Pocatello reopens as outpost

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Easter Sunday debuts first Sunday worship
By Neil Muñoz –

Pocatello outpost celebrates their first Sunday worship on Easter with 56 people in attendance. | Photo Courtesy Pocatello Outpost
The Salvation Army in Pocatello, Idaho, reopened its doors as an outpost on Easter Sunday. But for Corps Officer Lt. Tami Moore, it took months of work behind the scenes to make it happen.
“I prayed for 20 people to show up,” Moore said. “After talking with the [church planning] committee, we agreed that we would be blessed with 25, and God brought us 56 people for our first Sunday service.”
Immediately after the service, the outpost hosted a potluck and Easter egg hunt for children ages 2–12.   
The committee considered holding the first worship service in March. Then, someone suggested Easter Sunday. “Why don’t we resurrect the sanctuary on Resurrection Day?” Moore said. “It’s the day even the unchurched come to church.”
Currently, the outpost services includes a soup kitchen, utility assistance and emergency food boxes. The soup kitchen, which runs six days a week, is the only soup kitchen in the county, according to Moore. The outpost also holds a pantry giveaway three days a week, after the soup kitchen closes, so people can take whatever they need.
“What I found was an opportunity between the time of the soup kitchen and the time of the pantry giveaway—there was an hour’s span when they’d be waiting outside, so I thought I’d use that time to start a prayer meeting, a devotional Bible study,” Moore said. The clients responded positively, so she holds a prayer meeting three times a week right after the soup kitchen closes. “It’s working out great,” she said. “There’s a faithful five that come, but I’ve had up to 15 people. They have a mini Bible study and they pray over each other.”
Moore also scheduled the outpost’s first youth night next month, which will include worship, devotionals, game nights, sports days and other activities. Her goals is to send 10 kids to camp. So far, she has five interested.
In July, she plans to do outreach at a nearby park.
“I’m really excited to see how God’s going to move in this place,” Moore said.

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