Sabbatical

Sab•bat•i•cal
–adjective
1. of or pertaining or appropriate to the Sabbath.
2. of or pertaining to a sabbatical year.
3. bringing a period of rest.
–noun
4. any extended period of leave from one's customary work,
especially for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.

Not too long ago I was in a little fender bender. I was at a dead stop waiting for my turn to get on the access road when a woman in a Lexus ran into the back of my car. She hardly slowed down; it was as though she didn’t even see me there.

Her mind was on the road ahead, she was thinking of her destination, so intent on where she was going she didn’t even notice the bright yellow ford focus stopped right in front of her. In the words of young hipsters everywhere, “epic fail”.

Several months ago I began a little journey. I was at a dead end at my current church and started on the road to find a new church home. Somewhere along this journey, or maybe the whole time, I started focusing so much on my goal of having a place to attend and serve that I stopped noticing what was right in front of me.

I didn’t notice that I had changed as a Christian. I didn’t realize that I looked at God differently. I didn’t see that I had taken off and stomped on any rose colored glasses I use to view the church through. So when I would visit churches and run into problem after problem I didn’t know why. Epic fail.

So I have decided to go on a sabbatical. Can you go on a sabbatical from the Sabbath? Maybe not, but a sabbatical from church, and especially church hunting. It will be my extended period of leave, pertaining or appropriate to the Sabbath; for rest and to acquire new skills or training, etc.

Not that I won’t go to church at all. I may still visit churches in the area or go back to ones I’ve been to, but I’m not really looking for a church right now. I’m looking for what God is trying to teach me through this time. I’m looking for who I am in Christ outside of the formal church setting. I want to explore other peoples’ stories of church love and loss.

So expect my blogging to change some. No more “Church #815” or “Church #1623” entries. Just some thoughts on what God is teaching me right now. Time to look at what is right in front of me so that I stop missing the obvious things, like what God is trying to do in my life.

Tick, tick, tick...

It has been about 7 months since I left... quit... stopped going to? my old church. Or that is, it has been about 7 months since I've had a church home. That wording seems to work.

Meaning approximately 7 months or 210 days or 28 Sundays or 11 churches latter, I still don't have a church I call my own.

I stopped blogging about my church hunting experience for roughly two of those months because I had lost my enthusiasm about visiting churches.

I have had some odd experiences though, for example, I went to church one Sunday and didn't stay because there was literally no place to park. On another Sunday I got to a church I'd been excited about visiting and walked in to find about 5 people milling about this huge church, it was like the twilight zone, I was afraid the rapture had occurred and me and these 5 Baptist were left behind. Weird.

I still drag myself out of bed on Sunday mornings and go to church, but really have had nothing to say about it. Maybe I’ll visit a new church or maybe I’ll go back to one I've been to before, sometimes I don't decided until my alarm clock goes off.

In short, recently I’ve been more zealous about where I'm eating lunch after church than where I am going to service. (Fuzzy's Tacos anyone?)

This languid attitude started changing just before Christmas. I had heard conflicting reports about a church I was interested in. However, I decided to drive the 40 minutes to get there when a friend of mine who has basically given up on church and possibly on God told me that it was one church she might actually go to. That sounded good to me. We’ll call this “Church # 11”.

When I first started visiting new churches I was so starved for spiritual food that I was on a church high, crying at services, loving the worship and feeling like I could conquer the world. This emotion was eventually depleted and I was left feeling extremely skeptical of churches and Christians. I've been saying for months, "I don't have a problem with God, but I'm finding it hard to like His people". Or like Gandhi said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." I’ve felt like a ticking time bomb, at any moment I was going to give up on church all together.

I can't say that I'm completely over this feeling. I don't think I understood, or still understand how deeply I was hurt. Or the extent of the scares inflicted by fellow believers! However, I will say that while at Church #11 one Sunday I looked around at the people near me, people I didn't know and didn't meet and thought to myself, "How nice to be in a room full of people who love God. I may not ever know them, but we have the same Father!" I surprised myself with this previously unheard of compassion for fellow church goers.

Since then I have started going back to a church nearer me because 40 minutes was just too long of a drive. However, I don't know if it was Church #11, or just timing, or the Christmas spirit, but I'm glad that I had that little moment or joy with my fellow believers. I needed it.

With all of the above being said it was actually something that happened last Sunday that made me figuratively pick back up the blogging pen.

