With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #34.
From a human standpoint, the future of this congregation is bleak. When we visited, eleven people showed up. In addition to my wife and me, there were the leaders’ family of five, who go to another church and live forty-five minutes away.
That makes seven visitors and only four regulars—and one of them walked in halfway through the service.
Four people, all non-leaders, are not much of a foundation for rebuilding a church.
If this church survives, it will certainly be because of God’s Holy Spirit power and not through the efforts of people, regardless of their dedication or how hard they work.
I wonder if it’s time to say enough is enough and shut the church down. Surely there are other needs or opportunities these leaders could focus on that would have a better chance of success and produce more fruit.
Though many people think that a particular local church should exist in perpetuity, we shouldn’t look at a church as an institution but as an organic entity. Like everything organic, it has a life cycle and will one day die. Today may be that day.
Though Jesus’s church is universal and should endure forever, we shouldn’t expect a local church to live forever. And we shouldn’t waste time trying to perpetuate a church on life support or resuscitate a dead one.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #30.
We also attended Sunday school at this church, the only time we did so on our sojourn. The problem was that we didn’t intend to. Their website said church was at 10 a.m., and their pastor confirmed this fact via email.
The did a bait and switch on us.
When we arrived a man said, “Sit anywhere” as he gestured to an almost empty sanctuary.
For the next hour, we endured a most pathetic ordeal: welcome, announcements, prayer requests, greeting time, offering, hymn sing, sermon, and closing prayer—just like at any church struggling to slog through a sixty-minute church service.
Then the speaker said, “Thank you for attending; church will start in ten minutes.” Only then did I realize we’d just suffered through Sunday school. In sales, they call this “bait and switch.” I was seething.
Exhausted after enduring their Sunday school, I was in no condition to have a good attitude for church.
Though their actual church service had many positive elements, being tricked into attending Sunday school looms as my primary memory. I will never go back.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #29.
With their minister gone, church members lead us in the service, the entire service. They don’t need paid staff or a guest speaker to conduct the service. They can do this on their own. And they do it quite naturally, with ease.
I always appreciate seeing laity—that is, nonprofessional, nonpaid people—take part in leading a church service. It’s more personal and real, less of a performance or show.
Some churches aren’t able to conduct a service without their pastor present (or at least have a guest preacher to give a message), while others manage just fine.
Having paid staff and professional clergy is an Old Testament mode of church. It distracts us from the example set forth in the New Testament model, where we are all priests, ministering to one another.
Our churches would all be better off if we learned how to conduct services on our own, without the need of trained ministers to lead us.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #28.
Steeped in ritual resulting from centuries of carefully protected tradition, the spiritual mystery of this tiny liturgical church presented me with an enigma I’m yet to fully comprehend.
With worship that both confronted and comforted me, I have much to contemplate as I wrestle with confusion over its practices that are so foreign to me. I call it Christian mystic.
I remind myself that different isn’t a bad thing. It’s actually good if the result draws me closer to God. This church did that for me.
They left me in awe of who he is and amazed at the diverse ways we can worship him. My admiration, however, didn’t end with the official service, the Christian mystic approach to God.
Though it only lasted an hour, the informal gathering afterward continued for another ninety minutes, as we immersed ourselves into community.
I learned much about the people and this church, enjoying our conversation and all they had to share.
These are good folks, fellow pilgrims who enjoy being with each other. I know that I must return for another visit.
My plan was to never tell people at the churches we visited that we might come back. And for fifty-one churches, I never did. However, I do tell them I’ll be back—just that it won’t be for quite a while.
We have twenty-four other churches to visit first.
Followup: My wife and I did indeed make a return visit to this church. Much of our experience the second time matched our first visit. The one key difference is that there were about four times as many people in attendance the second time.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Don’t Hold a Church Business Meeting After the Service
With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #23.
It’s challenging to get members to attend a church business meeting during the week, as it requires an extra trip to church that’s squeezed into an already busy schedule.
So it’s understandable when churches hold business meetings at the end of their service.
However, conducting church business as part of a Sunday service often provides an uncomfortable experience for visitors. This church business meeting is no exception.
One member questions the makeup of the pastoral selection committee. Other members, either aroused or emboldened by this first comment, join in to voice their dissent. As emotions rise, so does the tension in the sanctuary.
