At a non-denominational church

[Rocky]

I was invited to a non-denominational church yesterday, and since I went to Mass on Saturday I decided to go. The service lasted a little over an hour, and to be frank I found it a little boring. There were about 5 people that got up after the beginning 15 minutes of song that gave reports on upcoming events or past events or prayers answered, along with two collections (one for church, one for missions). All these people were called pastor. Then the last pastor got up and gave a message that he said he would spend the next few weeks fleshing out. His sermon had a lot of humor in it, and it was well received by everyone. At the end there was one last short prayer, and the pastor asked that anyone who wanted to spend eternity in heaven with Jesus and be happy with Him forever should raise his hand high. No one in the congregation raised a hand. I guess this was an altar call? A closing song was sung, and everyone left the sanctuary space.

During the sermon the pastor made a big deal that they were a welcoming church, really a family, and no one would feel left alone in that church. But my friend did leave me alone after the service to go to the bathroom, while I remained for about ten minutes in the vestibule. Only one person came and talked a little with me, asking my name and where I lived. But then his wife pulled him away. So I spent most of that time all alone watching others greet and hug each other.

Now I did not feel bad, but I thought their hospitality to strangers is no different than any Catholic Church I’ve been in. At church I will always try to speak to anyone that seems new to me, but I have to admit my spouse will not pull me away.

Just a comment about my experience.

 

[Adam14]

I was invited to a non-denominational church yesterday, and since I went to Mass on Saturday I decided to go. The service lasted a little over an hour, and to be frank I found it a little boring. There were about 5 people that got up after the beginning 15 minutes of song that gave reports on upcoming events or past events or prayers answered, along with two collections (one for church, one for missions). All these people were called pastor. Then the last pastor got up and gave a message that he said he would spend the next few weeks fleshing out. His sermon had a lot of humor in it, and it was well received by everyone. At the end there was one last short prayer, and the pastor asked that anyone who wanted to spend eternity in heaven with Jesus and be happy with Him forever should raise his hand high. No one in the congregation raised a hand. I guess this was an altar call? A closing song was sung, and everyone left the sanctuary space.

During the sermon the pastor made a big deal that they were a welcoming church, really a family, and no one would feel left alone in that church. But my friend did leave me alone after the service to go to the bathroom, while I remained for about ten minutes in the vestibule. Only one person came and talked a little with me, asking my name and where I lived. But then his wife pulled him away. So I spent most of that time all alone watching others greet and hug each other.

Now I did not feel bad, but I thought their hospitality to strangers is no different than any Catholic Church I’ve been in. At church I will always try to speak to anyone that seems new to me, but I have to admit my spouse will not pull me away.

Just a comment about my experience.

This probably varies from church to church. I’ve been in churches where the pastor asks everyone to stand, and then after announcements or something like that is said, visitors are asked to sit and then members go around speaking to the seated visitors for a couple of minutes. Sometimes it made me feel kinda on the spot…but at least since the visitors were the minority, we weren’t asked to stand while members sat.

At my current church ( and also my previous church), we just have a few minutes to greet everyone with a “Peace be with you”…etc. I think the Catholic church does it this way also?

 

[Rocky]

Yes, during the Catholic Mass before everyone receives Communion we are invited to give a greeting of peace—

This church also asked everyone to greet one another right after the music at the beginning and before we sat down and they started with all the reports. I used the words “The peace of Christ be yours” when greeting, while everyone else just said hello to me while we shook hands. A few people gave me kind of surprised looks with my greeting.

They also asked first time people to raise their hands after we sat down, and then they gave us a card to fill out (name, address, phone, etc.) and said to put it in a basket after the service and we would get a nice gift. But I did not fill it out, as I am not interested in joining their church.

 

[NDfan]

I was invited to a non-denominational church yesterday, and since I went to Mass on Saturday I decided to go. The service lasted a little over an hour, and to be frank I found it a little boring. There were about 5 people that got up after the beginning 15 minutes of song that gave reports on upcoming events or past events or prayers answered, along with two collections (one for church, one for missions). All these people were called pastor. Then the last pastor got up and gave a message that he said he would spend the next few weeks fleshing out. His sermon had a lot of humor in it, and it was well received by everyone. At the end there was one last short prayer, and the pastor asked that anyone who wanted to spend eternity in heaven with Jesus and be happy with Him forever should raise his hand high. No one in the congregation raised a hand. I guess this was an altar call? A closing song was sung, and everyone left the sanctuary space.

During the sermon the pastor made a big deal that they were a welcoming church, really a family, and no one would feel left alone in that church. But my friend did leave me alone after the service to go to the bathroom, while I remained for about ten minutes in the vestibule. Only one person came and talked a little with me, asking my name and where I lived. But then his wife pulled him away. So I spent most of that time all alone watching others greet and hug each other.