During the infamous meet-n-greet time at a church we will call “Church #10”, something strange happened, the person I was sitting next to introduced himself to me! I know this shouldn't be a big deal, but in all this time I have had only ONE other person introduce themselves to me without my introducing myself first. People say, "hello" or "good morning" but then they are pretty much done with you.

While still reeling from his introduction this intrepid person did something rather shocking. I am not exaggerating when I state that this is the first time in 7 months of church hunting that this has happened to me... the guy invited me to life group! Holy crud. He asked me if this was my first Sunday, I told him I was a basically a regular because I had been there twice (oh how very witty) and he told me about the singles group that met before 2nd service and said I should come. Then (yes, there is even more) at the end of the service he gave me the website for their singles group so I could get all the info and said he hoped he'd see me there.

I can't overstate what a big deal this is, or how sad it is that it is a big deal! So obviously, I will be going to the the singles group next week before "big church". Really it was amazing what that one act of consideration did for my morning. I went from thinking how annoying it is when the choir and/or worship team wears matching colors, to thinking that I should start "assuming good intent" when I go to churches.

Meaning that instead of assuming the worship team is all about themselves and performance I should assume that they are actually worshiping since I have no reason to believe otherwise. My whole church experience changed, I listen to the sermon and took notes and made myself think of two things I liked about the place for everyone thing I didn't like (sorry, I still have a hard time making the negative Nancy in my head hush).

When the morning was over I had a little bit of the exuberance I had when I first started church hunting. Just because someone took less than 5 minutes to make me feel wanted! Between that and the gradual lessening of my resistance against others believers I feel like God is slowly but surely doing a work in my heart. Maybe all this disappointment and over-cautiousness will turn into something healthy and powerful. I hope so.

Expectation

My former boss and youth pastor use to (and perhaps still does) tell the youth that they needed to come to church with an expectation to hear from God. That we would hear more from God when we came with eager expectation to hear from Him.

I began thinking about this, this Sunday while preparing to go to church. Perhaps the reason I've been getting very little out of church lately is because I'm attending with the expectation to get very little out of church lately.

So this week I went with a band new attitude, visiting a church I haven't been to in awhile (church number... 1? Maybe?). I "put on my happy face", prayed that God would speak to me through this service and came with a heart full of expectation to hear from God.

I'd like to tell you this worked like a magic charm. That I felt God in a powerful way, that I left with new purpose and direction, that God spoke to me distinctly. I'd like to tell you that, but I can't.

I will say that I was more focused and "tuned-in" than I have been for awhile. I was less critical and even asked God to help me curb my sarcastic thoughts (which often run rampant). I did get more from the service than I have recently.

I believe God did hear my prayer and see that I sincerely wanted to hear from Him. But I didn't feel the heavens part or anything.

Maybe you are thinking that is because that "heaven parting" occasion doesn't actually happen. If you thought that, you'd be wrong. I've known those times. Sometimes they are full of emotion and I've ended up literally on my face before God. Sometimes they are crystal clear, a still small voice and I know exactly what God is telling me. It does happen. It didn't this Sunday.

This doesn't mean I didn't learn anything. The pastor spoke of us praying for miracles, but what we really wanted was magic. That "boom" God fixes everything. And that yes, God can do that, but He more often chooses to use us in His miracles. His passage was John 6:1-14 where God uses a small boy's bread and fish to feed thousands. Jesus knew what he was going to do to meet the need of these hungry people, but asked the disciples, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?"

God wants to use us. We need to be usable. God wants to speak to us. We need to be ready to hear.

To me coming with the expectation to hear from God is a really good thing, but it isn't always enough. It is kinda of like going to take a test having just glanced over the material and asking God to bring to mind what you have learned. Or like a non-athletic person going into a baseball game with a focused and determined attitude, but no practice time. (and yes, I've done both). Your focused-ness may help some, but it doesn't make you a science expert or a baseball pro.

God is not going to withhold Himself from us because of anything we have or have not done. There is no ritual to perform or list of "to do"s to hear from God. He isn't like a human, thank goodness.

However, I do think there are times we keep ourselves from hearing Him.

Am I only trying to hear God on Sunday morning, without seeking Him all week long? Am I expecting diamonds of wisdom from the pastor, but not delving into God's word for myself? Am I expecting church to fix all my problems, without dealing with unforgiveness in my life? These are just my examples... they may be different for other people.

