Church visits

Searching: I’ve been looking for a church that projects relevance to my stage of Christian development. In this quest I have visited and worshiped with many streams of religious persuasion. Assuming this may be an issue for many in the Anchorage area, I offer in this blog brief accounts of my visits. The criteria I use in evaluating my visits are:
• Did the church project friendliness and warmth?
• Did I truly feel welcomed?
• Did I relate to the main teaching and was it delivered effectively?
• Did music merely entertain or did it deepen the worship experience?

Map to churches I have visited.
My email: churchvisits@gmail.com


Contributors

Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson, an amateur biblical scholar and student of religions, is a member of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and Society for Biblical Literature (SBL). He enjoys AAR/SBL where he studies, first hand, with worldwide religious scholars. A management consultant, skilled in all aspects of 360-degree feedback programs and human resource management systems, he practices these skills as Workforce Consulting. He lives in Anchorage.

ON THE WEB

Google map with visited churches

As I visit churches, I'll post their locations on this map.

Archive

Shocking Beliefs of the Unchurched - 11/30/2008 12:01 pm

Great Land Christian Church - What a Great Experience! - 11/20/2008 10:00 pm

Crosspoint: Room for Improvement - 11/16/2008 4:17 pm

A Church Visit Reader Shares Their "Looking for A Church" Story - 11/10/2008 10:02 pm

St. John Orthodox - A Spiritual Treat - 10/31/2008 3:54 pm

Guest Blog - Chris Walker's "10 Tips for Greeters" - 10/23/2008 12:57 pm

Christian Courage, It's Still Alive! - 10/12/2008 2:58 pm

More Changes Coming to ChangePoint - 10/3/2008 7:06 am

Guest Blog -Top 10 Church Website Design Mistakes of 2007 - 9/28/2008 6:01 pm

Muldoon Assembly: Friendly, Programmed - 9/19/2008 11:12 pm

Why I've Run From Churches - Guest Blog - 9/16/2008 6:58 pm

Christian Church of Anchorage...An Invitation, Refusal, and Later Visit - 9/3/2008 1:38 pm

Podcasts/Godcasts...The Darker Side Pt. 2 - 8/30/2008 12:33 pm

Christ Community Church…A Somewhat Closed Experience - 8/21/2008 9:55 am

Can a Podcast be a Godcast? Part 1 - 8/16/2008 7:47 pm

Youth Lead Sunday Evening Service…A Pleasant First! - 8/12/2008 4:09 pm

Anchorage City Church…Charismatically Quiet - 8/4/2008 11:02 pm

But what about theology? - 7/30/2008 1:42 pm

Holy Family Cathedral: Warm, Friendly and Catholic - 7/26/2008 9:50 pm

Foreign missionaries to the U.S. or even Alaska, can it be true? - 7/22/2008 2:46 pm

First church I've visited not using musical instruments, but they can sing! - 7/16/2008 10:39 am

Protestantism Declining, Catholicism Steady, and No Religious Affiliation Rising According to Pew Forum Report - 7/10/2008 4:33 pm

full archive »

But what about theology?

Posted by Chris Thompson

Posted: July 30, 2008 - 1:42 pm

Some comments to this blog have expressed concerns that I need to designate my theology and then pick a church based on that theology. As I see it, they are concerned I may visit their church and comment on it when it may be contrary to my theology. So, their point is I should pick a theology and then pursue a church to fit this theology – end of story.

This is more easily said than done and suggests a dogmatic view of religion. If it's that simple, any of us could pursue BeliefNet's "Belief-O-Matic. Answer 20 questions and you will be told what religion you are practicing or should be practicing. Wow!

The recent key findings from the Pew Forum study, quoted several times recently in this blog, shows this belief to be at variance with what Americans truly believe. The Pew study clearly shows Americans are not dogmatic about religion, with 70% agreeing that “many religions can lead to eternal life” and 68% agreeing that *there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of my religion.”

