Visiting: As a student of religion, I've seen how various factors in a church visit affect spiritual growth and religious attitudes as one searches for a church home. I visit churches to observe, firsthand, how they present themselves to visitors. My visits, with a few exceptions, focus on Christian churches. This blog contains accounts of those visits, and related posts. I look for the following in my visits:
• Friendliness and warmth
• Genuine welcome, true Christian hospitality
• Effective, well-delivered bible-based main teaching
• Music deepening the worship, not just entertainment
Map to churches I have visited.
My email: churchvisits@gmail.com
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.
Chapel of the Cross: "B Team" but Friendly - 7/3/2009 4:12 pm
Life Church: Lively & Honoring Fathers - 6/26/2009 5:08 pm
Hillside-O'Malley SDA Church: And the Lord Rested the Seventh Day... - 6/18/2009 11:18 pm
The Crossing @ Birchwood: A Work in Progress - 6/11/2009 8:11 pm
ChangePoint Finally Delivers...For the Most Part - 6/2/2009 11:31 pm
Church Visits Can Now Be Twittered - 6/1/2009 7:35 pm
What's Under the Hood? Amazing Grace's Pastor Interviewed - 5/27/2009 9:54 pm
Observations From My First Year of Church Visits - 5/21/2009 9:46 pm
St. Patricks: A Happy Family - 5/14/2009 11:47 pm
Anchorage Grace: Hillside Cool - 5/7/2009 10:00 pm
What's Under the Hood? Trinity's Pastor Responds - 4/30/2009 9:47 pm
ABT: Illusionary Service - Did you miss it too? - 4/22/2009 11:55 pm
Good Friday and Easter Services: A Two Church Perspective - 4/14/2009 10:02 pm
Holy Week: The End Approaches - 4/9/2009 4:52 pm
Trinity Presbyterian: Melted by Warmth - 4/2/2009 11:29 pm
Palm Sunday is Here - 4/2/2009 10:57 pm
Cornerstone: Solid as a Rock and Welcoming - 3/19/2009 10:04 pm
Amazing Grace Lutheran - A Hillside Gem - 3/13/2009 12:06 am
Unusual Ecumenical Lenten Service - March 1 - 2/27/2009 1:09 pm
Greater Friendly Temple Not Particularly Friendly - 2/27/2009 12:50 am
Today is Ash Wednesday-The Beginning of Lent - 2/25/2009 5:00 pm
Our Lady of Guadalupe: Good but Noisy - 2/19/2009 11:01 pm
JULY 3, 2009 - 4:12 PM
Chapel of the Cross Church of the Nazarene Sign
Summary
Having visited no Nazarene churches yet in my Anchorage church visits, I found Chapel of the Cross Church of the Nazarene after a difficult slog through the Alaska Nazarene District website. Located on the upper hillside, this small church received a visit from me on June 28. I received warm greetings from several men greeters upon entering, and exiting. The regular pastor was not there nor was their accomplished music minister, and no mention was made of their absence. The music was traditional to slightly contemporary with a small praise group on stage, accompanied by piano, violin and conga. A beautiful prayer was offered, specifically mentioning members by name who had requested prayer. The sermon by Pastor Don McCullough was well-delivered, even if read, and was based on the gospel story of Nicodemus as recorded in John 3:1-16. I enjoyed my visit. A few visitor friendly practices, commented upon below, could have added to my visit.
JUNE 26, 2009 - 5:08 PM
Life Church - Sign at Huffman & Jerome
Summary
Anticipating a lively service at Life Church on June 21, I was not disappointed. But I began to feel this would be another church, Pentecostal at that, where I would not be welcomed. I felt this way because in passing the welcome desk, staffed by three women, I noted they were in fervent conversation with each other, but totally oblivious to visitors! A guy with a clipboard finally tracked me down. Eventually I was warmly greeted by many. The music was quite lively, in the style of Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir cum soul music. However, the expected Pentecostal displays of dancing, speaking in tongues, and shouting were almost totally absent. Pastor Jim Blackshear's sermon in honor of Father's Day, prefaced by a gift of a handy tape measure to the dads, was dynamically delivered and a powerful statement to families, and their dads. This was a fun visit to an interesting church.
