Meeting in a Public-School Building Two weeks ago, as we drove around frantically searching for a church to attend, my wife suggested Church #2. They had just relocated from their cozy storefront location in a small strip mall to rented space at the local school, a temporary meeting place as they raised funds to build […]
Greeting Well or Not at All There are three opportunities for a church to interact with visitors: before, during, and after the service. Some churches failed at each occasion and only a few excelled at all three—though every church should. Pre-Church Greeting First, greeting people before the service is critical, as it’s the first impression […]
A Recap of Churches 27 through 44 The churches are starting to blur. Every week seems the same, offering only slight variations on a theme. I’m growing weary of our journey. I’ve realized this for a few weeks but didn’t want to admit it. Yes, I still notice kindnesses offered and innovations presented at the […]
Waiting for the Service to Start I volunteer at a budget program where I teach classes and encourage people to manage their finances, unlearn bad money-handling habits, and dig out of debt. It’s a biblically based program, and it meets at a local church, which is also today’s destination. In the brief time I’ve been […]
Warm Inside Despite my encouragement, Candy has provided little input on the churches we visit. Though she recommended The Church with the Fundamental Vibe and The Nonconventional Church, I compiled the rest of the list. Today we’ll visit the closest church. Originally containing thirty-five names, I’ve now cut my list in half. While it might […]
A Country Fresh Church Last Sunday we went to church with our daughter and son-in-law. This week we go with our son and his wife. However, we aren’t going to their regular church. Instead, we’ll visit one a couple miles from where they plan to move. Part of an old denomination, the church recently changed […]
New Approaches for an Old Denomination It’s a holiday weekend. Our son and daughter-in-law are out of town, so we’re free agents. A return trip to the Megachurch is in order, but our daughter invites us to go to a church she and her husband have visited the past couple of weeks. A friend from […]
A Different Approach As we transition between homes, we’re living with our son and daughter-in-law. We’ll go to Sunday services with them, holding off on our search for a new church home. We’ve already gone with them a handful of times over the past few years, and for this season in our lives, it will […]
The experiences I share in this book are my experiences. Others may have different observations. I’m an introvert, as is a slight majority of people. Even so, I doubt my reactions are unique to me or even to other introverts. Consider these fifthteen discussion questions about How to Be an Engaging Church. 1. Whether introvert […]
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 […]