Why church shopping sucks, and churches (most of them) still don't get it

 

Rants before coffee are not usually advisable.  Oh well.
We've been looking for a church home in the twin cites area since we moved last August.  We've visited probably 10 churches, I'd say.  It stuns me how many:
1. are not that friendly
2.even if they are, they have no structure for integrating you into the community, making connections with you, etc. other than dutifully sending you a letter saying, "since you visited our church and we are now forming a new members group that meets the next three Wednesday nights, we'd like to invite you to participate."
3. still think membership is the relevant category
4 and a personal pet peeve--don't have communion every week.  As if visitors will just come back next week to be fed, since on the day they risked visiting, the congregation wasn't up to serving the meal Jesus asked us to share and so people (me, in this case) went away hungry.  Listen, I get the whole "fed by the word" idea but Jesus didn't actually say, "take, eat, this is my word, given for you, do this in remembrance of me."
What we're looking for is belonging.  We're new to the cities. We want a Christian community that we can begin to walk with, living out our call to follow Jesus in their midst.  Why is that so hard to find? Ugh. Makes me depressed about the capacity of the traditional mainline church to meet the HUGE challenge of not dying and actually become relevant, believable mission-oriented centers of spiritual practice and vitality.
anon and peace,
Chris

Comments

[tony jones]

Two words, baby: Solomon's Porch.

1) welcoming
2) multiple connection points
3) what's "membership"?
4) weekly communion

See you at 5 on Sunday!

[Rachel]

Hear, hear. I'm praying for your family to find a worship home. The search can be so wearing -- I almost slipped back into a major depression the last time I had to look for a church.

[Shane Vander Hart]

I hear you. It is hard. I have some different criteria than you, but find it difficult all the same.

[Phil Henry]

Good points, Christian. Let me know how your search ends up.

Phil H.
http://www.gccp.squarespace.com

[Beth Lewis]

I had exactly the same unsettling experiences when I arrived in the Twin Cities 6 years ago. After 18 months of church visits to find a place that could be my home when I'm not on the road (about 1 week out of every 6), I am happily a member of and enthusiast for Calvary Lutheran Church, 3901 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis. www.clchurch.org I hope you will join us for worship sometime soon! I could go on and on and on about why I love this community of faith. But, try it! And/or contact me at Augsburg Fortress, where I work. blessings, Beth Lewis