Theology, as highlighted above and here, links to a related entry on Wikipedia with this definition:“Theology is the study of God from a religious perspective.” Additionally noting theology is undertaken to:
• understand more truly his or her own religious tradition,
• understand more truly another religious tradition,
• make comparisons between religious traditions,
• defend or justify a religious tradition,
• facilitate reform of a particular tradition,
• assist in the propagation of a religious tradition,
• draw on the resources of a tradition to address some present situation or need, or for a variety of other reasons.

I specifically choose not to delve into specific theological issues in this blog. My key reason being some will be tempted to dogmatically seize on these issues to press their own belief structure, rather than having a scholarly discussion. Thus theology divides rather than joins.

Clearly, many of you have indicated you are enjoying my foray into the churches of the Anchorage area. There are many reasons why only 3-5% of church visitors will return for a second visit. Some of these things are pointed out in this blog. If individual churches took a critical look, they would discover many opportunities to build good will and create an inviting environment for a continuing relationship.

To those who feel I should settle into a less than desirable church and give it time, I would say that I do worship semi-regularly at a church or two in the area but am not totally committed to any one church. I am still curious about our church community and will continue to pursue my quest. Thank you for your support, comments, and private e-mails from time to time. Let’s continue this conversation and learn from each other. I love hearing from those of you who have shared why they picked their church and what it means to them.


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  2     August 8, 2008 - 9:28am | ofredrick

Pick a theology?

Theology might be too broad a term for defining the limitations and expectations in selecting a church home. I have been in the same Protestant tradition my whole life, but I would be uncomfortable in some churches in my denomination. But I would again assert that the basic beliefs and practices (important to one's understanding of being in relationship with God) is critical in finding a church home that is a faith-nurturing community.

Visiting a church is different than joining as a member. Some churches are confessional, requiring that you stand before the congregation and affirm your adherence and belief in the church's dogma and doctrine. Others require extensive classes and a lengthy process before you can join as a member. Others have very little distinction between members and non-members, and membership is less important than participation in the life of the community. Many are somewhere in the middle.

Is membership important? Again, that depends on the tradition and your beliefs. If you believe in an open Eucharistic table, it is very important. If you want your infant child baptized, also important. If you want to serve in church leadership, it is important. If you want to serve in leadership and you're a women, pick carefully!

Your comment was "their point is I should pick a theology and then pursue a church to fit this theology – end of story." My point is rather that the story does not end. Find a church that nurtures your spiritual life so that your theology is developed and shaped by God and the community. For some, their boundaries of their theology will always be well defined and they thrive in a church/tradition that provides that kind of structure. For others, theology is more dynamic and inquisitive and it is important to find a church/tradition that allows room for a wide range of exploration without judgement.

As a matter of academic inquiry, I have greatly enjoyed your blog. From a practical sense, though, I do wonder if I would be capable of exploring these diverse communities with a true intent of searching for a church home. While I will always affirm that each of these communities are authentic communities of faith seeking to make disciples, I know many of them are not a place where I could continue my journey of faith.

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  November 20, 2008 - 12:35pm | abidiks

A great read, very

A great read, very informative
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  1     July 30, 2008 - 3:43pm | bender_23

Dogma

'To those who feel I should settle into a less than desirable church and give it time...'

I don't think the point was so much, 'pick a cruddy church and give it time' so much as some of us saying that you are *not* going to see all there is to a church in one visit. Or two or three.

I agree that what you are doing can shine a light on issues for many churches and could be a very helpful tool for them. But I also think that it's in no way the end-all, be-all method for picking a church. Not that I'm saying you think it is- just that we are mentioning some weaknesses that could come from choosing a church using only this method.

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  November 26, 2008 - 8:38pm | megal_2

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  July 30, 2008 - 5:11pm | stainedglass

It's a Hypothetical

Thanks for the comment. I'm growing and learning every day. A lot of Christians are too, but many aren't and the data coming in reveals it. For many the relevance of a church and its related family is not longer there.

The survey data are also now showing that we are less likely to select the church of our fathers. And that we're growing very independent and seek what works for us. So how do we find the right church?

I agree that you have to look under the hood and get to know a congregation better than a casual visit can afford. But I still maintain it starts with that first contact with a church. I read last night that in England, there are more Muslim's going to church every weekend than Christians, and Muslim's are still a minority there. We've lost something precious in this country and it may be too late to get it back.

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