Becoming a Spiritual Community that Matters What would you learn if you visited 52 churches? How might that change the way you treated visitors at your church? You don’t need to go to a boatload of churches. Peter already has. The 52 Churches Workbook is the perfect tool to gain valuable insights without the pain […]
A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith Visit fifty-two churches in a year? Am I crazy? Maybe. I spent a year visiting a different Christian church every Sunday: Protestant mainline, evangelical, and charismatic, Roman Catholic, and more. I visited a church just like yours. I’m positive. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll […]
We attend a contemporary service at a Presbyterian church. Their interim minister gives a message on “Listening to God”; today is his first official day on the job. Their former minister of twelve years left a few weeks ago and they are in a time of transition. This interim cleric is their “in between pastor” […]
We Must Reform Our Behaviors Through the Lens of Scripture In the Bible we see example after example of Jesus extending love, grace, and mercy to people, especially those who are searching, who don’t fit in, and who the religious leaders reject. There’s only one group of people who Jesus regularly criticizes. Who might that […]
This week we visit another new church, our third one so far (the others are Church #2 and Church #7). This one is essentially a church reboot, with the intent on offering a more accessible gathering within a traditional, conservative denomination. It’s a bold experiment. The decor is by far the nicest we’ve encountered. Everything […]
Sunday we visited a newer church. Their website says “multi-generational contemporary worship service”—and it is. They’re also non-denominational “because God has called all believers to unity.” I like that. We walk in and people are informally mingling; several introduce themselves. Of all the churches we’ve visited so far, this is the most effective at pre-service […]
The church is a traditional-looking building, constructed of brick and stately in appearance. In checking out the sanctuary, I anticipate the service will be just as Facebook promised. It said “a blending of traditional and contemporary.” Will they have the right mix of music? The service begins with several familiar choruses. A few people lift […]
This Sunday we visit a nondenominational church. It’s three years old and I know a bit about it and its pastor, who I perceive as a mostly postmodern guy possessing a modern theology. I suspect the church will mirror that. Located in a small strip mall, I find a parking spot near the door. Only […]
The first of fifty-two churches is a small Baptist-affiliated assembly. With forty or so normally in attendance, this Sunday has only seventeen. The service is not unlike churches my wife attended in her youth, so she feels comfortable and is familiar with their format even though it now feels quite dated. The people are friendly […]
Churches Close for Tangible Problems, But Maybe Some Should Close for Spiritual Reasons In the book of Malachi, God laments about his people. Specifically he’s down on the priests because they show contempt for him. Their worship is so off-track that God wishes one of the priests would just shut the temple doors. This would […]