The Journey Is Over, but the Insights Have Just Begun As we told people about our journey of visiting fifty-two churches in a year, everyone was intrigued. They wanted to hear more and expressed great interest in the book. A few were envious, wishing they could do the same, but most admitted they could never […]
3 Tips to Have a Positive Experience When going to church—whether as a visitor or a regular attendee—there are three keys to having a successful, meaningful, and spirit-filled experience. These are attitude, prayer, and expectation. Without addressing these critical elements, many church services will fall short of expectations. Following these three essential steps, however, can […]
The experiences I share in my book are just that: my experiences. Other people will have different observations when visiting a church. I am an introvert, as is a slight majority of the population, but my reactions are not unique to or representative of introverts. Indeed, everyone, both introvert and extrovert, will share my perspective […]
My final consideration is Greek Orthodox. They appear fourth on my mental list of churches to visit. Like Anglican Catholic, I’ve never talked to anyone who was Greek Orthodox or Eastern Orthodox. Historically, I understand they split from the Roman Catholic Church about a thousand years ago. What little I know—accurate or not—comes from what […]
Another church is Anglican Catholic. They’re also on my mental list of churches to visit. I expect their service to be much like Roman Catholic, but I’m not sure. It’s an intriguing mystery to me. To compare them with Roman Catholicism and other high churches might offer good insight. I’m sure I can learn much […]
Next on my mental list of churches to visit sits a contentious consideration. I refer to Mormon, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS for short). I read that most Mormons consider themselves Christians, whereas most non-Mormon Christians don’t, viewing them as a sect or even a cult. Vitriol emerges. I suspect this […]
In addition to these three remaining churches on my spreadsheet is my mental list of four more. The first of these churches is the Salvation Army. Most people know the Salvation Army for their red donation kettles at Christmastime. Beyond that, they focus on the needs of the homeless and provide disaster relief and humanitarian […]
Before 52 Churches, we visited a Messianic Jewish church: Jews who believe in Jesus as their Jewish savior, mixing Jewish tradition with Christian faith. They met on Saturday nights. The service involved a time of worship and a time of teaching. They concluded with a shared meal. Most of the service was in English, but […]
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 […]
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 […]