A Simple Gesture (Visiting Church #32) We ascend the steps of the church, and a gregarious woman approaches. She’s wearing a white vestment, and I spy a clerical collar underneath. We’ve never been received so cordially. She thanks us for...
Growing Deeper (Visiting Church #2) This Sunday we visit a nondenominational church. It’s three years old and I know a bit about it and its pastor, who I perceive as a mostly postmodern guy possessing a modern theology. I suspect the church will...
A Friendly Church with a Homey Feel (Visiting Church #1) The first of fifty-two churches is a small Baptist-affiliated assembly. With forty or so normally in attendance, this Sunday has only seventeen. The service is not unlike churches my wife...
Are Visitors Welcome at Your Church? For the past several months, a roadside sign at a church proclaims “Visitors Welcome.” This amuses me. Isn’t that assumed? Doesn’t every church want to grow? I’ve never been to a church that had a “no...
Reflecting on Church #50: Best in Class 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 #50. This church holds five services each weekend, and we...
Reflecting on Church #49: A Leader Worthy of Being Followed and a Congregation That Won’t 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 #49. Out of...
Reflecting on Church #45: Same Church—Different Outcome 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 #45. The church had two services: one...
Reflecting on Church #44: Welcoming Visitors as You Would Embrace Longtime Friends 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 #44. We revisited...
Reflecting on Church #40: Would You Like to Sit With Us? 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 #40. “Would You Like to Sit With Us?” asks...
Reflecting on Church #31: They Must Not Care About Visitors 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 #31. This church pursued excellence in...
