Last Sunday, September 2, I had the pleasure of attending a church about which I have read and heard but seen only from a distance. My older son attends Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. We went together to the 9:00 AM service.
Southeast Christian is a megachurch, hosting around 20,000 worshipers each weekend on three campuses. The sanctuary seats about 9,000 on the main campus. The facilities scatter over forty acres and the church uses big yellow buses to bring attenders in from the far reaches of the parking lots. The entry hall is larger than several churches in my association and contains multiple information sites allowing guests and members to learn what Southeast Christian is doing and how to become involved.
My son and I did not participate in the worship service while seated in the main sanctuary. We sat in the cafe that was located off one side of the Atrium. About sixty people joined us sitting in cushioned armchairs or around small tables. The service was brought into the cafe by flat screen televisions and a single large projection screen.
Though a cafe setting, there was less noise than at a standard Starbuck's. Fewer kids got up to find a restroom than I see in many of our churches. People had their Bibles and their Kindles to use in following the pastor's sermon. Song lyrics were projected on the screens and everyone was encouraged to sing along regardless of where they were seated. We joined together in communion while a praise chorus was being sung. We watched three church members each baptize one of their family members who had recently made a profession of faith.
The pastor, Dave Stone, in his sermon related the story of Nehemiah striving to rebuild the walls of destroyed Jerusalem and then brought out the relevant points for daily living. He ended his message with a direct appeal for listeners to realize the only way to put their lives back together is through Jesus Christ. It was a strong evangelistic appeal.
Did I say that I found myself deeply in worship through all this? In case I skipped that, yes, I did. I worshiped with a small group in an informal setting that was taken very seriously by everyone around me. They may have been sipping on their espresso, punching keys on their Kindles, or in quiet conversation with their neighbor at the table they shared. They weren't there to get lost in a crowd or avoid feelings of guilt. I envisioned what it would have been like to be siting on the mountainside and listening to Jesus discuss the Beatitudes with the thousands around him (that's comparing the settings, not Dave Stone to Jesus!).
Two characteristics stood out. This place represented sincerity of worship and quality of preparation and involvement. You don't have to be a megachurch to have sincerity and quality as high priorities for worship. You just have to take God and his demands on our lives seriously. It is sad that too many of our churches are dying and blaming the society, sports, the next generation, or some foreign country for their demise. The truth lies too often in a church's lack of sincerity in following the demands of the Kingdom of God and their unwillingness to give their best in serving their Lord.
When people give their best effort, which comes by sacrificing something else, and keep their motivation grounded in the desire to glorify God, then a worship service will lead people to worship even if they are seated in a cafe. The worship service at Southeast Christian flowed with smoothness and without hesitation. People knew what they were supposed to do and when they were supposed to do it. The only apology for an interruption came when the music leader apologized for having to get a drink of water due to allergies.
My son has moved to a community about an hour from the church. He intends to keep attending and deepen his involvement in Southeast Christian. He already attends a Sunday morning Bible study group and has taken on the role of a mission project leader for them. Mega did not dampen his interest in the church. I look at the churches in my association and wonder how many would have drawn my son back after he moved an hour's drive away. How does your church service rate?
