and to offer an alternative to a traditional church settin, where people can gather with like-minded individuals to worship, said Al Creasy, who, along with wife Debbie and a handful of others, are organizing the church.
It is an outreach "to try to get people not comfortable with conventional church to come to church," Creasy said. "We try to reach out to people in need, and try to inspire them to reach out to Christ."
Hosting an outing for the boys' home is only one of many activities and missions planned. The New Day Cowboy Church will ride as a group in parades and participate in community activities as a group, as well as host future visits to the farm and take part in helping others in the community, he said.
And if you want to bring your horse to church too, you're welcome.
Having fun and using horses in the ministry is a key part of New Day Cowboy Church. "We use the horses to help reach people, especially kids," he said. "God takes these horses and allows us to use them as tools. Kids like horses anyway," and it's a way to reach them and teach about God.
Creasy used his bay American Quarter Horse mare Lynx to demonstrate the trust and partnership between rider and horse, equating that partnership to the way people should trust and obey God.
He cued the highly trained cutting horse with his body, using moves that were imperceptible to those watching, asking her to sidepass. "She can dance," he told the boys. "She can do the electric slide."
Then he asked the horse to back up. "She can do the moonwalk," he said, prompting laughter.
Guest James Brown stood in the saddle on the back of his bay Quarter horse gelding Domingo. Unfurling a long whip, he twirled it around the horse's head and snapped it, evoking an ear-splitting crack that made the boys jump. The horse stood still, a display of trust Brown pointed out to the boys, reminding them that humans should trust God like that.
Both he and Creasy stood in the saddle and twirled ropes in a display of trust between man and horse, as well as skill on their parts, that brought expressions of open-mouthed amazement from the boys watching.
Then Brown held a cheese puff between his lips and allowed Domingo to take it gently from his mouth, crunching the treat with relish. Soon the boys each took turns doing the same, and laughed as the horse's soft muzzle tickled their faces.
Brown asked a young lady who attended the event to crawl between Domingo's legs in a trust exercise. Then, J. T. Osborne, whose father Tom Osborne is pastor for New Day Cowboy Church, showed trust in sliding over the horse's head and neck into the saddle, then off the back by grasping the horse's long black tail.
The Joseph's Home for Boys residents enjoyed roping demonstrations, using a metal roping "calf," and then tried their hands at roping the dummy calf themselves. A couple even tossed the lariat loop over the dummy's horns.
Member John Corbett Deloach shared information about horses, equating various points to relationships with God. Member Karen Chassereau introduced her pony Patches, a cancer survivor, showing where he lost an eye to the disease, but pointing out he is loved although he is imperfect.
Another member introduced Leroy, a miniature donkey, and shared the legend of the cross on a donkey's back.
"I've been praying for a long time to see if this is where God wanted me to go," Creasy said. Having attended several cowboy churches, he felt the need to form one in the area.
After the program, the boys enjoyed hamburgers before taking turns riding the horses and in a pony cart. New Day Cowboy Church members presented the boys with Cowboy Bibles and a New Day Cowboy Church tee shirt before they left.
New Day Cowboy Church will be meeting in the barn at Creasy's farm off Watson Road in Candler County. For more information on the dates and times ( tentative plans are to meet Tuesdays) contact Creasy at (912) 687-1614.
Everyone is welcome, he said.
New Day Cowboy Church is a newly formed ministry that is designed to bring the word of God to those who may not attend church, and to offer an alternative to a traditional church settin, where people can gather with like-minded individuals to worship, said Al Creasy, who, along with wife Debbie and a handful of others, are organizing the church.
It is an outreach "to try to get people not comfortable with conventional church to come to church," Creasy said. "We try to reach out to people in need, and try to inspire them to reach out to Christ."
Hosting an outing for the boys' home is only one of many activities and missions planned. The New Day Cowboy Church will ride as a group in parades and participate in community activities as a group, as well as host future visits to the farm and take part in helping others in the community, he said.
And if you want to bring your horse to church too, you're welcome.
Having fun and using horses in the ministry is a key part of New Day Cowboy Church. "We use the horses to help reach people, especially kids," he said. "God takes these horses and allows us to use them as tools. Kids like horses anyway," and it's a way to reach them and teach about God.
Creasy used his bay American Quarter Horse mare Lynx to demonstrate the trust and partnership between rider and horse, equating that partnership to the way people should trust and obey God.
He cued the highly trained cutting horse with his body, using moves that were imperceptible to those watching, asking her to sidepass. "She can dance," he told the boys. "She can do the electric slide."
Then he asked the horse to back up. "She can do the moonwalk," he said, prompting laughter.
Guest James Brown stood in the saddle on the back of his bay Quarter horse gelding Domingo. Unfurling a long whip, he twirled it around the horse's head and snapped it, evoking an ear-splitting crack that made the boys jump. The horse stood still, a display of trust Brown pointed out to the boys, reminding them that humans should trust God like that.
Both he and Creasy stood in the saddle and twirled ropes in a display of trust between man and horse, as well as skill on their parts, that brought expressions of open-mouthed amazement from the boys watching.
Then Brown held a cheese puff between his lips and allowed Domingo to take it gently from his mouth, crunching the treat with relish. Soon the boys each took turns doing the same, and laughed as the horse's soft muzzle tickled their faces.
Brown asked a young lady who attended the event to crawl between Domingo's legs in a trust exercise. Then, J. T. Osborne, whose father Tom Osborne is pastor for New Day Cowboy Church, showed trust in sliding over the horse's head and neck into the saddle, then off the back by grasping the horse's long black tail.
The Joseph's Home for Boys residents enjoyed roping demonstrations, using a metal roping "calf," and then tried their hands at roping the dummy calf themselves. A couple even tossed the lariat loop over the dummy's horns.
Member John Corbett Deloach shared information about horses, equating various points to relationships with God. Member Karen Chassereau introduced her pony Patches, a cancer survivor, showing where he lost an eye to the disease, but pointing out he is loved although he is imperfect.
Another member introduced Leroy, a miniature donkey, and shared the legend of the cross on a donkey's back.
"I've been praying for a long time to see if this is where God wanted me to go," Creasy said. Having attended several cowboy churches, he felt the need to form one in the area.
After the program, the boys enjoyed hamburgers before taking turns riding the horses and in a pony cart. New Day Cowboy Church members presented the boys with Cowboy Bibles and a New Day Cowboy Church tee shirt before they left.
New Day Cowboy Church will be meeting in the barn at Creasy's farm off Watson Road in Candler County. For more information on the dates and times ( tentative plans are to meet Tuesdays) contact Creasy at (912) 687-1614.
Everyone is welcome, he said.