This morning I visited Legacy Community Church in Los Gatos.  I was late getting there because I didn’t realize that Saratoga Village was going to be blocked off for a celebration today and those who wanted to go through had to take a detour, but I got there while there was still music being sung.

There were a lot of pews and quite a bit of room to choose a place to sit.  It appeared that the congregation was about half white and half black, but I later found out that there is an African church that meets in their building, and this morning they combined the congregations.  That means that there must not be very many members of Legacy Community Church on regular Sundays.

I had chosen to attend this particular Sunday because I saw online that they were going to have a special service about Africa.  I was wondering if they had sent a group there this summer like the one my sister and nephew went with.  Apparently not.  Since the church is called Legacy Community, I didn’t know what denomination they are.  Turns out they’re Assembly of God.  The music was led by the African church (Gilgal Church) and people raised their hands and ululated throughout.  I even heard one of the white members speaking in tongues.  I know nothing about Assembly of God, but it is apparently Pentecostal.

Then they showed a video about Africa called “The Long African Day”.  It was divided into segments; each addressing a need in Africa and highlighting the work that Assembly of God missionaries are doing to meet that need.  One talked about a water project called Africa Oasis where the missionaries drill down to good water in a village that has none and set up a pump.  That gives them an in for telling the villagers about the Water of Life.  Another involved building the steel structure and roof for churches in villages where the pastors are trying to preach in borrowed space or outdoors.  Once the structure is in place, the members build the walls.  There was a segment about all the children who are orphaned because of HIV/AIDS, and an outreach that gives them a safe place to stay, education, food, and training for a good occupation.  They also talked about Bible schools for Africans who feel called to the ministry, to preach to their own people, but need sponsorships to get the training they need.  It was an impressive array of ministries the Assembly of God church is doing in Africa, and it was a plea for donations to help them continue their outreach there.

After the service, I was snagged by the children’s ministry pastor and asked to fill out a visitor card.  They gave me a bag and pen and book mark, as well as a couple of daily devotionals, one for adults and one for kids.  The Gilgal Church had prepared an African meal which was being served outside, so I was invited to stay for that and sit at table with the woman who had snagged me.  There was a rolled up bread called Jara (sp?) and really spicy chicken and various other dishes to eat with the bread.  The food was good!  The children from Gilgal Church were running around with copies of a CD of 25 praise songs I guess their church put together, and they were trying to sell them.  I didn’t buy one, but I know they were selling like hotcakes amongst the members of Legacy Community Church.

I’m not sure why the congregation is so small if today was any kind of sampling of what they are like.  They are charasmatic and they had an alter call during the last prayer, and they had an information desk right in the sanctuary for visitors to ask questions.  Maybe charismatic Bible preaching is a hard sell in Los Gatos.  It’s not one I choose to go back to, but it was nice to visit and hear what they are doing.