So I am going to go on the record and say that my wife was the first person to run somebody off from our church. I always anticipated that it would be my big mouth that would cause the first dissention. That it would be my good intentions wrapped in a package of stupidity that would offend someone. But no…
Since we have started we have had some people come one time and not return. Since we have no information we are unable to contact them and see what was the cause, so in theory it could have been me but there is no way to prove or disprove. In about 3 minutes my wife managed to chase a great perspective couple off.
Here is the story…So yesterday the band is finishing up sound check about 9:55 and an older couple walks to where we are finishing set-up. We don’t have our greeting volunteers in place until 10:00 but my wife happened to be standing at the door to the sanctuary. Seeing potential first time guests my wife begins to converse with them and they ask if this is the __________ church? (I have purposefully ommitted the more traditional church that previously met at the school we rent from)
My wife explained that they had stop meeting there about 6 months ago (maybe the reason they haven’t been in church for 6+ months is because they are snow birds) and told them a little bit about our church. I won’t bore you with the details of the story but something about us having a band…no choir…two 10’ screens…and a full color program must have triggered them into a very fast paced walk the other direction. One of our regulars tried to establish a conversation with them in the parking lot but they wouldn’t even make eye contact as they made a bee-line to their car.
I would love to tell you that they laid rubber on their way out but that wouldn’t be the truth. The rest of the story is and as my wife shared the story with me I couldn’t help but laugh. Laugh at the thought that stepping a little bit outside of the traditional church methods could strike fear into the hearts of grown men and women. I really don’t know what they thought would happen if they made eye contact with somebody who attended a church without a robed choir.
I just wish we could have at least blessed them with some coffee and a donut to go if they weren’t going to stay. Then again seeing that stuff in the sanctuary might have been too much.
Apparently that couple didn’t read the Sun-Sentinel article all about InDependence Church. Hopefully they eventually found their way around Weston to a more traditional church of their likeing. Those are the types of churches that made me feel uncomfortable (and kept me away) for some 30 years. The churches where everyone dresses up in their ‘Sunday best’ and meets in a formal church building where the church is actually the building and not the people in the building. The churches where nobody really knows your name. The churches where you worship a Priest instead of God.
Before I discovered Life Pointe Church 13 months ago I had no idea that church could be so relevant, modern, loving, and fun. That’s when I realized that I and my fellow attendees were actually the church. God is alive and well in movie theatres and school auditoriums on Sunday mornings. He doesn’t care what you wear or what type of music you listen to. He just wants you to follow Him on His fantastic journey.