Now I did not feel bad, but I thought their hospitality to strangers is no different than any Catholic Church I’ve been in. At church I will always try to speak to anyone that seems new to me, but I have to admit my spouse will not pull me away.

Just a comment about my experience.

No disrespect Rocky but Roman Catholic services are about as boring as it gets. The same thing week after week after week. Repeating the same thing over and over again. I always felt like a robot saying the Our Father and the creeds. While the priest was preparing communion most people would sit there and talk about vacation and whatever else they did that week. Then watching half the assembly walk out after receiving communion was pretty ridiculous.

The non-denom church I attend is very friendly. We have dedicated greeters and welcome ministries that ensure any new visitors get the attention they need and deserve. The people you identified as Pastor were genuine pastors. We have 9 at our church of 3500 members which is badly needed considering all the ministry and outreach programs we have. I’m sure it’s the same where you attended. What I would like to ask is why you attended in the first place? Were you truly interested or were you just looking for some criticisms to throw out?

 

[Publisher]

You know, for every faith tradition that exists out there, you’re going to find those who feel the “worship experience” is boring. If you want to experience “boring” attend a Friend’s Meeting without any plan on participating in the experience of “entering into the Presence”…it will try your patience…just sitting in silence for an hour or so will drive you to distraction…

BUT if you attend expecting to enter into the “gathered Meeting” as a participant in the Living Silence and draw your heart into the corporate worship experience…you won’t be disappointed…I venture to guess if one attends any “service”…Catholic…Protestant or Orthodox…one “could” be bored…especially if one is an uninterested “observer” instead of an active “participant”.

This whole…“Our worship is better than your worship”…“our greeters “greet” better than your “greeters”…'our people are friendlier than your people…” is not the best exchange to engage in. It tends to foster misunderstanding and makes assumptions about the “validity” of others worship experience.

 

[Rocky]

NDFan: My friend invited me to the church many times. Since I had already attended Mass the night before I decided to go with her. While I have given a description here, I did not tell my friend that it was boring. The church was small, maybe at the most 75 people attended. Before I went to the service I prayed for an open heart, and I prayed during the service. I thanked my friend for taking me, and complimented the sermon as being very well received and having humor in it. I did not say to her, and never would say to her, that I was bored.

But I decided to share my experience on this forum and to make the comment that this church did not show any more welcoming spirit than I have noticed in Catholic Churches that I have attended for the first time.

And sitting in front of the Eucharist during Adoration could be boring to people who are not accustomed to silent meditation. I suspect Publisher would feel right at home, though.

 

[Rocky]

I forgot to say that this was the first time I attended a non-denominational church for anything other than a wedding or funeral.

 

[Matariel]

No disrespect Rocky but Roman Catholic services are about as boring as it gets. The same thing week after week after week. Repeating the same thing over and over again…Then watching half the assembly walk out after receiving communion was pretty ridiculous

I guess you didn’t pay much attention, because the Roman Catholic Service changes every week. New readings, differing resposes in different seasons, different holidays. And it’s beautiful, God-honouring, respectful, and liturgical, just as it’s been since the times of the Apostles.

I used to go to a tacky independent “church”, and it was the most boring thing my parents ever subjected me to. The Wesleyan and Nazarene churches were better, but not by much. Without beautiful, sacred, sacramental worship, services are reduced to boring 15-minute song-time (Protestants seem to equate “worship” with “singing” even though it includes a host of other sacramental actions, and, most importantly, the attitude of the heart) tacky business-meeting-like announcements, a short mumbled prayer, and a 5,000-year long sermon that always went overtime.

No wonder so many people (and young people like me) are attracted to the 2,000-year-old tradition of the Church, sacramental, beautiful, thoughtful, theologicall-sound Christian worship, as opposed to the entertainment-fest flashy commerciallized Rick-Warren inspired worship or the boring old two-hour repetative sermonizing.

The non-denom church I attend is very friendly. We have dedicated greeters and welcome ministries that ensure any new visitors get the attention they need and deserve. The people you identified as Pastor were genuine pastors.

Oh really? Where did they recieve their commission from Christ by laying-on of hands, like in the Bible, and ALL historical Christian Churches (Roman, Orthodox, Anglican, Coptic) have in their priests and bishops? Or do those Protestant pastors self-ordain?

We have 9 at our church of 3500 members which is badly needed considering all the ministry and outreach programs we have. I’m sure it’s the same where you attended. What I would like to ask is why you attended in the first place? Were you truly interested or were you just looking for some criticisms to throw out?

Sounds like those modernized, secular, untheologically stable heretical clubs which call themselves “churches”.

No offense to you, personally, NDfan, but please realize that these so-called churches have abandoned historic Christianity and resemble cult fanaticism.