In this blog I've been putting a lot of pressure on the church to step up and be what God has called it to be! I still think that is valid. But I can't make the church as a whole change, even if it needs too. All I can do it try to peruse God with an unwavering passion of my own. To seek Him in all aspects of my life, not just in what church to go to.

In the words of Brother Lawrence's book The Practice of the Presence of God:

"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it."

"It is not necessary for being with God to be always at church; we may make an oratory of our heart, wherein to retire from time to time, to converse with Him in meekness, humility, and love. Every one is capable of such familiar conversation with God..."

TV Land goes to church

"I didn't make it to church this week, because I was sick, but I did watch a lot of tv..."

Recently a few of my favorite shows have gone where TV usually doesn’t dare to go… to church. That’s right, both the musical comedy Glee and my personal favorite witty and sarcastic show Community have dealt with religion in the past few weeks. It has been interesting and frankly a little startling to hear what mainstream media thinks about religion, God and church.

To start with we have Glee’s episode, “Grilled Cheesus” that centers on Kurt, the shows openly gay character, as his father is in the hospital—and on Finn the quarterback, who sees an image of Jesus in his grilled cheese sandwich. If this is already sounding a little sacrilegious to you, hang on.

During the episode Finn believes God hears his prayers because of his grilled cheesus and Kurt is encouraged by friends to turn to God in his time of need.

Kurt’s protest against prayer and going to church made me cringe, “Churches don't think very much of gay people. Or women. Or science.”

At first I was offended, but as I thought about it I couldn’t really fight with that statement. Sure it is a blanket statement that stereotypes Christians, but troughout the years the church has given non-believers reason to think exactly what Kurt thought.

However, what impacted me most about Kurt’s statement was how sad it was! I know Glee is fiction, but how often in real life do you think people turn away from God, the only One who can help them, because the church has shown a united front of hate and judgment rather than love and forgiveness?

John 3:17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”


Then there is Finn, who views Christianity more as a superstition than a religion... little less as an actual relationship! Again, have we as Christans perpetrated this idea? If I'm good God hears my prayers, if I disobey He punishes me. No wonder Finn thought an image of Jesus in his grilled cheese could be a sign from a God who behaves so much like a human.

Another thing that bothered me about this episode of Glee was the Christian character’s seemingly weak faith. Basically, she thought you should believe in God, believe in something, but she admitted she could be wrong in what she believed.

Glee’s episode on religion overall was moving and a little disconcerting, but had at least one beautiful thing to say about faith. Bitter and sardonic cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester explained why she didn’t believe in God (He let her down by not healing her mentally “handicapable” sister, Jean, or protecting Jean from the mocking of others) but Sue concedes to let her sister pray for her when Jean states “I don’t believe God makes mistakes”. After that conversation with Jean, Sue also stops trying to make the Glee club abandon songs about faith.



Okay, if by some strange chance you are still reading this long post, we move on to Community’s episode, “Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples”. In this episode Shirley, the show’s Christian character, decides to make a YouTube video with a Christian theme when she realizes that only 9 people went to her church the day before and over a 17 million people have watched a YouTube video on farting. That alone is a sobering thought.

However, things go awry when Abed (my favorite character) decides to make the video and places himself in the position of being an actual savior. Yeah that’s right, he begins to act like he is Jesus. *uncomfortable pause* And I thought Jesus on a sandwich was bad.

This show has an unfortunate history of poking fun at any religion as being something weak-minded people believe in. And Shirley’s character is often so fixed on her own beliefs she is completely insensitive to others. For example; after Abed quotes the Bible during a quarrel with Shirley, she asks him, “Did you just Scripture me, Muslim?” (funny though). So the show was going down its usual path with Shirley behaving somewhat “un-Christian” in trying to stop the making of the film and Abed being flat out ridiculous in gathering his followers.

However, again I could hardly blame them. Don’t we as Christians often seem ignorant of others beliefs and self-righteousness in our own? I mean, I do believe that there is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ, however there is away to communicate this message with love and wisdom... and the modern church doesn’t always do that.

Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”

The episode did end on good note to me though. As Abed realizes his movie is awful, he prays that God will take it away from him (in a kind of “garden of Gethsemane” scene) and Shirley overhears him. In the end Shirley chooses to look like a villain by destroying Abed’s film. Shirley looks like the bad guy and Abed looks like the victim. She takes the fall to help her friend, but Abed realizes what she’s done for him and they make up. To me this was Shirley finally practicing what she preaches and it ended very sweetly.