Just as civility threatens to escalate out of control, a conciliatory remark ends the discussion. Then they approve the committee slate with only minor murmuring.
The leader dismisses us, and my final memory of the church service is the rancor of their business meeting, not their worship of God. In the spirit of expediency, they forgot the purpose of church.
Church Business Meetings on Sunday
It’s a common practice at many churches to conduct church business on Sunday at the conclusion of the church service. We do this to our shame.
We forget the Old Testament commands to keep the Sabbath holy (which today’s church now views as Sunday) and not do any work. By my account, holding a church business meeting on Sunday violates both of these commands.
Jesus, however, came to fulfill the Old Testament Law and prophecies. That means these two Old Testament commands may no longer apply.
In this way, some may now feel the freedom to work on Sunday and not regard it as holy. In doing so they freely conduct church business after a church service.
Even so, tacking a business meeting onto a church service removes us from a worshipful connection with God and replaces it with an often-contentious connection to worldly concerns.
We must save our church meetings for during the week and not detract from our Sunday experience.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #21.
Of all the 52 churches we visited, this one deviated the most from current church practices. It was a unique church service and a memorable one too.
They used a shofar to start the service. It was loud, awe-inspiring, and a worshipful opening to our time together.
The teaching included interaction, so that true dialogue could take place between the minister and those of us gathered. This allowed for discussion, as well as being able to ask questions.
At the conclusion of the message, we spent time truly worshiping in God’s presence. And afterward we enjoyed extended community.
We had a most memorable time there. God was present. We worshiped him in Spirit and in truth. And we connected with each other after the service.
I suspect this version of church is more in line with what the early church practiced when they met together, spurring each other on and encouraging one another (see Hebrews 10:24-25).
This faith community had a unique church service, which is sad, because it should be the norm at every church, every Sunday.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #20.
Although I’m uncomfortable in situations where language differences make conversation hard, if not impossible, something about this church draws me. Despite not knowing Mandarin, I want to return.
My language limitation did not limit my worship of God. He was present and his presence enthralled me.
Experiencing the singing in Mandarin provided a time of deep worship. I wonder if this is unique to Mandarin or this congregation—or if perhaps hearing God worshiped in any language would affect me the same way.
If I do return, I’ll first ask friends to pray that I’ll be able to supernaturally understand the message.
It seems like a big, bold request to make, but God can do that, of this I’m confident. And if he doesn’t, it will still be a wonderful time because our focus will be on him regardless of the language we use.
With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can worship God despite the language or language barriers. Even if we don’t understand the words, we can still connect with the Almighty in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23).
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
It’s been four months since I’ve been to church service on Sunday morning. It isn’t that I’ve lost my faith, have backslidden, or am pursuing a rebellious protest. It’s because of coronavirus in 2020.
With government mandates to avoid large gatherings, most churches responded by moving their services online and closing their doors to people. After four months of isolation, churches are finally reemerging as a place to gather.
Sadly, I’ve not missed going to church.
A minister once remarked that some people go to church for the music and put up with the sermon; other people go for the sermon and put up with the message. At various times in my life I’ve done both. Now I do neither.
In recent years I’ve showed up at church for the chance of experiencing community before and after the service.
Though I’ve participated in our church’s online offerings most every Sunday. I’ve often wondered why. Remote worship and recorded sermons mean little to me. And from the distanced safety of my living room, interaction with others—aside from family—doesn’t occur.
Outdoor Church Service
Today we have our first opportunity to attend church for a Sunday morning gathering, but we’re not going to our home church. They’re proceeding with caution and aren’t ready yet. Instead we’re going to another nearby church, one within walking distance.
They’ve been holding outdoor services for the past month. Some of our neighbors attend there, as well as one of my wife’s coworkers. We expect to see familiar faces.
We could walk, but the predicted temperatures will hit the mid-90s today, with an accompanying high humidity. It’s already in the low 80s, without a cloud in the sky. The fifteen-minute walk would surely leave us a sweaty mess and not looking our best.
Part of our family plans to meet us there. They arrive a bit before we do and have already claimed a spot in the shade on the right side of the stage. We join them, setting up our portable folding chairs. It’s 9:30 in the morning, and the shade offers a welcome relief from what heat has already formed.
Social Distancing
The church website and Facebook page make no mention of social distancing or wearing masks, unlike most businesses and many other churches, which state strict guidelines for proper coronavirus etiquette. I’m quite willing to do the first and not the second, especially given that my lone mask is in our other car.
