GLORY, PRAISE AT GODSTOCK

GRASSY -- Amid sounds of children splashing nearby in the Castor River and the crunch of gravel underfoot, about 60 people took communion Sunday morning during an outdoor worship service at Arrowhead Campgrounds.

Pieces of torn bread circulated in colorful plastic bowls while ushers, some dressed in shorts, T-shirts and sandals, passed bowls filled with grape juice. The bread represented Christ's body; the juice his blood.

"I think we are standing on holy ground and God is right here with us," said Pam Reynolds, an organizer of Godstock '99.

Godstock is based on the idea of Woodstock, but with a different twist. It is designed to break down barriers between denominations, uplift one another and praise God, Reynolds said.

"If each of us, as Christians, would take up the cross that he's given us, then we could let God have control and everything would be perfect," she said.

And the event was nearly perfect for its christening. Between 800 and 1,000 people attended the three-day Christian music event. The Sunday morning crowd held worship service at 10 a.m. The afternoon was full of quartets, solo performances and testimonies. Camp broke around 4 p.m.

"If we don't praise him, the rocks will," Reynolds told the crowd.

And apparently, the crowd complied. Children sang, bands played and families spent time together at the campgrounds during the weekend.

Thirteen bands and 40 performers entertained nearly 800 people for 12 hours Saturday. Many of those people had camped Friday and Saturday, but left for their own church services before Sunday morning.

Charles Hurst, who spoke during the Sunday morning service, said people need to remember who gave them their talents and gifts.

"For musicians, music is their god," he said. "For motorcyclists, the thrill and the rush is their god, but they need to remember who gave them the balance to keep that bike upright."

And by eliminating denominational differences and focusing on what makes Christians unified, the church can grow, he said.

"We don't need religion but we need a relationship," he said. "We're all the same. There is one God and one book."

Built around the unifying principles of the church, Godstock began as a fund-raising event for WGCF radio station in Paducah, Ky. What it turned into was a birthplace for "baby ministries."

Many of the people who helped plan the event or who sang were just beginning their ministries, Reynolds said, explaining: "They played in front of a blue jeans crowd in the woods to see it they could handle it. That's how God does things -- gently."

And with so many people camping overnight, there was a captive audience. Most of whom seemed to enjoy the event.

People from as far away as California attended the event. Others were as close to home as Cape Girardeau, Jackson or Marion, Ill.

People spent time together and were "hearing about the Lord," said Reynolds. Five people were baptized in the river Saturday afternoon.

Betty Garland of Paducah spent the weekend at the campground. "It's just refreshing in the holy spirit," she said, "and you get closer to God."