PASSAGE Family Church promotes importance of strong church family, friends during service
The power of having honest friends and being part of a strong church family was emphasized during the annual Family and Friends Day service at PASSAGE Family Church on Sunday morning.
The service began with the welcome by Lady Michele Dix who read the Family Declaration. She is also co-founder of the church, along with her husband and senior pastor of the church, Pastor George B. Dix Jr.
“Because I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, I declare my entire household shall be saved,” she said. “I declare that my family is blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Goodness and mercy follow us.”
The welcome was followed by a musical selection from singer Aliea Williams and her cousin, guitarist Rachel Thounsand.
“Even if you are saved, you will have bad days,” Williams said. “Sometimes those who aren’t saved have good days but those who believe in God will have eternal life.”
Afterwards, Desiree and Mechelle Waters performed a liturgical dance.
Church clergy recognized for their service
The service included George B. Dix Jr. recognizing the clergy of the church for all of their efforts supporting the church and uplifting the kingdom of God as October is recognized as National Clergy Appreciation Month.
“We cannot do what we were called to do without the people who were called to serve the church,” Dix said.
Dix then thanked Gerald Chism, Daniel Leviston, Guerian Fort, Johnny and Palenthia Boswell, Sheila Baker-Bell and the Rev. Dr. Geraldine McClellan for their contributions and efforts that help him and his wife lead the everyday operations of the ministry.
“We thank you for all that you do,” Dix said. “Make sure you let your clergy know how much you appreciate them. There’s more than what meets the eye. There’s a lot that goes on behind the pulpit.”
The service included uplifting and inspirational songs by the church's praise team, and a powerful prayer by Minister Palenthia Boswell that focused on releasing anything that in any way binds and has a stronghold on members of the congregation.
“Whatever you came here with today, let’s declare it broken,” Boswell said. “Raise your hands and say, ‘Holy Spirit, live within me.’ If you think about being bound, remember when the Lord came in and set you free.”
Boswell explained the importance of coming to church to check in with your church family.
“When we come to church to worship God, we come together to encourage one another,” Boswell said. “You don’t know what the person next to you is going through. We are disciples of living a victorious life and a victorious life means you’re free.”
The sermon delivered by Pastor George B. Dix Jr. focused on the subject of "A True Friend Tells It Like It Is Even When It Hurts," and the scripture for the sermon came from Proverbs 27:5-6, which in the Contemporary English Version reads: “A truly good friend will openly correct you. You can trust a friend who corrects you, but kisses from an enemy are nothing but lies.”
“Friendship is much like trust,” Dix said. “It must be earned. If there’s no trust, you have no friends.”
Dix said there are three things that prevent people from having a true friend.
The first is having superficial people in your life.
“If nobody is pulling you aside rightfully and checking you, you don’t have a true friend,” Dix said. “Whether it’s professional or personal relationships, someone needs to tell you what you need to hear.”
Number two is being too emotionally or spiritually weak to handle the truth.
“Some people are too afraid or unwilling to tell you the truth because you can’t take the raw truth,” Dix said. “You’ve made it too unpleasant to have a candid conversation with you.”
Number three is being too prideful to take criticism.
“Lower your guard down to listen,” Dix said. “I have accountability partners who I gave permission to speak on my life. You don’t grow hearing good things about you. Pride goes before destruction.”
Dix said it is important to keep your ears and heart open to the advice people tell you regardless of their background.
“Don’t turn your nose up when you meet someone who disagrees with you,” Dix said. “The very thing they said might be exactly what you need to hear.”
Dix said his sermon was not meant to upset people but to inspire them to be better.
“You can’t be too prideful that you can’t hear the truth,” Dix said. “I’m not in the business of pleasing people, I’m in the business of pleasing God.”
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Family and Friends Day service held Sunday at PASSAGE Family Church
