Every time I move to a new city, (or in the case of Waterloo, back after an absence of many years) I'm faced with the challenge of finding a church community to call home. Back in 1999 I embarked on a bit of "church shopping". All I wanted was an exciting, grounded, diverse, faithful, growing church with lots of active young adults. No problem, right? The churches that "didn't quite make it to the checkout stand" in my church shopping also picked up nicknames among my friends. Here are the results:
What: A large, local Lutheran Church
Why it got its nickname: I visited once during the week, and out of that
visit I received two phone calls, an e-mail, a personal tour of the church by a
pastor, a whackload of literature and pamphlets, and an invitation to join as a
member on "Membership Sunday"
Young Adults: Nope. Why I didn't stay: I hadn't yet given up on finding
young adults at a church at that point. And there weren't any there. And when I
went to the service, no one talked to me. And they did seem more than a little
desperate..
What: A local Missionary Alliance Church. With a big cross at the
front of the church glowing purple (seriously) Why it got its nickname: Well, it
was incredibly right-wing. They had a sermon on money and sex. On the topic of
sex they had nothing particularly well thought-out to say. When they got to the
topic of money, I was excited as I thought they would talked about issues of
poverty and responsibility, etc. Oh no. Instead, the pastor talked about how
Zellers had undercharged him by $1.63 once. And how he went back to the store
the next week to try to give them the money. Talk about delving into the heart
of the issue..,
Young Adults: One or two.
Why I didn't stay: Bad theology. And no young adults. The purple cross
just sealed it.
What: A big Baptist-oriented church
Why it got its nickname: The songs, the sermon, and heck, everything felt
Baptist. Not that that's a bad thing. It also has a web site (with mp3s of the
sermons), and a colorful professionally done glossy pamphlet to hand out.
Young Adults: Tons.
Why I didn't stay: Theology-lite. The sermon was on Romans 5. About how
we don't deserve salvation, that we're sinners, and that salvation is a free
gift. But, as far as I could tell, ALL of the sermons were about this topic. It
was a "seeker oriented" church, and after 25 years of being a Christian, I'm
just not a "seeker" anymore. I need some theology with substance!!
What: An Anglican Church
Why it got its nickname: The first time that I went, people talked to me
and made me feel welcome. So, I stayed for a year there
Young Adults: Two others
Why I didn't stay: Although I was able to serve there by teaching Sunday
school, there was no opportunity for me to grow spiritually. Because I was
teaching, I would miss the sermon each week, and as far as I could tell there
were absolutely no Bible studies/outreaches/service projects/young adult events
of any kind. Also, beyond the initial friendliness, there wasn't really the
opportunity to form community with people, as people only met for an hour each
Sunday and most of that was taken up speaking in old English (thou art saved). I
decided that I wasn't becoming a better Christian there or moving forward at all
in my journey.
What: St. Mark's Lutheran Church
Why I went there: Because I heard that a very attractive friend of a
friend attended there (it turns out she didn't)
Young Adults: around 15
Why I stayed: People are friendly there. Good things are happening,
including a Wednesday night potluck and some amazing community ministry. It is
inclusive and welcoming of people who are poor, mentally challenged, or just
plain weird and interesting. The sermons, the theology, and the pastor are
solid. I'm able to contribute through lots of committees, young adult band, and
community ministry work. Sunday school is interesting and challenging. And,
people seem to care about what is going on my life. So I stayed!