JUNE 18, 2009 - 11:18 PM
Hillside-O'Malley SDA Church Sign
Summary
Arriving ten minutes late for a service at Hillside-O’Malley Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Saturday, May 23, 2009, I was pondering why I was attending church on Saturday morning. Although greeted cheerily by one person, I discovered a musical service let by an uncertain praise team, lengthy preliminaries, a baptism, and that was just the beginning. Their young pastor Donovan Kack, finally began preaching one hour after the start of church. Concluding his excellent, but lengthy Bible-based sermon, he dismissed the congregants to meet the newly-baptized member. Crying children signaled this 1 3/4 hr. service was probably already too long for some. A judicious pruning of the preliminaries might have provided an hour plus service of greater impact. If you're hungry for good Bible-based preaching, Hillside-O'Malley SDA, while not visitor friendly, is a good option if you time your arrival to avoid the lengthy preliminaries.
JUNE 11, 2009 - 8:11 PM
The Crossing @ Birchwood - Exterior ViewSummary
Last August I received an invitation to visit The Crossing @ Birchwood from a member. As it's a bit of a drive out, I didn't visit until May 24. Greeted by only one person when entering, I was pretty much on my own after that. The music was praise group style, not entertainment, great sounding, and singable. The sermon worked, was Bible-based, relevant, but delivered by a young preacher using poor English, littered with street slang, and a bit jangly for this old schoolteacher. The Crossing is not a particularly warm congregation to visitors, but they are warm to each other. On the way out of church, one gentleman thanked me for coming . A note (from me) on their "registration card" to contact me has gone unanswered for almost three weeks. So much for follow-up.
JUNE 2, 2009 - 11:31 PM
Summary
After five visits and almost a year-and-a-half of trying, I finally experienced a ChangePoint worship service that, for the most part, worked for me. The band's music was toned down, seemingly more reverent. Guest speaker Jim Capaldo gave a clear and extemporaneously delivered talk. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell delivered a fitting Memorial Day tribute to our veterans. The lone greeter covering too many doors was a disappointment, as well as the lone bulletin hander at the door I entered. I still maintain ChangePoint is not visitor friendly. It seems to be more vested in having visitors come to their welcome center than in being genuinely friendly to everyone, clearly a member responsibility. Unfortunately, stores like Sears and Carrs are more outwardly friendly and helpful to their "guests" than most churches are to theirs.
JUNE 1, 2009 - 7:35 PM
Church Visits has joined the Twitter generation. With your Twitter account, you can receive continuous updates of the churches I've visited and when you can expect to see those visits reported on www.adn.com/churchvisits.
If you do not have a Twitter account, sign up at www.twitter.com. If you have a Twitter account, you can follow me at www.twitter.com/churchvisits.
As an added bonus, you can select the RSS option in Twitter to receive updates of new posts I make to Church Visits. For questions or problems contact me by email at churchvisits@gmail.com.
MAY 27, 2009 - 9:54 PM
Considerably impressed by my initial visit to Amazing Grace Lutheran Church (click here to read 3/13/09 blog post and comments), I asked Pastor Martin Dasler to share some thoughts about what makes this church unique. Hearing they had a great choral group, I attended again to listen to them sing and to see how it augmented their service. Reliable churches are consistent from week to week, and Amazing Grace is just such a church. I saw it again in my additional visits. Warmly greeted, by different people, I enjoyed another service. Although the presenter was not Pastor Dasler, but a young woman recounting her pilgrimage to Taize, France earlier this year, it all worked. The service, congregarion, and choir truly blessed my day. I'm pleased to share Pastor Dasler's insights.
