How did you find your church?

Here’s the scenario: lots of vegetables with one steak split five ways. When asked “How did you find your steak?” my father-in-law answered, “I moved a bean, and there it was.” My girlfriend, now wife, relayed this joke when I was cooking two steaks for two. At the time I worked at Hoekstra’s Meat Market, exaggerating the difference between our families.

What if I ask, “How did you find your church?” Warm and caring? By driving five miles?

On three recent Sundays . . .

My wife and I are looking for a new church home which is sometimes difficult for retiring pastors. This season we are attending churches from Reformed traditions, where I could be of help.

Largest Local: This is where I walked out of church for the first time in my life last Palm Sunday. That was a Christian Nationalist sermon, but not by the lead pastor. I returned, and heard that the Gaza war is the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Two strikes.

Struggling Church: My singing voice stands out in the small gathering but not like the pastor who closes self-help sermons with an Elvis Gospel solo. It doesn’t feel like a great fit for us.

Re-start-up: Recently I met a pastor who was working to restart a church near us. I told him I would visit. Five minutes before starting time there were six people present, including the pastor and two worship leaders. The pastor pulled me aside and explained that he could not preach; the upshot is that I brought the message. While I would be happy to help with this re-launch, the pastor has not yet contacted me.

Community Struggle

Church communities are struggling. Some are not bouncing back post-covid and many desire better community. The old models of the village church, parish or denomination do not seem relevant. Megachurches can seem impersonal. Online church is another topic, one on which my wife and I have different angles. Is it as divisive as most social media?

In the past, pastors alternated about every five years. Now pastors often stay longer at churches and the congregation itself changes more frequently, due to mobility, divorce, or the splitting up of the church family. Someone gets upset and leaves.

Belonging

We all long to belong. From the very beginning the creation story tells us that it is not good to be alone. Belonging to our Savior Jesus Christ is fundamental (Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 1), and we need each other even when, and especially when, we are different and yet the same (Gen. 2).

People will find church when someone invites them in, not only into the building, but into their lives, their homes, God’s mission.

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Heb.13:1-2 NIV).

How did you find your church?

Today we attended a church in a nearby city. It seems like a good possibility for us. The name of the church? Community.