The church meets in a middle school’s all-purpose room. Large portable signs direct us to the entrance. We enjoy a refreshing church service. Consider these four discussion questions about Church #38: 1. People mill about: talking, sipping coffee, or munching snacks. They represent all age groups, with many kids. Younger people are the future of […]
We walk inside to an empty lobby and head toward an amplified sound. We slink into a back row. Sunday school must be running late, but we find out that they cancelled church. Consider these four discussion questions about Church #36: 1. The speaker acknowledges the presence of visitors. He apologizes that there will be […]
Discussing Church 17 This church has a contemporary service followed by a traditional one. It’s a church doubleheader. We’ll go to both. Consider these four discussion questions about Church #17: 1. Their idea of contemporary is vastly different from mine, with this service being one of the more reserved ones we’ve attended. If you state […]
Align with Other Believers to Build Ourselves Up and Serve Others In my post about spiritual mastermind groups I talked about the benefit of aligning ourselves with other like-minded followers of Jesus to walk with on our spiritual journey. Now I’d like to look at the word cohort and apply that too. Let’s call this […]
“Hi, are you the DeHaans?” The usher’s question surprises me. “Yes, we are.” I nod, a bit confused, but pleased at his acknowledgment. “I’m Greg.” Then gesturing towards Candy, he explains, “I answered your email.” I nod again, this time with a smile. “Thank you so much. It’s nice to meet you, Greg.” We shake […]
We talked about the four times Paul said to “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” In another curious reference, mentioned only once, he mentions receiving “the right hand of fellowship.” In modern day context, this phrase seems like a euphemism for a handshake, but I doubt they did that two thousand years ago. With […]
Sunday we visit another small church. I expect a traditional, liturgical service. The sanctuary is simple, filled with color and symbolism. Several lit candles mesmerize as incense fills the air. A worshipful instrumental piece, courtesy of a CD, plays in the background. The music stops and the opening liturgy begins. We hear the minister but […]
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” […]
Discover What the Bible and Our Experience Teach Us In my posts, I write a lot about the importance of community, specifically meaningful spiritual community. I’ve mentioned community over one hundred fifty times. Two related words—or potentially related words—are fellowship and discipleship. Aside from my posts about 52 Churches, I’ve written about fellowship ten times. […]