By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
They were once soldiers serving our nation in the Army, living wherever they were sent and doing as they were told, acting as trained warriors to serve and defend our lives and our freedom. Now they are a minister and a minister’s wife, preaching a message of love and family to all who come through the doors of Resonate church in La Marque.
From the moment I met Nilda Windom, the wife of head pastor Jervie Windom of Resonate Church, I felt this sense that acceptance and love was what formed their church. When I attended a Sunday service, my intuition was confirmed.
I was just a few feet from opening the church door and someone approached me asking if I needed help or guidance. Inside the church, I was quickly greeted with warm handshakes and smiles shining with love from the people gathered in the building.
My eyes darted around as I tried to keep up with the many children who were moving freely inside the building. There seemed to be no restraints on where they might take their little feet to experience the same feeling of love and acceptance that I was observing.
Though there appeared to be no restraints on the children, no one needed to hush them or to admonish them in any way. The children seemed to have a sense of the limitations of where they might go and what they might do inside the sanctuary.
Singing from the platform at the front of the church interrupted the free-flowing experience, and I noticed most of the people had found a seat and were joining in worship music. I found my seat and situated my camera bag.
Thanks to the combined gifts of the musicians on the stage and the congregants, the sanctuary began to fill with the sounds of worship. A feeling of reverence and awe for the spiritual food that would soon be fed to the attendees moved into the building.
Someone on the front platform said, “We love Jesus one heart at a time. Here you are family. It doesn’t matter if you walk in the door one time, two times or many times, you are family.”
Everything that I was experiencing as a reporter/guest was the goal of the church body and church leaders.
Then another church leader came to the platform and together with the congregation read 1 Corinthians 13, which provides one of the most profound descriptions of love.
Someone else on the platform invited the congregation to let go of their worries, slow their brains down and allow themselves to be absorbed in the love of God and the sharing of God’s word.
I watched as people began to look more at ease. The furrow of their foreheads began to smooth. The attendees seemed to absorb the experience of celebrating God’s love and the love and acceptance of the congregation and the church leaders.
Then it came time for the children to be dismissed to their place of learning while the adults remained in the sanctuary. Some children stayed behind, preferring to be with their mamas, pappas, grandmas, and grandpas.
Next Pastor Jervie came to the podium and delved into the day’s message, which is part of a series titled “Unshakeable Hope and Relentless Faith.”
“You and I may be facing things, but there is nothing greater than God,” proclaims Pastor Jervie.
Some quiet “amens” follow his words.
“We can always count on Him to be who He said He was,” continued from Pastor Jervie. A few more quiet “amens” followed again.
“We are not called to hurt people in His name, Pastor Jervie reminded those assembled. “We are called to speak in love and truth and stand fast in our knowledge of the word of God.”
Again, the congregants showed their agreement with his preaching with “amens,” and head nods and a “yes that is the way” here and there.
In the middle of his sermon, to illustrate a point, he sang a song his grandmother taught him, “We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder.” Members of his flock seemed to allow themselves to go into a prayerful state as they listened to him sing the old African American Spiritual.
His message continued as he instructed his flock to show the love of Jesus in their actions, not just in their words.
“People need to see that you love Jesus,” said Pastor Jervie.
Several families whose children did not leave embraced the words of the preacher while they quietly tended to their little ones. One of those families comprises Alex, Cassandra and their three- year-old daughter Alsessnera.
Alex shared that his family comes to worship Jesus at Resonate because, “It feels like family. It feels like home. We are blessed, the Lord allows us to wake up each morning and brings us here on Sundays.”
Alex shared that he grew up in a single-family household, and he remembers sitting in church telling himself that one day when he became a father, he would bring his family to church. That day is now, and he is fulfilling his childhood commitment.
“My father wasn’t in my life much, and I wanted to do better,” Alex shared. He also shared that he did have a devoted stepfather who was a mentor for him.
Once the service ended, most of the congregation continued to mill about in the back of the sanctuary catching up with each other, offering words of encouragement along with offers to help each other in a tangible way if needed.
“It’s a blessing to have this church in our community,” shared another member of the congregation “The people here are all family. It’s the best family I have ever had.”
Family, love, and acceptance are felt and are an impressive reason for many to attend Resonate church, but some church members are also influenced by the pastor’s commitment to preaching the Bible.
“I attend here because, the word of God is preached here,” shared one individual.
He continued to share his delight with the Bible being an important aspect of the services at Resonate.
As I prepared to leave, Pastor Jervie shared a few final words with me: “Love is what created everything into existence and love will be the last thing standing.”
Resonate Church is very active and visible in the La Marque and Texas City communities. The church float in the Texas City Christmas parade won the mayoral award. The float proudly proclaimed, “Every Heart Matters to God.”
Resonate Church holds its Sunday service at 11 a.m. The church is located at 2801 Gulf Freeway La Marque, TX 77568. If you would like more information, you can visit https://www.resonatetexas.org.
This is the first of a two-part series covering Resonate Church.
