Prattville’s Trinity holds fall festival

Oct. 20--The best way to bring people into the church, says Rev. Ken Jackson, is to take the church outside.

"I believe the church exists outside the walls," the pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Prattville said Sunday morning, just before heading into the cool morning air to a fall festival that, he said, was aimed at introducing people to the church in a relaxed setting -- one with inflatables and food and live music.

"Sometimes, the church gets trapped into the idea like it has to happen as we see it happening," Jackson said. "We just wanted people to come and a have a good time."

The event, part pumpkin patch and part Pump It Up, was preceded by a brief service featuring a seven minute sermon from Jackson, in which he compared Christian faith to a pumpkin being cleaned out and transformed into a Jack O'Lantern.

"God says, 'I'll take that yucky stuff, I'll take it all out and put in a light,'" Jackson said. "That light is Jesus Christ."

The festival, scheduled to last about three hours on Sunday, drew hundreds of people and featured live music, gourds and face painting. Admission to the event was free; sales of pumpkins went to support the church's mission activities.

Theresa Keith, the children's minister at Trinity, said the organizers wanted to allow members and non-members to rub elbows in a "relaxed" setting.

"It's just a way for us of getting together with the congregation and the community," she said. "We want to open the doors."

The approach appealed to Ona Albright, an insurance agent who was walking around the grounds with her two-year-old son, Holden. Albright, who said she is still looking for a church to join, said enjoyed the "family friendly" atmosphere at the event, and the positive attitudes.

"They are always the most friendly," she said.

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