Overall TV doesn’t have a lot of good to say about Christians and faith. However, is it Christians that have caused this? If you read the book of Romans about Jews (the religious people of the day) and gentiles (the people without God’s law) and see it as the modern day relation of believers to unbelievers, you see that maybe the world’s opinion of us lays on our shoulders.

Romans 2:24 “As it is written: ‘God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

So while I can’t say watching my beloved TV shows mock the things that are my core and basic beliefs, I think it is good for Christian’s to realize what we look like to the outside world. This way we can ask ourselves, “Okay, if the world has a wrong and mostly negative view of believers how much of that is my fault and what can I do about it?”

Yes, as Christians we are going to be persecuted by the world, but let's make sure it is for living as Christ did, not because we deserve it. Maybe it is time that we start presenting the message of Christ as it was intended, as the gospel, as God's "good news".

Is this it?

In one of my earliest church hunting blogs I said something to the effect of, "I don't know what I'm looking for, but I hope to know when I find it". Well, I have come to believe this is a very poor search technique. How can you find anything of value when you don't even know what you are looking for? Chance? I think not.

Then I had to ask myself what am I looking for? Of course this must be keep in the light of not just looking for a church to satisfy me, but where God can best use me. However, I know from experience that if you are serving at a church that isn't compatible it is very hard to serve the Lord very long before getting seriously burnt out and maybe even disillusioned.

So where does this leave me? I need to know what I'm looking for and also be sensitive to where God may be calling me. I want a church that says what it means and means what it says. A church that throws tradition out the freakin' window, but still has good sound doctrine. And I want a church where I can serve, where I can use the gifts God has given me to bring glory to Him!

Yes, I do indeed want to be called by God to where I can serve Him best, but what if I don't feel called anywhere? What if I have visited several good churches filled with people who love the Lord and are serving Him, but I still fill like I could take 'em or leave 'em? In the words of my sister Ryan, "Meh" (accompanied with a shoulder shrug).

I mentioned earlier that serving somewhere you aren't called may leave you disillusioned. Well, that was me a few months ago, burnt out, disillusioned and a little bitter. I feel I'm getting better now, healing up nicely. But that dissolution has morphed into something else, it has become a deep desire to not do church the normal way anymore. To not "do church" at all. I'm not saying I don't want to find a local church body to attend, but I just can't imagine where that would be when most churches I visit (even the great ones) do so much just because... this is what you do at church.

I love tradition. I love that ever year my family cuts down our own Christmas tree. I love that on Birthdays we take pictures holding up enough fingers to show how old that person is. Tradition can be good, comfortable, it can bring people together. However tradition can also become stale, exclusive, and meaningless. Is it me or are churches today filled with meaningless and exclusive traditions? I'm a little afraid that I want something that isn't there.

I was talking to someone the other day and found myself telling them how bored I was with church. Bored with the teaching, the singing, and the staleness. I don't actually think the church I've been going to is stale; it is just feeling that way to me. I feel sacrilegious saying I'm bored with church, but I can't help question, why do all these churches look so much the same? Why can't I hear things in sermons that I haven't heard before? Why can't church be different? There are so many different kinds of people why do all churches just look like variations of each other?

This blog is mostly me just questioning, I really don't have the answers. I know that if what I want in a a church isn't actually available to me that doesn't give me license to forsake Christian fellowship all together.

I think I need to have an extended time of prayer over this. And I know that I am not the only person of my generation that deals with this problem. I know too many Christians not going to church at all, too many people my age giving up on God altogether, to think I'm the only one struggling here. I guess I'd just ask that you pray for us. It is a very confusing out there. Here are all these people like me who feel disconnected by the very institution that is meant to bring us together.

I guess my final question is this: Have people who given up on church “forsaken” the assembly of believers, or has the church “forsaken” these people?

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10: 23-25

Well Duh

So I realize it has been a little while since I wrote a Church Hunting blog, though I have been blogging haphazard walks for those of you interested.

The reason I've gotten behind on my church hunting blog is that 1) I've been going back to some of the same churches, and didn't really know what to say about them 2) One Sunday I didn't get to go to church at all, though I drove around for over an hour and pulled up to 4 churches... long story (I did go to Target) and 3) Well, because I'm tired. Yeah, excuses excuses.

