My wife and I visited 52 churches in a year. Then we attended a bunch more. Here is what we learned.
A few years ago, I stumbled upon a group of Young Quakers online. Their faith, their passion for community, and their desire to make a difference in their world drew me in. They even invited me to their annual gathering, halfway across the country. Though I had never met one of them in person, for […]
On my list of seven churches is a church from a small conservative denomination. I’ve never met anyone who currently goes to one of this denomination’s churches, but I have met people who used to go there. Consider three discussion questions about Church 69, a small conservative denomination. 1. These people left this church bruised […]
First on our list is a church from a small conservative denomination. Their denomination website says they have thirty-three churches in North America, eleven of which are within driving distance from our house. The closest one is five miles away. In contrast, they have five more international locations. A Bad Reputation I’ve never met anyone […]
The website of this urban church says they’re a multi-racial, multi-socio-economic relational community, where the homeless worship and support one another. I anticipate meeting people of other races and expect a service relevant to its inner-city neighborhood. Consider these seven discussion questions about Church 68. 1. As we approach the building, others carry crockpots. Looks […]
Candy and I live in a homogenous area of mostly white, middle-class families residing in a suburban setting, sitting on the edge of rural. Our community has minimal diversity and our area churches, even less. Most of my life I’ve lived in settings with people like me. Our current home is like our others. The […]
We’re off to visit another church, this time with family, the first visit for everyone. When they opened two years ago, they conducted a smart direct-mail campaign to the community. They’re a portable church that meets at a nearby middle school. Consider these discussion questions about Church 67. 1. The church is three-quarters of a […]
I’m not sure why it works out this way, but it’s another holiday weekend, and we’re off to visit another church. This one is three-quarters of a mile from our home. We could walk to it, and consider doing so, but we talk ourselves out of it. Part of the issue is that I don’t […]
Several months later we have a chance for a return visit to this same church. The opportunity to experience a normal service with their regular pastor should provide the chance to experience what we missed the first time. I hope to experience a spirit-led service. Consider these seven discussion questions about Church 66. 1. The […]
Several months later we have a chance for a return visit to this same church. Again, we’ll attend church with our friends and spend the afternoon together sharing our lives and faith. I expect the service will be led by the Holy Spirit. I look forward to both, though the time with friends outshines the […]
Valued friends invite us to visit their church, which “operates in the gifts of the Spirit.” My background is not charismatic, but I relish the opportunity to experience Holy Spirit power and bask in God’s presence. Consider these seven discussion questions about Church 66 and evidence of the Holy Spirit. 1. Many churches talk about […]