MAY 21, 2009 - 9:46 PM
It's been a year since I started posting accounts of my church visits in this community blog courtesy of the Anchorage Daily News. It's clear this blog is being widely read here and throughout the Lower 48. My heartfelt thanks to those churches I've recognized for their warm treatment of visitors. For the others, there's much to be learned from these accounts. If your church has not fared well in these accounts, it might be helpful for you to send out teams to visit other churches to see, firsthand, what is working. I offer some observations gained by my visits in this week's posting.
Friendly Churches are Consistent
MAY 14, 2009 - 11:47 PM
St. Patrick's SignSummary
A warm and friendly church, Muldoon-sited St. Patrick's offers a vibrant spiritual community, outstanding folk-oriented music, restful architecture, meaningful homilies, and a reverent atmosphere. I experienced a sense of coming home during a mid-April visit.
A Little Child Shall Lead Them
During a 4th grade teaching stint in April, a young girl in my classroom, upon discovering I blogged church visits for the Daily News, asked if I'd visited St. Patrick's. After telling her no, she invited me to attend. I moved St. Patrick's up on my visit list to accommodate her request and I'm glad I did. I was "made" as I slipped into the back of the church just as Mass was starting. She flew back, gave me a smile, a quick hug, and showed me to a pew, a wonderful way for a visitor to be greeted in any church.
MAY 7, 2009 - 10:00 PM
Anchorage Grace - Huffman Road Sign
Summary
No greeting, a goodly amount of expected standing for the musical part of the service, and a disappointed crowd expecting a sermon from a no-show prospective pastor, marked my visit to Anchorage Grace Church on March 29. The gymnasium setting didn't feel like a church setting for me. A senior pastor, Ron Whitt, let the crowd down gently with news the potential new guy would not be there due to the recent eruptions at Mt. Redoubt. Marooned on my feet by an overly long musical service (over 30 minutes) with a fairly good worship band and singers, I fought a strong temptation to leave.
APRIL 30, 2009 - 9:47 PM
Struck by the warmth and dynamic character of Trinity Presbyterian Church (click to see 4/2/09 blog review), I wanted to look under the hood of this unusual church to see what makes it so uniquely different from many other Anchorage area churches. To accomplish this, I posed some questions to Pastor Tom Letts. I was intrigued by his responses, and believe you will be too. Oh, by the way, at first I was in shock and disbelief thinking I may have visited Trinity on a good Sunday. However, subsequent visits reveal this overwhelming hospitality and warmth is genuine, a weekly hallmark, and normal behavior for this church.
APRIL 22, 2009 - 11:55 PM
Intrigued by Anchorage Baptist Temple's TV advertisement for a performance by an illusionist, I attended their 11 a.m. service on March 15 to see how this related to ABT's Christian mission. The illusionist, Brock Gill, was introduced by Dr. Prevo after some artful deception on Gill's part, masquerading as a choir member. Gill proceeded to solicit keys from six audience members. Placing the keys in his hand, he had the six adience members cover his hand with theirs. After they removed their hands, he unclenched his fist, revealing the keys had been bent. He further demonstrated the bending of a single key on camera. The audience was advised they would have to come to the 6 p.m. service to see the rest of the story. I didn't bite, and frankly, I left puzzled.
APRIL 14, 2009 - 10:02 PM
[Normally I don't focus on new church visits during major religious holidays as many present special programs atypical of week-to-week routines. Also, they're flooded by throngs of once or twice-a-year attendees. Instead, at the conclusion of Holy Week, I attended Good Friday and Easter services at two churches which consistently show they are visitor-friendly. This blog post is intended to give a flavor of those services.]
Good Friday
GolgothaTrinity Presbyterian - Dark and Mysterious
APRIL 9, 2009 - 4:52 PM
The Anchorage area is well into Holy Week, the culmination of Lent, which leads up to Easter Sunday. Many churches, Protestant and Catholic tradition alike, celebrate the various ritual days of Holy Week. The most important observed days, are today and ahead. In Anchorage Daily News' Thursday paper, a double center section highlighted all the various services available, noted below, with their times.