But now I'm here to update you on my church finding exploits. Namely I think I've found "the one". Kidding, it isn't that extreme, but I have found a church I'm wading a little deeper with. Meaning that I actually went to their "Everything you ever wanted to know about our church and a little you didn't" meeting this Sunday (no, they didn't really call it that... but it would great if they did).

That is exactly what I want. I want a church that is going to lay it all out and say, "Well, here are the things about our church that aren't that wonderful. Thought you should know." Because I am not looking for the perfect church. How can I? Churches are made of people and people mess up.

Anyway, something hit me while attending the "Our church in a nutshell" seminar. The teacher/leader type person said something amazing, I paraphrase;

"It is my personal belief that if you feel called to a particular church it is because there is something you can bring to that church that no one else can. That if God is calling you here, it is so you can do something for Him."

That would be awesome. I've never been the kind of person who just attends church, so I would love for God to lead me to the church in which I would have the most impact for His kingdom.

All of this lead me to a new train of thought. I've been looking for a church that meets my needs, (because let's face it, I'm a needy person). Does this church have what I need? Is this church going to let me down? Do I like it here? Can I trust these people? My brother-in-law even mentioned to me that I needed to put my trust not in people, but in God. I blew that comment off thinking, "Yeah, yeah, but I want to trust the people I go to church with too". (His blog can be found here by the way: http://www.onlythebroken.org/).

Now I'm re-thinking this entire church hunting thing. Maybe instead of praying, "Lord, help me find the right church for me." I should be praying, "Lord, help me to know where you want me to be." It may be that God can best use me at this church whose “Meet-n-greet” meeting I went too. Or maybe I was there to hear those words, "If God is calling you here it is so you can do something for Him".

That is what I really want. I want my life to count for something! And I want God to use me in big ways. I think it was Henry Blackaby who said, "Find out where God is working and join Him." Of course that can be easier said than done, and also God isn't working in just one place. But still it’s a thought to start with.

So as I start visiting churches in a deeper way--going to "All about us" seminars, visiting Life Groups, scouting out where I could serve--I hope to keep my prayer, "Is this where you are calling me to serve you Lord?" Personally I hope He answers in an undeniable, unforgettable way. I'll keep you posted!

Judge A Church By The Cover - A Side Note

Back to the drawing board. Time for a new batch of churches,so how do I find them? I don’t know. The only thing I can think of is cranking up the old Internet search engine.

I am now going to talk about how I judge a church by its website, this may be similar to judging a book by its cover, which I know we are cautioned not to do. However, judging a book by its cover has generally worked for me.

I would like to say these are my opinions and I don’t mean to offend you, your church, or your church web-site… but here we go!

The Cons:

1) The bad website. If I log onto “First Church Of the Bible” and the website looks like it was put together on paintbrush, has blinking coursers, or generally appears to be done for approximately $.75, I immediately hit the back key and return to Google.

This is a church’s first impression. If they can’t even keep up with the current culture by having an up-to date website, why should I think anything in your church is going to meet me where I am? I’m not on board with all “seeker-friendly” churches, but I don’t want “seeker repellent” either.

2) The pastor driven church. I don’t know about other places in the US, but in Texas this is a big ol’ problem. While I may cringe at a website that has a whole tab just for the pastor I could let it go if the church has some pluses that outweigh that. However, if every page I go to on your site has a picture of said pastor of if you keep mentioning him in your text, I am out of there! I am looking for a church, not a pastor with an ego trip.

3) The Pastor/Director discrepancy. Okay, “Christ Baptist Non-Denominational Church” if you have a senior pastor, an associate pastor, a youth pastor and a children’s director. That’s a no.

If you are going to hire a male to be youth “pastor” and a female to do the same job with the children and call her a “director” then we have some hypocrisy here. If you really don’t believe in female pastors, then at least be constant and if a person has the same job call them both directors (though I doubt you’ll find many guys willing to be “youth director”). This however, is a personal preference and I have found that I can't completely discount churches because of it. But I do think it is a point churches should consider. (Most or you just stopped reading, huh?)

4) The crazy and/or vague church beliefs. If the church passes the initial impression test the first thing I do is check out their beliefs page (especially if it is a non-dom, I like non-denominational churches, but some of them are just loco).

If the church can’t nail down its beliefs, has more about where they want to go than what they believe, of generally says craziness— such as “we believe in actual baptism by water and fire”. *gulp* Then sianara to you!

As you can see the four points above severely limit my church selection. However, there is good news too! See below.

