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Visiting Churches

A Quintessential Country Church

Discussing Church 6

This small country church didn’t come up in our online research, but we have driven past it. All we know is their name and service time.

The 52 Churches Workbook, by Peter DeHaan

Consider these four discussion questions about Church #6:

1. A wheelchair ramp suggests the way inside, but we’re surprised when it doesn’t lead to the main entrance. The small side door looks tightly shut. We retrace our steps in frustration.

How can you direct guests to the right entrance?

2. Once inside, a lady hands us a bulletin and visitor card. The card is important to them. Three more people will offer us one before we leave.

How does your church gather information about visitors? How can you do it better?

3. After a few songs, there’s an extended greeting time, but we’re boxed in and can’t move. Given our lack of mobility, we can do nothing but smile awkwardly.

If your church has a mid-service greeting, what can you do to make it a positive experience for everyone?

4. Many people invite us to stay afterward for refreshments. This is an extended time of community and celebration. They’re happy to linger in one another’s company.

How can you best embrace people in your after-church fellowship?

This quintessential country church had a homey feel from caring, sincere people. Yet it also had some weak areas that need addressing, just like all churches.

[See the prior set of questions, the next set, or start at the beginning.]

Get your copy of 52 Churches and The 52 Churches Workbook today, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #48: A Great Church to Visit

Have a Visitor-Worthy Church

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 #48.

This church did many things right, especially the warm way they welcomed my wife and me into their community. Several of their practices were personally inviting and spiritually significant. I enjoyed our fellowship there.

Their meeting felt more relevant than what most churches do at their services. They were a great church to visit.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

However, there’s one thing I can’t get past: everything seemed old. I feel guilty for saying this. Their service had a formal vibe.

Although their style had a novel pull, I realized that with repeated visits it would quickly grate on me for its ceremonial constructs and reserved rigidity.

The congregation was mostly older, with very few young people. Even though many in this church have a youthful spirit—just as I claim to have—I can’t get past their age.

Older congregations have a bleak future. There is no next generation to rise up and continue the journey.

Despite its many positive elements, my concerns overshadow them and keep me from wanting to return. Though it was a great church to visit, once was enough.

[See my reflections about Church #47 and Church #49 or start at the beginning of our journey.]

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.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

We Need Human Connection

God Created Us to Thrive in Community

In visiting congregations for my book 52 Churches, I realized the importance of community. Regardless of the music or the message we encountered during their service, the bigger factor in our experience was the human connection.

Make a Human Connection at Church

If I interacted with others before or after the service, I valued my time with them more highly. The opposite also proved true.

When everyone ignored us—which happened too often—my reaction to my experience with them was less favorable. Those churches that I recall most fondly are those where we had meaningful interactions with others. I wanted to return.

Those churches that I felt no affinity toward were those where I had no human connection. This happened irrespective of what took place during the service.

It takes more than wonderful music and a meaningful message for church to provide what people really crave. We need each other. We need to form significant community.

Maintain Relationships with Others

Fostering community—enjoying human connection—emerges as a critical element, not only with church but also in all of life. This includes enjoying positive interactions with family, friends, and neighbors.

As we interact with others, we can show them the love of Jesus. We can do so with our words and through our actions.

Form Human Connections

Meeting in person is the best and easiest way to form significant connections with others. We’re good at looking each other face-to-face and talking.

When fitting, we can enjoy an appropriate physical touch. This includes a handshake or hug.

Yet at present, our in-person interactions face severe limits. Although the details vary depending on where we live, what those around us expect, and what the government mandates, we face obstacles in connecting with others.

This could include social distancing, wearing face masks, and avoiding larger gatherings. These restrictions all inhibit our ability to form and maintain meaningful human interactions.

Pursue Connection with God

What about those times when we can’t meet with others? When we feel isolated? When loneliness overtakes us? God is there. He is with us. Never forget that.

