Week 21 - Rhapsody Church

rhapsodychurch.com

We've all seen them, sandwich boards placed all around the city on Sunday mornings, advertising churches located in schools, strip malls, community centers, etc. This week we went to Rhapsody Church that Laurie had seen advertised at our local YMCA. The fact that they are located at the "Y" is not really that surprising, small start-up churches often need space that will accommodate early growth without the burden of purchasing a permanent location. What was a little bit unexpected was the level of connection YMCA still has with its "christian" roots. Of course, like the Salvation Army, it is easy to only associate them with the great social services they provide and assume they may have drifted from their origins.

As you might expect the Y does not have a chapel or church auditorium so the gym is converted into a meeting place. Having spent close to three years on the set-up team for one of the temporary satellite locations of our former home church we can appreciate the time and effort it takes to prepare this space to meet each week. 

As a gymnasium it is light on decorations but they use black room dividers around the perimeter to create a more intimate space. Lighting was provided solely by large windows located high up on the exterior wall, fluorescent lighting was available but not used. Seating, in folding chairs, was set up for about 200 and this week it was about two thirds full. The sound system was surprisingly well balanced for the space. And while the music was energetic and robust we didn't feel like we were being blasted out by the volume. Music was provided by a band of five instrumentalists, including two as vocalists. A single video monitor was used throughout the service for lyrics, video interviews, and message notes.

We were warmly welcomed by a couple of people and as first-time visitors received a gift of The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. While there was a range of ages represented there definitely was the vibe of a younger age set. This was also evidenced by the fact that the children's ministry was growing and in need of additional volunteers. In fact the lead pastor was taking a break from teaching for two weeks to work with the children and highlight the need for additional help. We were both struck by the fact that the pastor would take time out of his teaching ministry to serve the children. It was also evident that RC is involved in several community ministries including Share, Open House, Vida's Ark, Freedom House, serving members of the Y, and reaching out to the residents of a large apartment complex nearby. In addition they are currently raising funds to provide the materials necessary to build a home for a family in Mexico.

As the pastor was away on assignment in the children's ministry the Y chaplain, Roger Button, gave the message. Drawing from personal stories, bible narrative, and a book he wrote, Dancing with God, he lead us through a talk entitled Paint Happens. Beginning with an anecdote of how he shook a can of paint without properly closing the lid (hence the title), to the narrative of Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar, and finishing with a chapter from his book, about a motorcycle trip to the Great Lakes gone awry, he gave a thought provoking, and relatable, devotional talk on the topic that "it's not the challenge that defines you, it's how you handle it." 

RC's setting at the Y is fitting for their very informal format and culture. How often do you expect to hear the message on Sunday morning from a guy dressed in a hoodie sweatshirt? The service flowed but didn't come across as highly orchestrated. As Laurie put it, we "felt a good, relaxing, peaceful vibe from the visit.

Week 20 - Columbia Presbyterian Church

www.columbiapresbyterian.org

This week found us visiting Columbia Presbyterian Church, a church that we have known of for years, even have several friends that attend there, and yet did not realize how large a church body and how active in the community they are. Among the many community efforts one in particular, Compassion Connect free medical and dental clinics, is one that Loren has helped with on several occasions in years past. It is good to see CPC carrying the torch and continuing to facilitate this important ministry to those who still lack adequate medical and dental care.

CPC holds two services on Sunday and this week we attended the earlier one that is the more traditional service, the later one is more contemporary. The auditorium holds about 550 people and this week it was near capacity. The congregants in our service were a mix of ages but leaned to an older group. In all likelihood the later service might be a younger group. Being in the traditional service had a special benefit for us this week in that their hand bell choir performed a couple of numbers. Haven't heard a full bell choir in many years; a very meditative form of musical expression. They even did an arrangement of the classic song El Shaddai. In addition to the bell choir, music was a collection of congregational hymns with organ accompaniment.

