Church visits
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
Archive
Visiting Anchorage - Looking for a Friendly Service? - 5/19/2013 11:16 am
Guest Post: Why Theology Matters to Musicians - 5/4/2013 4:09 pm
Easter Without the Trimmings at Cornerstone Church - 4/18/2013 10:06 pm
Central Christian Finally Updates Website Worship Times - 4/10/2013 10:15 pm
Beer & Hymns: Great Fun & Successful Fundraiser - 4/9/2013 10:19 pm
REMINDER: Beer & Hymns tonight! - 4/7/2013 11:38 am
UPDATE: Central Christian's Posted Worship Time on Website Still Wrong! - 4/7/2013 11:24 am
Central Christian Disappoints -- BIG TIME! - 4/2/2013 3:03 pm
Upbeat Mardi Gras Service – St Mary’s Episcopal
Posted: March 10, 2013 - 11:38 am
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I heard a Mardi Gras service was planned for St. Mary’s Episcopal 11:30 a.m. service on February 10, and focused my Church Visit activities in their direction. Mardi Gras is typically a time of celebration just prior to Ash Wednesday and the commencement of Lent.
Lenten Reflections: An Episcopal Perspective
Posted: March 6, 2013 - 10:21 pm
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As part of an ongoing series of Lenten Reflections, I asked Rector Jim Basinger, Pastor of All Saints Episcopal Church, to share his thoughts.
Rector Jim Basinger, All Saints' Episcopal Church
Lenten Reflections: A Catholic Perspective
Posted: February 28, 2013 - 9:49 pm
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As part of an ongoing series of Lenten Reflections, I asked Fr. Leo Walsh, Pastor of St. Benedicts Parish, to share his thoughts. He kindly pointed me to his brief Ash Wednesday homily which can be heard, in its entirety, by clicking here .
Lenten Reflections: A Methodist Perspective
Posted: February 25, 2013 - 10:55 pm
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During Advent, I asked a number of Anchorage pastors to share an Advent reflection on "Advent as an Antidote to Consumerism".
Edward Fudge: The Ashes Tell the Truth
Posted: February 21, 2013 - 7:56 pm
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Earlier this week, noted blogger Edward Fudge* posted a wonderful write-up regarding Ash Wednesday. A number of evangelical Christian groups totally ignore Ash Wednesday, the starting of Lent, and the significance of the season of Lent, but jump right in during Holy Week. With Edward Fudge's permission, I'm extremely pleased to share his blog post in it's entirety.
Lenten Reflections - A Lutheran Perspective
Posted: February 19, 2013 - 7:48 am
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During Advent, I asked a number of Anchorage pastors to share an Advent reflection on "Advent as an Antidote to Consumerism".
Intentions - Keeping the Season of Lent
Posted: February 16, 2013 - 8:36 am
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During my St. Mark's visit on Ash Wednesday, I was attracted to an idea they were promoting to individuals or families in their congregation. Several areas of the nave contained a "Tree of Intentions", a bare branched tree where one could fill out a small tag naming an intention for Lent, and then tying it to the tree.
These are some of the suggested intentions St. Mark's offered on a leaflet.
My Ash Wednesday...2013
Posted: February 15, 2013 - 5:11 pm
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I'm in Seattle at a Rotary conference and observed Ash Wednesday at St. Mark's Cathedral during a noon service in it's nave. It was a deeply moving experience; a much needed and blessed counterpoint to a self-absorbed world as I moved into Lent.
Anchorage Observes Ash Wednesday 2013
Posted: February 13, 2013 - 12:43 pm
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Today marks the beginning of Lent worldwide. In many churches the Lenten season starts with the observance of Ash Wednesday. Services are held throughout the day to initiate the start of Lent.
Shrove Tuesday…Already?
Posted: February 12, 2013 - 5:11 pm
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We’ve made it through Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and all of a sudden, we’re on the cusp of Lent. Sunday was the last Sunday after Epiphany and now we are on the verge of entering Lent with Ash Wednesday being tomorrow.
First Presby – Another Look, Guess What?
Posted: January 25, 2013 - 5:39 pm
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I've visited First Presbyterian, a downtown church, many times over the years, commenting in this blog after those visits. In fact, FPC was the very first church I reviewed when this blog premiered almost five years ago. My previously-stated general feelings have been that they are reserved, cool, unfriendly to the average visitor, and not a great church for a first visit.
Blue Christmas Services: New Anchorage Tradition?
Posted: January 17, 2013 - 10:03 pm
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Blue Christmas and/or Longest Night services are proliferating in the Anchorage church community. These non-traditional services usually coincide with Winter Solstice. They can offer relief from the overt commercialism that has overtaken a Christian tradition and perverted it. In our community many struggle with issues of literal and spiritual darkness, grief, or depression, especially during the dark solstice period.
Ten Things Churches Did That Blew Me Away In 2012
Posted: January 10, 2013 - 11:00 pm
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When I post my annual Top Ten list of things I urge churches to address in the coming year, I inevitably hear from individuals complaining I never find anything right with the local church scene. Not true! The Church Visits blog is full of references to churches who do wonderful things for our community, resonating well with guests too. This week’s post summarizes Ten Things, for the year just ended that were superb, showing what Anchorage churches are capable of doing.
Top Ten Issues Local Churches Must Address in 2013
Posted: January 1, 2013 - 3:28 pm
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Happy New Year 2013! Here’s my annual blast of issues I believe the majority of local churches are totally missing. As a professional church visitor, I see these or their effect in virtually every church visit. I invite your comments about them.
Advent Reflections Available as Downloadable e-Book
Posted: December 31, 2012 - 5:01 pm
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Fourteen area pastors, rectors, and priests contributed a wonderful collection of Advent thoughts and reflections based on the theme, "Advent as an Antidote to Acquisitiveness or Consumerism". Their thoughts were so powerful, individually and collectively, I want to share them with a wider audience. They have been collected in a PDF mini-book which is available for download below. They are presented in the same order as published on this blog.
Merry Christmas!
Posted: December 25, 2012 - 1:58 pm
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Wishing all Church Visits readers a blessed Christmas Day. After the bustle of the extended Christmas season stretching from Halloween to Christmas Eve, it must be nice to take a break from the commercialism, advertising, and selling of the season.
Advent Reflection: Rector Michael Burke
Posted: December 23, 2012 - 5:13 pm
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I've asked a cross-section of Anchorage pastors to comment upon Advent as an Antidote for Acquisitiveness or Consumerism. Our final pastoral contribution is from Michael Burke, rector of St Mary's Episcopal Church.
It's Fourth Advent Sunday 2012
Posted: December 23, 2012 - 12:41 am
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Fourth Advent Sunday 2012It's Fourth Advent Sunday and churches that follow the Advent calendar know this is the week of Christmas as Advent ends Christmas Eve.
Advent Reflection: Pastor Stephen Vicaro
Posted: December 22, 2012 - 3:29 pm
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I've asked a cross-section of Anchorage pastors to comment upon Advent as an Antidote for Acquisitiveness or Consumerism. Our next pastor featured is Stephen Vicaro, pastor of Hillside O'Malley Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Advent Reflection: Pastor John Dodson
Posted: December 21, 2012 - 7:45 pm
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I've asked a cross-section of Anchorage pastors to comment upon Advent as an Antidote for Acquisitiveness or Consumerism. Our next pastor featured is John Dodson, interim pastor of St John UMC (2009-2010). He is also a church consultant.