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I’ve been captivated this Advent season with the ongoing story of giving by Baxter Road Bible Church (BRBC). Under their December theme of “It’s not your birthday”, they are giving 100% of church income to local community charities, and smaller ministries. BRBC Sr. Pastor Bob Mather has been graciously sharing news of their progress with Church Visits. This church of some three-hundred (300) has been giving in an unbelievable fashion.

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Last Sunday, a snowy day in Anchorage and Third Advent Sunday, I visited Our Lady of Guadalupe in Turnagain for the 11:30 a.m. Mass. The service was in Spanish and the church was packed.

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Last week I shared information regarding an incredible leap of faith and devotion to the true spirit of Christmas at Baxter Road Bible Church. The entire month of December they are giving 100% of church income to those less fortunate in our community, with special emphasis on local missions.

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It’s a chilly, winter morning in Anchorage but many worshippers will be observing the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Last Sunday, a blustery, stormy day, found me visiting several mid-Hillside churches. Trinity Presbyterian was first on my list as I was curious about their “big announcement”.

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I just became aware of one Anchorage church employing the right idea for selflessly observing Christmas. According to Sr. Pastor Bob Mather, “Our theme for December is “It’s Not Your Birthday””.

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Second Advent Sunday’s theme is peace. At services, the second candle in the Advent wreath will be lit, joining the first candle, the candle of hope. The Old Testament reading from Isaiah ("Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God...") embodies one of the most beautiful passages of scripture we have. Made more familiar, as Handel used it extensively in The Messiah, it prefigures the ministry of John the Baptist as recalled in the Gospel reading in Mark, also used by Handel.

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This time last year I spent Advent by my mother’s side as her long life slowly faded away. Before I left Anchorage, I stopped by St. Mary’s Episcopal for a service. The Episcopal way is not in my family tradition, but during my life I've found meaningful moments in several of their churches.

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Sunday, November 27 is the start of the liturgical year, four Sundays before Christmas. Advent is celebrated by most Christian churches worldwide. Taken from the Latin word “Adventus”, which means “coming”, Advent has been celebrated since the 6th century.

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A Google and ADN search turns up the following Thanksgiving Eve services options in our community. If churches mention such a service on their website, Google will likely find it. I’m glad to see these churches offering services.

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Summary

A friendly initial greeting, military tributes, upbeat music, Bible-based sermon, huge push for commitment to buy their land and buildings, and a free ACF mug added up to a primarily positive impression for my November 6 visit. No sermon audio posted yet, although two subsequent sermons have been. I’d probably do a return visit to this convenient Eagle River church if I wasn’t regularly visiting other churches.

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If you do not know what an app is, you must not use a smartphone. October 20 recently marked the six-month point since ChangePoint released their app. As I met with Adam Legg, ChangePoint’s Director of Communications, it was obvious he was pleased with the growing adoption, worldwide, of their app.

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Summary
My visit to Muldoon’s Hillcrest Church of the Nazarene on October 23 started off slow. The welcome and greeting was weak, but the beautiful musical service took hold, leading us into a worshipful state. Then, “bam!”, a noisy ‘meet n’ greet’ totally broke that spell, taking us off in another direction. The new member induction ceremony was nice to witness.

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An article by David Francis, Director of Sunday School, LifeWay Christian Resources, caught my eye recently. In 'Ways to make guests feel unwelcome', Francis humorously outlines nine ways churches can drive guests away, discouraging further visits. As a frequent guest of Anchorage area churches, I’ve seen them all. I've added my own commentary to his bullet points.

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Summary

On May 14, Northside Seventh Day Adventist Church greeted me, treated me to hymns of the church, gave all of us (and the kids) a children’s story, and a well-delivered, Bible-based sermon. Although there were some rocky points in the service, overall this multi-cultural church showed itself well.

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Ministry Fair Attracts Many

Last Sunday found me at ChangePoint for a host of activities. For me, the real attraction was their Ministry Fair where ChangePoint's cavernous lobby was filled with many booths staffed by member volunteers providing detailed information about these ministries. I attended the 11:30 service, ChangePoint's most-attended, but also found the Fair thronged by many people.

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One of Alaska’s truly great religion study opportunities is the Alaska Lay School of Theology sponsored by Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology and co-sponsored by the Alaska United Methodist Conference. Each September, notable faculty members from Southern Methodist University (SMU) come to Anchorage to present religious topics of significance. Over two days, participants learn at the feet of excellent Biblical and religion scholars.

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During my years of writing this column, I’ve visited a number of unfriendly churches. It’s always sad to discover these churches are so out-of-touch with their guests, and even their own members. This week, I stumbled across a blog post which described a positive first-person account of a church-seeking couple in a new community.

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As often mentioned in this blog, I’ve observed that outstanding churches tend to stay consistent. During the summer I’ve been visiting some of Anchorage’s most consistent churches. It’s reassuring to enter a church, receive a warm greeting, feel the hospitality of the congregation, rediscover that music is not treated as entertainment, and enjoy a thought-provoking message, all within an hour.

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I’ve been intrigued with ChangePoint’s introduction of their app. Not only are they the first Alaska church to introduce their own app, but they clearly struck a nerve that is radically extending their ministry. Their app is probably one of the most cost-effective endeavors in their ministry.ChangePoint App Splash Screen

Adam Legg, ChangePoint’s communications director, shared the three-month statistics with me last week.

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I popped in to Amazing Grace Lutheran this morning for their 10 a.m. service. This hillside church has, from my first visit, exemplified the four criteria I look for and have noted as my key visit criteria for this blog since the beginning. I visit here irregularly, so don’t think I was recognized by anyone but the pastor today. I was greeted warmly by six or seven individuals as I entered.