There's a story, told as true, about a church that had a knock-down, drag-out fight that resulted in a split. I will give the church the label of a "community church," to protect the real denomination from terminal embarrassment.

It seems that "First Community Church," located in the hill country of a Southern state, entered into a serious conflict regarding the church's coal pile. The small church was heated by a coal furnace which was located in the basement of the building. The coal chute was located on the front, or the north side, of the church building near the steps leading up to the sanctuary.

One group in the church, mostly made up of those who had the responsibility of keeping the church warm, wanted the coal pile located near the coal chute. This, of course, would place the ugly mountain of coal in plain view of any who passed by the church.

The other faction, comprised mostly of people who did not have the responsibility of keeping the church warm, wanted the coal pile located in the back on the south side of the church. The first group argued that, while it certainly would look better, it meant that the heavy coal had to be lugged from the back of the church to the front of the church. And, it was pointed out, the temperatures fell to well below zero in the hill country and it didn't make sense to freeze people to death just to make the church more attractive.

The second group stood their ground and claimed that the first group was being silly and selfish. Arguments broke out. Rowdy business meetings were held. Friends became enemies and Sunday School class members ceased speaking to each other.���

After a long, agonizing, and painful period, the church split. A group of people from the church bought the property across the street, built a new church and named it (I kid you not) "The Southside Coal Pile Community Church." Not to be outdone, those who remained at First Church voted to rename their congregation "The Northside Coal Pile Community Church." Thus it remains, I am told, to this day. Fortunately, not all churches are this contentious.

In the mid-1980s, The Fayette Fellowship, an Assemblies of God (A/G) congregation in Peachtree City, suffered the loss of their sanctuary due to a fire. Without hesitation, the congregation of Christ our Shepherd Lutheran Church offered the use of their facilities to the Pentecostal congregation. For nine months, Fayette Fellowship met on Sunday evenings in the Lutheran sanctuary. During those same nine months, other churches offered assistance. First Baptist Church received an offering for the A/G congregation. Peachtree City Christian Church permitted the use of their baptismal pool time and time again, and Fayette Fellowship weddings were held at First Presbyterian and Peachtree City United Methodist churches.

Later, Fayette Fellowship relocated to Sharpsburg and became Trinity Fellowship. Remembering the kindness they had received, Trinity loaned the use of their facilities in Peachtree City to a number of churches, including Life Church, an independent charismatic congregation, and Calvary Presbyterian. In the early 1990s, Trinity cut the price of their old property by half from $800,000 to near $400,000 and sold it to Calvary Presbyterian and, with a name change, Carriage Lane Presbyterian Church worships there today. In Coweta County, the Seventh-Day Adventist church has hosted a number of start-up churches, including a Bible church, a Lutheran church, and a Baptist church, to name a few.

Recently, another congregation in Fayette County has opened its doors to a church in need of a temporary home. The Church of God of Prophecy, on Ga. Highway 54 near Fayetteville, has allowed The Church of the Holy Cross, a new Charismatic Episcopal congregation, to worship in an adjacent building on Sunday mornings. The pastor of Holy Cross, Father Paul Massey, and his wife Judy, have worshipped with the congregation of the Church of God of Prophecy and, even though worship styles differ, their common bond in Christ has brought these sister church to share in a relationship that serves as a positive example to churches everywhere.

In a day when contention and fighting over "coal piles" among Christians is all too common, a few churches are raising the bar and setting a higher standard of cooperation and selflessness. May all of these congregations who open their hearts and doors to their fellow Christians reap abundantly from the compassion and charity they have sown. "Give, and it will be given unto you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38 NIV).

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