The auditorium was comfortable with plenty of artificial and diffused natural lighting. In addition to the auditorium being large the front foyer was spacious, allowing plenty of room to stand, visit, and have coffee; as we saw many congregants doing before service. Two video projection screens were used throughout the service for song lyrics, scripture reading, and key message points. We were warmly greeted by several people and of course it was nice to see the familiar faces of a few friends.

The lead pastor was away for the weekend so we had the opportunity to hear one of the associate pastors deliver the message. He gave a very straight forward, to the point message. They are in a series entitled Connect the Dots and this week, in honor of pentecost, the message was about "a living hope." Prior to the pastor beginning two congregants read a selection of scripture passages that focused us on the object of this "living hope."  He then asked and answered several questions: 1) What is an area in life that needs hope? 2) What do we put our hope in; ourselves, others, circumstances? (Psalm 62:5-6) 3) What is the basis of our hope? Finally he directed us to our hope in a person. (1 Peter 1:3-5) Jesus is a living hope as he has ascended, he is a personal hope through the gift of the Spirit, and he is an enduring hope that we can keep our eyes fixed on.

It was nice to finally take the time to experience CPC's time together. In some ways it was much like what we expected yet in others it was different than we had envisioned. This church community is yet another example of many works of the Kingdom being done in and around the greater Vancouver area. 

Week 19 - Real Life Church

www.seekreallife.com

As our circle continues to widen we are beginning to find more churches off the beaten path. Those ones you most likely would never see unless you take a wrong turn into the neighborhood where they are located.

For those keeping track, Real Life Church is part of the Nazarene tradition. While this may be meaningful at some level the reality is a first-time visitor wouldn't notice any difference between RLC and just about any other non-denominational, "community," church.

RLC offers two Sunday morning services and this week we made the early one. With an auditorium that seats about 200 the service was at near capacity with a broad range of ages, including many children. While the auditorium itself was fairly dark (no windows), there was plenty of energy and we were warmly greeted by several people. Even from where we sat, about mid way back, the stage was comfortably close and we felt like there was a real connection between the speakers and the congregation.

Music was provided by a group that included four instruments and three vocalists, and was primarily contemporary praise songs. The music leader was very enthusiastic and really appeared to enjoy what he was doing. Video projection was used extensively for song lyrics, announcements, and throughout the message. The family & children focus of RLC was readily apparent with heavy promotion of the sizable VBS program they will be putting on at the end June. 

As it was Mother's Day Sunday we were well prepared for the typical message about mothers and their role in the family and church. This week we got a special treat instead. RLC is in the midst of a series entitled "How to Win at Life," and this Sunday the husband and wife pastor team, Jeff and Shelley, spoke together. Shelley was the focus of the talk centered on the question "how do we win at the important roles in our life?" She shared with us that she does not enjoy being the center of attention, prefers the behind the scenes kind of service. Her husband Jeff, on the other hand, appeared quite comfortable being up front; plenty of personality. However Shelley had been sensing for some time that she needed to share some things that were on her heart and Mother's Day seemed the perfect opportunity.

Shelley's realization that she needed to do this fit nicely with her first point: "Listen to the gentle loving nudge of the Father." Then she reminded us that there are times when we must "stop 'doing for' God and begin 'resting in' God:" resting by slowing down, relaxing, and abiding in God's timing. Thirdly, she challenged us to "allow God to remove the veil," allowing us to be transformed into his image for his purpose. Finally we were reminded that "winning as a mom or whatever role you have in life begins with a personal relationship with Jesus." Despite her admitted reluctance in speaking up front she expressed herself well and gave a relatable talk on life in general from a busy mother's perspective. Throughout the talk Jeff asked a few prompting questions and added a few of his own insights; very thoughtful and a great interaction with the two of them sharing.

Real Life Church's vibrant spirit was evident from the moment we arrived and as we left. As one member shared with us they refer to themselves as the "little church with a big heart."

Week 18 - East Vancouver Community Church

eastvancouvercommunitychurch.com

Tucked away in a relatively sleepy residential part of town we discovered this week's church visit site. East Vancouver Community Church is well off the beaten path but conveniently located near several multi-family complexes. 

