Week 12 - Evergreen Bible Church

www.evergreenbible.com

This week we knew that we would be busy Sunday morning so a Saturday service was in order. Unlike our last effort at a Saturday service when we had to go with plan "B" due to the church no longer being in existence, Evergreen Bible Church is alive and thriving. EBC offers two Sunday and one Saturday service times in English and one Spanish service Sunday afternoon. Having attended a church that offers a Saturday service we have grown accustom to the flexibility this provides.

A friend met us there who has attended EBC in the past so it was nice to see a familiar face when we drove up. We were warmly greeted by several people and the pastor's wife was chatted with us for several minutes, giving us a quick history of the church. As with many of the other churches we have visited, EBC provided an extended meet-n-greet time. An interesting anecdote about the challenges of multi-site/service churches has to do with greeting people. During the meet-n-greet time Loren was approached by an individual who looked like he wanted say "hi" but was a little hesitant. When he finally did he also asked if we were visitors. Upon hearing that we were he gave a big smile and said "yes, someone who is new." Now this does not mean that EBC never has visitors. What he shared was that with several services, and his work schedule, he is never sure who might be visiting and who has been coming for a long time. It was interesting that even in a church considerably smaller than the one we have attended it is possible to feel uncertain about who is and isn't part of the group.

While EBC does hold several services the auditorium only seats about 225. From an audience stand point we are beginning to feel that this is a pretty comfortable size. The way the seating was situated you can feel close to the speaker even from a back row. Artificial "mood" lighting was used during the corporate music time; with no natural light available in the auditorium. Contemporary music was provided by a five piece band, including 3 vocalists. A minimal amount of projected visual aid was used, primarily during singing and a little bit during the message.

A young woman who serves as a missionary teacher at Black Forest Academy in Germany was given several minutes to share about the work that she does serving missionary families from around the world. It was refreshing to hear from a younger person share about a little known ministry that directly impacts several hundred lives and families. It was even more refreshing to see the microphone be given over to someone who is not a member of the paid staff and is involved in the broader work of the church.

Given that this weekend commemorates the week leading up to the trial and crucifixion of Jesus the pastor's message focused on the events of Matthew 21. Against the historical backdrop of Jesus' time we looked at the significance of "Jesus' public announcement" (v. 1-11), "Jesus' authoritative cleansing" (v. 12-17), and "Jesus' withering judgment" (18-22). Being as far removed as we are from these events it often feels like there is a tendency to personalize and "over-spiritualize" them. This time, however, the pastor gave us a glimpse of what these events would have meant to the community as a whole. Jesus was a cultural and theological radical, he declared himself as The King, he confronted the religious, civic, and business leaders for their abuse of the marginalized, and he cast judgment on the entire nation of Israel. He acted against the structures and systems that ran counter to his purpose. In a time when we are more concerned with personal piety it is important to consider our roles in institutions that may run counter to the values of God's Kingdom.

We have really begun to appreciate the more personal connection between the pastor and congregants we have seen demonstrated at EBC and a couple of the other churches we have visited. While it may be a small thing, during the message congregants were asked to share translations from different versions of the bible. Not earth shattering but acknowledges in a small way that the audience can be co-participants in the teaching ministry of the church service.