It doesn’t matter. No one, not even their church leaders, wear masks. Yet everyone makes some effort at social distancing, avoiding hugs and handshakes, while conducting conversations at six or so feet apart.
We have brief interactions with a few people, mostly those we know. Otherwise we stay segregated in our family group, as do most other households.
A portable stage sits on the east side of their building. A tent awning provides shade for those on the platform, while the rest of us sit in the open sun or rely on the shade of a few nearby trees.
The sun, not yet at its peak, shines over the left shoulders of the people gathered. A gentle breeze provides pleasant relief.
An Abbreviated Church Service
One of our neighbors tells us that given today’s forecast they’ll have an abbreviated service. She serves as their worship leader. They’re in between ministers, with their former one departing nine months ago and their new one arriving next week. Today we’ll hear a guest speaker.
The worship leader stands behind a portable, electric organ. She welcomes us and begins the first song. She’s aided by two backup vocalists, a drummer, and a guitarist. As we sing, the words appear on monitors, flanking each side of the stage.
We sing a couple of familiar choruses to a light pop sound.
One of their leaders gives announcements. He confirms that, given today’s forecast, our service will be shorter than usual. Though we’ll endure the heat and humidity for a while, we’ll retreat to our air-conditioned cars and return to our air-conditioned homes.
He’s right, and I feel a pang of guilt over being so privileged. And with that, he introduces us to the guest speaker.
The Story that Grounds Us
At fifteen minutes into the service, the message begins. The sermon title and text appear on the two monitors: “The Story That Grounds You, Exodus 13.” The minister reads Exodus 13:1-16, encouraging us to follow along in our Bibles. Words do not appear on the monitors. I wonder why.
It’s the Fourth of July weekend, and he links our country’s weekend celebration of independence to ancient Israel’s Independence Day, as implied in the Exodus text. It’s an interesting observation, but I see little connection between the two.
He reviews the facts surrounding the departure of God’s people from captivity in Egypt, but he offers no application. Or it could be I missed it. I made only a few sermon notes, but I may be out of practice. It’s been four months since I last took notes.
The title, I guess, is the point: What is the story that grounds us? Contemplate on that question.
The message takes twenty-five minutes, and we conclude the service with a final song. After the benediction, most people are quick to fold up their chairs and head home. A few linger to talk, but these conversations don’t last long.
By the time we head out, most people have already left, and the set-up crew has dismantled and stored the technology and tools used in today’s service.
We arrive home at 10:30, one hour after the service began.
This book picks up the mantle from 52 Churches, their year-long sabbatical of visiting churches.
Here’s what happens:
My wife and I move. Now we need to find a new church. It’s not as easy as it sounds. She wants two things; I seek three others.
But this time the stakes are higher. I’ll write about the churches we visit, and my wife will pick which one we’ll call home. It sounds simple. What could possibly go wrong?
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #2.
Visiting this church, a newer, accessible, nondenominational gathering, was as easy as Church #1 was challenging. Here, there were no awkward situations or outdated practices. We felt comfortable and at home.
Usually, the larger the church, the less friendly. This church is above average in size but was still welcoming. In fact, they were the largest church we visited that was also friendly, not one or two people, not just the greeters and staff, but everyone.
Even though many people weren’t sure if we were visitors or not, they excelled at reaching out.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I have the benefit of time to more fully reflect on the complete experience, starting with Church #1.
Every week, it was hard for me to walk into a new church, but the first time was the hardest. Although terrified, I had a good attitude.
Because of my positive outlook, I called it “a friendly church with a homey feel” and even admitted I could make it my church home—if I had to.
That was correct. And I must remember that most of the people there were really nice.
However, two things stand out as among the most awkward church of our entire journey.
First, being cornered by a hard-to-understand man, who recounted the diseases and deaths of his parents a few decades ago, was the most painful ordeal of the year.
No one at the church made any effort to rescue us from his unfiltered monologue.
As my face tried to smile, my insides screamed Will this ever end?
Second, asking “first time visitors” to raise their hands with only seventeen people present was another awkward church moment. Again, with a weak smile, I squirmed under the unwanted attention. Get me out of here!
Though this practice may have a place in a church of a couple hundred, it’s nonsense for a small church where the visitors are obvious. I often share this experience as a humorous example of what not to do.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