The Pros:

1) The welcoming first impression. I love church websites that have an “I’m new” or “What to expect” section. This usually gives me the highlights of what I want to know about a church in one place. Plus, it lets me know that this church understands that many people today look for churches online!

2) The people driven church. A church website that shows they have ministries for kids, youth, college (this is kind of rare), singles (this probably replaces “college”), life groups, women, men, etc… is very attractive. While I know this can be harder for smaller churches I know it isn’t impossible.

On a side note, a church that puts heavy emphases on life groups is really awesome. Since a lot of churches don’t have Sunday school anymore, life groups (or whatever that church calls their equivalent) are really the way to get to know people in a church.

3) The artistic church. This truly is a personal preference and doesn’t rule churches out. But I’m a little artsy myself and the few churches I’ve run across that say something about honoring God through arts makes my heart pitter-patter. Again, this is rare and not a must, but I do like it a lot!

4) The church with solid Biblical beliefs. This is a game changer. A church that sets up its beliefs with scripture verses to back them up hits a home run. When they know what they believe and it really does line up with the word of God then, “Whoo hoo!”

Even if for some other reason I choose not to go to this church or if I visit there a little while and then move on, it is so encouraging to find a church that knows God’s word. This is essential to me. If we don’t have this we have nothing.

Yeah, well this means I have not the foggiest idea of where I’m going next Sunday. But I have two churches I’m going to call this week and grill. I chose not to make this post even longer by listing the questions I’m going to ask potential churches. But I’ve never called before I visit, so it should be… interesting.

Target your visitors (pun intended) - A Side Note

I was running some errands the other day and I ended up at my favorite place, Target. I'm there a lot and I use to work at the portrait studio so I even know some people who work there. I know what to expect from a Target experience. Or so I thought...

I was stopped not once, not twice, but three times by Target employees asking me if I needed help finding anything. This was new. I was *this* close to asking the girl who checked me out if there was a new, "talk to your costumers!" policy, but was distracted by a diet coke... anyway.

I know that it wasn't a coincidence that suddenly the Target people were so concerned about my Target shopping experience. Someone told them to do this and they did.

Skip forward two days. Here I am visiting churches again. The man at the door welcomed me warmly shaking my hand and telling me he loved my smile and he hoped it was contagious. Really this is more than I've come to expect even from the "greeters" usually they say "good morning" and thrust a Sunday morning program in your hand. However, despite the friendly guy at the door again NO ONE talked to me.

Now I understand that "a man who has friends must himself be friendly" I need to step out of my comfort zone (because getting up early, driving to a new church and walking in a all alone isn't out of my comfort zone — ah, the sweet taste of sarcasm) and talk to others. However, I think that if the Target employees can do a better job of making me feel welcome than the body of Christ... we have a problem. Is it a wonder Target is my favorite place and churches have left me a little bruised? (Okay, okay Target does have cute shoes, but still)

I know I harp on the "people don't greet visitors" issue often, but to me it is a big deal. So I want to say this to all of you who have a church home. Talk to the people around you!

Seriously, look around, do you know the people nearest you? Yes? Great, then say hello to your friends and love on them. No? Than for pity sake talk to them! "But what if they aren't visitors and they go to church here?" Again I ask, do you know them? If not then talk to them. So maybe they're a member of your church you've never met, now you have.

Don't just ask these visitors "how are you?" or say, "good morning" Try asking them if they live nearby or what brings them here today. Do they have little kids with them? Say, "Hey, I'd love to introduce you to so-and-so, they work with the kids here." Or is she a young single woman? Say, "Could I introduce you to so-and-so she leads a women bible study." You have spent only 5-10 minutes of your life and have maybe impacted them for a long time. Think I'm over exaggerating? I'm not.

What if it is a family who hasn't gone to church in years and you get to show them that Christians care?

Or what if it is a young couple that just moved to the area and they don't know anyone? You could be the first friend they make in a new place.

What if it is an unsaved person who somehow talked himself into going to church? You could be an example of a God they have never known.

Or what if it is a young woman who is having trouble believing that the church in America is even working, someone who has been hurt by other Christians? You could be the person who shows her love when she's given up on it.

What if?

Just a thought people, but shouldn't we as followers of the one true God be able to make people feel more welcome than the local Target does? Here is your chance, don't let it slip by you. I hope that when I finally find a church to call home I don’t let it slip by me.


"Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin."
James 4:17