It’s just past 5 p.m., and music fills the hall at Fredfoss Conference Center. A steady stream of people enter through the doors to the sound of familiar tunes from the Ways of the Lord songbook. This is a gathering where many people know each other, and smiles and greetings are exchanged between them before they find a place to sit in the hall.
Fredfoss Conference Center is located in Vestfossen, a town approximately halfway between Drammen and Kongsberg in eastern Norway. The building is a former paper mill, a reddish, large brick building that bears little resemblance to a religious place of worship. Inside, there is a pleasant and modern atmosphere with everything from a coffee bar to a playroom, but without sacred decorations.
By 5:10 p.m, the rows of chairs are almost full. Children and grandparents, teenagers and parents of young children sit side by side.
On the stage are a variety of musicians, with guitars, violins, drums, piano and wind instruments. And in the gallery, 13-year-old Leona makes sure that the lyrics are displayed correctly on the screen so that everyone can sing along.
Welcome to the meeting
The leader of the meeting steps up to the podium and welcomes everyone to the Sunday meeting, as the church services are called. Elder Trond Eriksen usually leads the meetings in Eiker, but when he’s not present there are several others who can step in. Today it is Tore (41) who welcomes everyone one.
There is an introduction to prayer for the meeting, after which the floor is given to anyone who “has something on their heart.” Individual members may wish to highlight a particular Bible verse, personal experiences, stories, or their own hope which can be a means of strengthening the faith of the congregation.
The meeting consists of a mix of songs, and of younger and older members, women and men, from different walks of life, coming up to the podium to share a message or a testimony.
Towards the end of the meeting, we hear the music leader say: “Could we hear a song from all the young people?”, and a crowd of young people come up and sing a song with a refrain that starts with the words “O, young people, come! Heed the Word, and fight for the Lord”.
After the song, several of the young people also share a personal testimony.
After the meeting – coffee, laughter and cookies
Many of the meeting participants stay after the meeting and mingle in the foyer and coffee bar. The children run around and play while the adults laugh and talk together over a cup of coffee and perhaps some delicious pastries from the “U16 kiosk.” Young people under the age of 16 have their own pop-up kiosk where they can work and earn a little money, while the meeting participants enjoy a chat over a little snack.
Living faith in the midst of life
A meeting in BCC Eiker is not a solemn ceremony, but a breath of life. It’s about following Jesus, growing in faith and building fellowship -–Sunday after Sunday, year after year.
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