yes, i went to church
Well, today is Sunday, so I went to church. I went to two churches actually, and neither had a steeple. I passed many, many churches with steeples on my way, but I did not stop. I was looking for a certain church. This morning I went to the 411 (you know, the church we came to work with last summer), and tonight I went to the Journey. The two services were very different, but I think one can see a shifting paradigm when looking at these two churches.
The 411 (http://www.the411nyc.com) is a recent, about a year old, Southern Baptist church plant. When I got to the address I notices the small, unobtrusive sign on the sidewalk that told anyone who was looking that The 411 meet there. I was greeted by Tori and made my way to the third floor. The church meets in a dance practice room. You know, the kind with mirrors on the walls. The room was small, but come to find out it was the perfect size for the group. I was greeted by several members and several staff. Some knew me, some did not. I think my attendance had been announced to a few, but that is cool. They were all very kind and encouraging. The service began with a worship service that was punctuated with prayer for the hurricane victims. The sermon was not a sermon, per se. Scott is starting a month long look at their first year. I will kind of bring yall up to date. Since we where here last year, they have not grown in numbers a great deal. They are running about forty people. The independent film about The 411, Fishers of Men¸ has been finished and has been broadcast on public TV in Europe. As a result of the film, The 411 has been invited by the BBC to the World Cup 2006 to represent American Christianity in a film about evangelicals at the World Cup. The church is growing and it seems that God has chosen to grow in an unobtrusive way so that they can work outside of the traditional Sunday service. For example, this upcoming week they are sponsoring the Damah Film festival. (http://www.the411nyc.com/damah/) I have volunteered to work. I will probably be running the projector. (I am kind of nervous)
The Journey (http://www.nyjourney.com/) was a completely different type of service. I was reminded of Axis, the college age service at Willow Creek in Chicago. When I got to the address, near Madison Square Garden, I noticed a large banner hanging above my head. It announced to all those walking by that the Journey would be meeting here. When I entered I was greeted by some anonymous girl. I made my way into a large theatre and sat with several hundred young people and was as anonymous there as I had been on the street just minutes before. The service consisted of several well made videos; upbeat, contemporary worship; and a sermon with the catchy title, In the Zone. All in all it was very impressive. The Journey is on its way to being of the country’s great mega churches, while not owing a church building.
So which did I like better, which is the best choice for a New Yorker? Well I don’t think the answer is a clear cut as your questions may be. I think we have to think it terms of a paradigm shift. I think the large corporate mega church is a dying paradigm and we are moving into a small, more community based setting. (These are not my ideas—I have read them.)
Anyway, I went to church, but I can’t help but analyze them.
The 411 (http://www.the411nyc.com) is a recent, about a year old, Southern Baptist church plant. When I got to the address I notices the small, unobtrusive sign on the sidewalk that told anyone who was looking that The 411 meet there. I was greeted by Tori and made my way to the third floor. The church meets in a dance practice room. You know, the kind with mirrors on the walls. The room was small, but come to find out it was the perfect size for the group. I was greeted by several members and several staff. Some knew me, some did not. I think my attendance had been announced to a few, but that is cool. They were all very kind and encouraging. The service began with a worship service that was punctuated with prayer for the hurricane victims. The sermon was not a sermon, per se. Scott is starting a month long look at their first year. I will kind of bring yall up to date. Since we where here last year, they have not grown in numbers a great deal. They are running about forty people. The independent film about The 411, Fishers of Men¸ has been finished and has been broadcast on public TV in Europe. As a result of the film, The 411 has been invited by the BBC to the World Cup 2006 to represent American Christianity in a film about evangelicals at the World Cup. The church is growing and it seems that God has chosen to grow in an unobtrusive way so that they can work outside of the traditional Sunday service. For example, this upcoming week they are sponsoring the Damah Film festival. (http://www.the411nyc.com/damah/) I have volunteered to work. I will probably be running the projector. (I am kind of nervous)
The Journey (http://www.nyjourney.com/) was a completely different type of service. I was reminded of Axis, the college age service at Willow Creek in Chicago. When I got to the address, near Madison Square Garden, I noticed a large banner hanging above my head. It announced to all those walking by that the Journey would be meeting here. When I entered I was greeted by some anonymous girl. I made my way into a large theatre and sat with several hundred young people and was as anonymous there as I had been on the street just minutes before. The service consisted of several well made videos; upbeat, contemporary worship; and a sermon with the catchy title, In the Zone. All in all it was very impressive. The Journey is on its way to being of the country’s great mega churches, while not owing a church building.
So which did I like better, which is the best choice for a New Yorker? Well I don’t think the answer is a clear cut as your questions may be. I think we have to think it terms of a paradigm shift. I think the large corporate mega church is a dying paradigm and we are moving into a small, more community based setting. (These are not my ideas—I have read them.)
Anyway, I went to church, but I can’t help but analyze them.
posted by j_cardinell at
11:24 PM
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