Weekend Adventures

Over the weekend I got a great opportunity to visit some very cool church plants. There is something extremely valuable about visiting new places, with different styles that challenge your thinking. Let me tell you, I was challenged. Let me also say that these were some awesome churches that are great at reaching lost people and preaching the gospel! We were able to visit two churches, one on Saturday night and another on Sunday. On Saturday we visited Mountain Lake Church in Cumming Georgia and on Sunday we went to Ridge Stone Church (where they affectionately call there members Stoners!).

As I said before, if you want to really understand what you believe about church, try and start one! Every facet of the service, church life, church government needs to be thought about! I was warned that I may not like these churches at first because they were very different. Well, they were, but I didn't see anything that I was offended by. I know some people where I go to school that would be, however! I am having to go through a time of discernment of my own ideas and beliefs. I am having to think about whether these issues that I am faced with are right, wrong, better, worse, or just different. I have so many thoughts about the weekend going through my head and it will take me some time to process them all.

Some of the challenging issues that I have been confronted with and am having to thoroughly think through are:

1. Music- lyrics(hymns, redone hymns, modern worship songs etc.), style, singing secular songs during the service, focus and purpose, etc.
   
2. Atmosphere- how much emphasis and effort should be given to this, lights, banners, loud speakers and music, focus and purpose etc.
   
3. Preaching- stlye, technique, focus and purpose etc.
4. Membership
   
5. Invitations

Again...are these things that I have experienced right, wrong, good, bad, better, worse, or just different?

One thing is for sure, however. This is healthy for me. To think through these issues is something that is extremely valuable! I would recommend that everyone take some time and visit other churches that are doing things differently than what you're use to for the sake of thinking through these issues biblically!