God created us to live in community, just as he exists in community with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God never intended us to be alone (Genesis 2:18). He promised he would never leave us, never turn his back on us (Hebrews 13:5).

Regardless of the situation in our world and whether we can form human connections, God is always there. Our connection with him is what matters most.

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.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #41: Reach Out to Visitors vs Hang Out With Friends

Consider Who You Interact with at Church

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 #41.

Aside from the usher, we had limited significant contact with the people at this church. (Shaking hands and saying “welcome” is not a significant contact; it’s a trivial one.)

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

The one woman we connect with is not a member of this church and usually attends another one, but she does go here from time to time.

This is not the first instance when our prime connection at a church is through a nonmember or another visitor.

Too often, visitors are ignored by most church members. They are either unaware of those who are visiting or assume someone else will make the effort.

Reach Out

While it’s correct to note that visitors know fewer people and therefore have more incentive to reach out, the sad opposite is that members know more people and therefore have little incentive to reach out to those they don’t know.

Hanging Out

Hanging out with our friends is the easy thing to do and the most natural. It’s also the most limiting. If we only spend time with people we know, how will we ever meet more people?

If a church truly wants to grow, connecting with visitors is the easiest place to start. Why then do so many churches fail to do this?

[See my reflections about Church #40 and Church #42 or start with Church #1.]

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.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #39: A Different Twist on Sharing a Meal

The Value of Eating Together

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 #39.

Many churches share a meal or food after their service, but this one put a new twist on it: we head off to a restaurant, en masse. Though not everyone goes, a significant number do, including my wife and me.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

As we form a line at a nearby fast food joint, one of the church members passes out coupons to everyone.

Though it’s great to spend time together outside of church, I wonder what kind of impact we make on the restaurant staff, with a bunch of church folk descending upon them, all bearing coupons and looking for a deal.

Once we have our food and sit down, the people from church sit at tables all around us, but no one joins us or invites us to sit with them.

Though they are all having a great time moving from one table to another and bantering back and forth, Candy and I are left out.

We are all alone in a group of people. It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last.

However, midway through the meal, one woman gets up from her table and slides into ours. We have a great conversation and feel cared for.

Again, one person made all the difference between us feeling included and being ignored. Isn’t inclusion the purpose of sharing a meal?

Building community within a church family can take on many forms. Often this involves food, such as when sharing a meal.

Eating together, however, is only one way to connect with those you worship with. Working together on service projects or community initiatives is another.

[See my reflections about Church #38 and Church #40 or start with Church #1.]

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.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Categories
Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #37: It’s Time for a Serious Church Cleaning

Make Sure Your Church is Clean and Looks Nice

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 #37.

This small church likes to sing, and they’ve built a strong community that cares for one another. However, this church stands out for two other reasons.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

First, as exemplified by the ragtime vibe of the music, it felt as though we were transported to another time. Candy called it a hoedown. This experience was one of our more unusual ones in all fifty-two churches.

The other issue was the appearance and condition of the building. From the road it looked abandoned. The inside showed signs of neglect and disrepair; the facility felt dirty.

Despite wearing blue jeans, I was reluctant to sit down on the grimy, stained padding of the pews. I didn’t even want to touch anything, and the first thing I did when I returned home was to wash my hands.

I’m sure the regulars overlook the filthy conditions, but dirt was the main thing I saw. And if formed my chief memory of my visit. There are so many ways that a church can scare off a visitor. Don’t let a dirty building be one of them.

Give your facility a serious church cleaning. Your visitors will appreciate it.

[See my reflections about Church #36 and Church #38 or start with Church #1.]

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.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Categories
Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #28: The Allure of Christian Mystic

Embracing Tradition and Worship Ritual

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.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

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.

[See my reflections about Church #27 and Church #29 or start with Church #1.]

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.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Categories
Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #22: Affirming One Another

A Public Sharing Time

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 #22.

