encounter. they'll bring you back.
Sunday Stacie and I were at Encounter Church in Dublin, Ohio (Columbus area). They are a church plant that has been meeting in a school for a little over a year, led by Sean Spoelstra.Now, I have never planted a church. (Maybe someday God will lead me to be a part of a team like that, who knows.) But being with the people of Encounter this Sunday taught me some very valuable lessons about church planting (and, really, just church in general).
- They are welcoming. I mean, so welcoming. We got out of our car and were greeted in the parking lot, not just 'Hi', but asking how we heard about the church, who we knew there, where we were from, what we did... and that conversation led us right into another conversation, and then another, and then to meeting Sean (the pastor). We've been in some churches where we've experienced the awkward 'we're not from here and everyone knows it but doesn't know what to say to us' silence-- not at Encounter. I'm guessing it doesn't happen for any of their guests.
- The leadership is excited. We met and prayed with the team of people that was involved in the service that morning, and they were ready to go. From announcements to tech to worship to teaching, every person was energized for their part. That's contagious.
- They are servants. Church starts at 10. We were there around 9.20, and everything was already set up and ready to go (sound, chairs, coffee...) When the service was over, the space was cleaned up in what seemed like just a few minutes. What a blessing, to have a body that helps to shoulder the practical load of ministry.
- They make you feel like family. Maybe this goes along with welcoming, but it's a whole new level I think. After church we went to the Spoelstras to have lunch with their family, the Arenas (a family part who has been there from the beginning and has a daughter going on Barnabas this summer), and some friends of the Spoelstras. Again, Stacie and I have been in lots of situations like this one. It is rare that we feel so at ease as we did with these people on Sunday. We laughed and joked and talked about life and, well, felt like family. It was wonderful. And it made me want to go back. I would love to be a part of that community.
I am excited about this church. Because when people walk through the doors of that church, they will see the body of Christ. And I think that is captivating.
If one visit to Encounter can make me want to go back again, I think that says there's a lot of good things happening there. And probably a lot that we can learn from them.
Thanks, Encounter. Seriously.
posted by sarah @ 3:21 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home