Let me preface this by saying this is my initial impression. There is a lot more to a church than my first service, but it left such a strong impression on me, that I'm going to go for at least the next 4 weeks. I went there for the first time for Easter Sunday. I found a flyer in the Wal-Mart parking lot that talked about "Not Your Mom's Church". I took the flyer home, looked over their website, and thought it was worth trying out. I'm not in to "rah-rah, I'm always doing AWESOME!" churches, or huge places where you walk in, smile at people, hear the message and then walk out without connecting at all... so I had some initial thoughts as to what I WASN'T looking for.
Let me talk about the logistical stuff first... they hold it at Chatsworth High School. Parking was plentiful, they made it clear where to go, lots of people serving out front, and everyone seemed friendly... as it should be :) Some people might not like that it's not at a church. I'm fine with it. There was more than enough space and I thought it worked well.
Child care was very well run. They background check and screen their workers, and don't allow parents in the room... only workers, which is exactly how it should be. There is a check in, check out system, and both my kids, 4th grade and 2nd grade enjoyed it. For a church this young to have this set up this way was fantastic. I've been a part of something similar for about 5 years myself, and it's a lot of work and there are a lot of legal and parental issues to work through, and they nailed it.
We met in the auditorium, and the initial music was a little loud, but they even had earplugs there! Well done... well done. They seemed to have thought through a lot of things.
Now on to the bigger things. I feel like this church's heart collectively is in the right place. They are givers and look to find needs to meet, not because that's what the church has decided to do, but it's what THEY want to individually do. They do not do it to be seen, but to "help", which is VERY refreshing. They look for that individual connection and are not self promoting.
The congregation was very balanced. Old people, young people, white, black, hispanic, Asian... mixed couples.... that to me is a great sign because it provides both stability and wisdom with fire and zeal.
Justice the minister looked to be young 30's, with a 3 year old kid. He was very hip, but super relatable. I wasn't expecting much, but his message hit me VERY square and gave me a completely different perspective on the Lazarus story which I've read and seen a million times. His background and historical information was phenomenal and he came not in a condescending way, but a realistic and hopeful way... about how life could and should be when walking in the spirit and what we can be a part of. Lots of scripture was used, so it wasn't just his interpretation or a story, which again, I think is important. He was available in the back of the auditorium and when I went up to him, took the time to talk with me.
They were doing baptisms after the service, full immersion and it was something that much of the congregation participated in and were surrounding those who made the choice. They had people on the side of the room ready to help those who were moved by the message after the service with prayer, which I think is extremely important. When God moves you to a place of openness or he cracks that crusty shell around your heart, or you realize you just can't hold all the pieces together anymore, you NEED that prayer and that support. There's no better time to strike than when the iron is hot. So many places have moving sermons, and then people walk out...the fire fades by the next day, and the walls come back up, but thicker.
I've been to several churches before, have been on staff, seen a lot of things... and this church has a lot of the right stuff as far as I'm concerned. I didn't get a feel of "religion", but rather one of commitment and a desire to have a personal connection with God and each other.
I really got a great vibe from this place, and look forward to coming back here to see and learn more. read more