finding a new church--week 6

Pretty sure it's week 7, at least.  I didn't check before I started writing the post :)  (ETA...it's week 6.  Changed the title to reflect :))

So, today we visited a church that had been recommended to us by some friends.  Another church that has both a traditional service and a contemporary service.  (And of course we opted for contemporary, thank you very much!)  We "accidentally" found the church a few days back because I just KNEW I knew where it was.  We were driving around, it was dark, and I resigned myself to the fact that I had botched directions again, decided to turn around in the next parking lot......which happened to be this church!  So, it's the first time we went to church without having to use a GPS :)

But, I digress.  We get there, and were thankful they had a sign pointing people in the right direction, as the contemporary service is held in what appeared to be a rec hall or something, as opposed to the sanctuary.  (There were some of those basketball nets that will "fold up", for lack of better phrase, towards the ceiling so that they're out of the way when not needed.  Greeters were nice as always, and we walked in and found a seat and hung out until the service started (since we got there a little early).  Then the pastor (or associate pastor? We keep missing the "actual" pastors at these churches since it's still summer) greeted, a video played, and the music started.  It's one of those things where I don't want to be mean....but the music just wasn't good.  I'm definitely a "music snob" in some ways, as I've gotten so accustomed to the AMAZING musicians at Covenant.  (The sound wasn't mixed well, people were having a hard time recovering from mistakes, etc...just distracting...)

The first song was something neither of us had heard before.  I glanced around at the congregation and we weren't the only ones!  Only around 5-10 out of the 150 or so people who were there were actually singing.  So, we made it through that song, and then there was one we knew.  Finally got into the worshipping spirit, and then once that song ended, it was time to greet people.  What?!?  Why would you interrupt a time of worship with that?  It was almost as abrupt as if the pastor had stopped his sermon in the middle and said, "Ok, this is the point in my sermon where i stop mid-sentence and you greet each other".  But, ok.  So, we greeted people, and, as is sadly the norm, no one really said anything to us.  Sang the 3rd song, sat down, and then it was time for the offering while the band sang a mediocre version of "Manic Monday" (it fit with the sermon theme).  

It was then that things changed a bit...the guy next to us actually said hi, and asked us if this was our first time visiting.  This hasn't happened at ANY other church we've visited.  (Well, we've had church staff talk to us at other churches, but this was the first time that an "average church member" bothered to take an interest in us).  (Oh, and not to mention that this fella knows sign language.  During the first song that no one knew, I kept seeing him sign out of the corner of my eye, but couldn't make any of it out because he was sorta turned away from me.  Turns out he has a degree in ASL.  He works with computers.  Go figure :))

Sermon.....eh.  Nothing revolutionary.  Nothing satanic either.  High point (other than the people being nice) was that we finally caught a church doing communion!  Hallelujah!  Though they didn't explain intinction, which we are familiar with, but I can see other visitors being confused.  Then, after all that, some prayer and byebye.  I just wasn't feeling the flow of the service.  So then the nice people next to us were telling us about the church, and different groups, and different ways the church is active in the community, and just in general being super-nice.  It was refreshing.  Then they were going to lead us to the visitors' table, but apparently the church is in a big hurry to take everything down after service on Sunday because the table was gone.  Oh well.

I don't reckon this was our favorite.  Jeremy did express interest in possibly going back to hear their main pastor preach, and hear the rest of the praise team (their normal leader was on vacation this week, apparently along with a few other people).  So, we might re-visit.  We both still have a favorite of the ones we've been to that we want to re-visit as well.  So, not sure if next week will be new or will be a repeat.  I'll let you know, though :)