Thursday, today, is known as Maundy Thursday. It commemorates the last supper and the institution of the Eucharist or Communion.
APRIL 2, 2009 - 11:29 PM
Trinity Presbyterian Sign
Summary
I was blown away by the warm greeting I received at Trinity Presbyterian Church on March 22. Eight people were there to warmly greet me from the outside entry to the sanctuary. This mid-Hillside church on Huffman offers a contemporary service engaging all of the senses. Worshipers are treated to a feast of music by a member-led band and praise team. Offering a musical blend of old and new, there is something here for everyone. A good mixture of all ages worship in a contemporary church setting of warmth and openness, further accentuated by light and color. The stained glass is a feast for the eyes. The preaching by Pastor Tom Letts was upbeat, and insightful. The "7 Minute Party" at the end of the service was a wonderful interactive hook. It hooked me and will hook you too if you try this church. You'll have to read more, but I think you already get the point.
APRIL 2, 2009 - 10:57 PM
This Sunday many Anchorage area churches celebrate Palm Sunday. What is the meaning of this day? Palm Sunday is observed on the Sunday before Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. As a point of interest, Palm Sunday is noted in all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This day commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem just prior to the events leading up to his death and resurrection.
When and where available, churches often use palm leaves or branches to pay homage to the honor given Jesus as noted in the Gospels where people lay garments or cut rushes in the street. John's Gospel does indicate palm fronds, a symbol of triumph and victory in the Jewish tradition. There's much more. If you are interested click here for more.
MARCH 19, 2009 - 10:04 PM
Cornerstone Church Sign - Brayton Drive
Summary
During my March 8 visit to Cornerstone Church, I was treated to a warm greeting, a cup of coffee, a praying praise team, and a great Bible-based sermon. These things are not what I usually experience when visiting Anchorage churches, but this day they were present. Cornerstone offers easy access with their South Anchorage location on Brayton Drive just north of the convenient O'Malley Road. Pastor Brad Sutter and his church are clearly sharing their faith in a positive way.
MARCH 13, 2009 - 12:06 AM
Amazing Grace Lutheran Church SignSummary
My visit to upper hillside located Amazing Grace Lutheran Church seemed to have started on the wrong foot as I pushed through a thick knot of unwelcoming members as I entered the narthex. I didn't realize it was the 9:45 service attenders visiting and exiting. Entering the sanctuary, I was warmly greeted by a friendly woman who gave me a hymnal and bulletin. Confused because chairs were being put up, I inquired if I'd missed the service? She assured me no. Because the 11:00 a.m. service has the fewest attendees, chairs are removed creating a closer sense of community amongst those there.
FEBRUARY 27, 2009 - 1:09 PM
ECUMENICAL LENTEN SERVICE
Sunday, March 7, at 7:00 p.m., a truly special Lenten experience will be offered in the sanctuary of St. John United Methodist Church. Four churches will combine to present “DayBreak,” a poem that tells the Passion story, accompanied by chamber music, 130 visuals and dance. The choir will be a merged choir from Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Parish and St. John United Methodist Church. A free-will offering will be collected for FISH. Child care will be provided for children age 5 and under.
FEBRUARY 27, 2009 - 12:50 AM
Greater Friendly TemplePoor Website
Sunday I attended the Greater Friendly Temple (Church of God in Christ) on DeBarr Road. Met with a lackluster greeting, I initially thought church had already started due to the group of worshipers in the front of the church sanctuary praising and praying, accented by a keyboardist and drummer. After this group finished, approximately one-half hour after I arrived, I inquired and was told this was only a prayer group. The only functional website I could find for Greater Friendly Temple had an incorrect service time listed (11:00 a.m.). The bulletin listed 11:15 a.m. as the worship time. www.greaterfriendlytemple.org was listed as the website in the church bulletin, but I couldn't get it to work for me.
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