During the public sharing time that wrapped up the message at church, one of the members stands up to celebrate a person I know.

Several decades ago my friend made a lasting impact on this person while she taught Sunday school.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

Affirmed as offering acceptance, giving understanding, and providing much needed guidance, my friend forever changed this person’s life. I’m not at all surprised to hear this.

A few months later, at church #52, I see my friend and share this with her. Her eyes mist over with joy. Her lip trembles.

Then my eyes grow misty as well. “And this is nothing,” I assure her. “When we get to heaven, we’re going to hear all kinds of stories like this.”

She nods and smiles in acknowledgment.

This is what affirming one another is like. One woman publicly affirmed my friend. Later I was able to affirm my friend, offering her encouragement.

This is how church should be and what church family is all about. Among other things, we should excel in affirming one another.

[See my reflections about Church #21 and Church #23 or start with Church #1.]

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.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Categories
Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #9: A Potluck Builds Community

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 #9.

In a word, the potluck at this church was epic. Between the delicious food and making connections, it remains a significant memory of our journey. Sharing a meal helps build community. And this church showed how it should be done.

Although an older congregation (which does not excite me), many of them act young (which does excite me). It’s a busy church, with lots of community outreach.

On the fourth Friday of each month, they hold a community dinner, which is legendary among area Christians.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

With a guest speaker on the Sunday we visited, I wanted to make a return visit to meet their pastor and hear her speak, but a few months after our visit, she retired.

However, I do want to check out one of their community dinners. I suspect it will be like their church potluck, only more.

When we visited they had two Sunday morning services. Now they have just one. I wonder if they’ve lost members or attendance is down. I hope the situation is temporary.

[See my reflections about Church #8 and Church #10 or start with Church #1.]

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.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Categories
Christian Living

What We Can’t Get from Online Church

Embrace the Benefits of Meeting Together

When we can’t attend church, to meet in person, and must experience a service online, does that count as going to church? The essential parts of the service are the same. There is music, a message, and a prayer or two. F

or these three key elements, the result is the same whether we experience them in person or remotely from a distance.

In addition, we may hear announcements, see a communion celebration, and even watch ushers take the collection. These last two elements are a bit harder for us to engage with online. Yet we can embrace them too.

For communion we can experience the spiritual aspect of the rite without partaking in the physical elements. And for the offering, we can always give online or mail a check.

Yes, when we must attend church online much of the experience is the same as if we were there and able to meet in person. And we can make accommodations so that the physical separation doesn’t affect the overall outcome.

Yet some considerations remain that cannot happen in absentia.

Interaction

Watching the service online removes all opportunity for interaction with others, aside from those sitting in the same room with us. This means we can’t wave to people, talk with friends, or offer a smile.

To experience these exchanges requires being in the same physical space, not a virtual one that occurs online.

Connection

Beyond the basic interactions of talking with others or relating through nonverbal communication, we have a chance to enjoy a meaningful connection.

This can occur when the socially acceptable question of “how are you?” goes beyond the rote response of “fine” to allow the space and time for the true answer to emerge.

This significant sharing enables the opportunity for a deeper interaction that forms, or reinforces, a personal connection.

In some cases, this personal sharing of information might provide the opportunity to pray for someone or offer help in a tangible way. These things can’t take place when the online experience isolates viewers from each other.

Community

Interaction is a great start and connection moves relationships forward, but the goal is forming community with one another. Again, worthwhile community is hard—though not impossible—to pursue and develop over the internet.

In person, face-to-face contact strengthens community. This applies to physical community and sacred community. Both are important for our mental health and spiritual well-being.

Meet in Person

Sometimes we cannot meet in person with other followers of Jesus. Yet whenever the occasion arises, we should embrace the opportunity to spend time with one another. This will allow for personal interaction, meaningful connection, and spiritual community to take place.

This may be why the writer of Hebrews reminds us to not give up meeting together. Instead we are to gather and encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24-25).

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.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.