Southeast SDA Church, like the rest of the world, is in the midst of a pandemic, but that didn’t stop members from creatively and safely participating in fellowship and praise. Members turned the large parking lot across the street from the church into a site for a Park and Praise celebration.

Kaye Gilleylen, Elder Barry Brooks & Denise Brooks, Janviere Lavender, Adrienne Hankton, Gary King and Tanisha Dunning planned and facilitated a phenomenal weekend that managed to incorporate Sabbath School, vespers, praise and worship, and a pastor and first family meet and greet.

On Friday night, Elder Barry Brooks, Sabbath School Superintendent, hosted the first Park and Praise session that included vespers and a powerful Sabbath School lesson overview, presented by Senior Pastor Stan Hood.

On Sabbath afternoon, a socially distanced and masked church turned out to meet and greet Pastor Stan Hood, Elder Alisa Hood, and their son, Micah. Pastor Hood and his family relocated to Cleveland from Pittsburgh to minister at Southeast in March, just as Covid-19 was shutting down most of the country. Pastor Hood’s installation was virtual and the church has not had a chance, outside of streaming broadcasts, to formally meet their new pastor. The Park and Praise offered a wonderful opportunity for the Hoods to meet Southeast and for the church to welcome them.

Elder Barry Brooks and his wife, Denise hosted a question and answer session where the Hoods individually answered questions about themselves. Kaye Gilleylen and Janviere Lavender hosted “commercial breaks” and read the names of family members in attendance and answers to questions about themselves they provided right before the meet and greet. The members of the Southeast Praise Team, Adrienne Hankton, Kaye, and Jan ministered Praise and Worship.

praise and park The thoughtful questions and answers were an excellent way to began getting to know everyone. Pastor Hood shared stories of faith from his time in the military and Lady Alisa Hood talked about her love of serving in Women’s Ministry and her awesome cooking skills. Micah let everyone know that he enjoys video games and wants to be able to go swimming and have fun when this pandemic is over. Members sat safely in their cars or right beside them in lawn chairs on this last weekend of summer.

Some intriguing questions were also asked such as, “If you could have witnessed anything in the Bible, what would it be?” Pastor Hood answered that he would have loved to see Joseph revealing himself to his brothers—“providing for the very people who left him for dead.” Lady Hood, in answering the same question stated that she would have loved to witness the resurrection of Christ and spoke about how women first heralded the Lord’s appearing. When asked, “what is the best advice you were ever given,” Pastor and Lady Hood both stated, “Be yourself.” Southeast thanks Kaye Gilleylen, Barry and Denise Brooks, Jan Lavender, Adrienne Hankton, Gary King, and Tanisha Dunning for planning the successful Park and Praise weekend and Pastor Hood and Elder Lady Hood for joining our church family.

--Cecily Bryant