EVCC is affiliated with The Evangelical Church denomination, not one that we have ever had contact with before. An interesting historical note, TEC can trace their roots back to John Wesley and the Wesleyan movement he founded. In North America their origins are more recent, founded in Portland, OR in 1968.

The auditorium seats approx 250 and this week had about 100 in attendance. Several women were away on a retreat and we were assured that their numbers were low due to this event. That being said there was a cross section of ages represented, leaning toward an older group but with a few children and young people as well. The decor was simple but tastefully done with a good amount of filtered natural lighting. A screen was used for visual aids during music and scripture reading but rolled up during the message. Kind of nice not having a large blank white screen staring back at you during that part of the service. Several other churches have done similar in that they projected onto a wall but turned the projector off during the message. One of the benefits we are noticing of a smaller auditorium is there isn't the need to project the pastor or musicians bigger than life so those in the back row can see them.

We were warmly greeted by a few people and engaged in conversation with the pastor both before and after the service. One thing we have encountered on several visits is a number of pastors who are relatively new to the church community they currently serve. The pastor of EVCC is not new to ministry however, 30 years pastoring in Spokane and six years as a missionary in Asia before accepting the position here. 

Music was provided by four vocalists, aged high school and up, accompanied by piano, and included a mix of contemporary praises and traditional hymns. One thing that was interesting was a brief mash-up of High and Low Church traditions. In the Lutheran, and similar, churches it is common to speak the Apostles' or Nicene Creeds as part of the liturgy. In "seeker-friendly" and "evangelical" type churches such a practice is virtually non-existent; statements of core tenets of the faith are rarely, if ever, publicly and corporately affirmed. This time it was set to music and sung responsively.

Following the music and some announcements children were invited up for a time of prayer specific for them. After being dismissed to children's class the pastor then asked the congregants to offer up specific prayer requests and then led the group in a time of prayer for those requests. Each and every request was mentioned and time of silence was given for people to pray quietly for them. It left us with the feeling that people who made requests were heard and taken seriously.

The message was the final installment of a several week series entitled "Stories of the Kingdom: Parables to live by." This week focused on Mark 13:32-37 and what it means to be an "expectant watcher." The passage just before this refers to the return of Christ at a unknown, and unknowable, future time. The pastor was very clear about the unknowable part, challenging those who become caught up in the weeds of trying to predict when these events will happen. His point with the message was the command that Jesus gave to be expectant watchers, and focus on our tasks: 1) all are to watch, 2) watchers are to fulfill assigned tasks, 3) watchers continue to watch, and 4) watchers look around as well as up. In short the expectant watcher "believes something will happen and knows he doesn't know very much."

In some ways this week felt like a nice balance between highly structured liturgical services and less structured, free flowing, services. A third of the way through this project and we are beginning to recognize distinctive differences as well as plenty of commonalities.

Week 17 - Heritage Church

heritagenorthwest.org

This week found us visiting a church that is in temporary housing for the near future. It was mentioned that they had recently placed an offer on a permanent facility so stay tuned. For now Heritage Church is meeting in the Home of God building located on the east side of town.

The facility they are using is comfortable, seating about 350, with a stage large enough to easily handle six instruments and two vocalists. A large screen provided the backdrop and was used extensively throughout the meeting for video announcements and song lyrics. Congregants numbered about 150 and all ages were represented. Music was contemporary with one classic hymn and lead by a talented, and very energetic, member of the staff. In fact energy is how best to describe the morning, lots of energy. In addition we were warmly greeted by a number of people as we sat waiting for the service to start.

The lead pastor was on a trip to Nigeria, the purpose of which wasn't really made clear, so the message was provided by the associate pastor, Jeremy, who had recently joined staff. Since he is relatively new to the church this gave him an opportunity to share his personal story and faith journey. 

And quite a story it was. Raised, and active, in the Latter Day Saints until late high school when he had a crisis of faith and rebelled against everything. After dropping out of high school and leaving his parents home he moved in with other family, finished high school and joined the Marines. In the Marines he served several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and worked on developing his alcohol consumption skills in his free time. After being transferred to Portland, OR he was honorably discharged from the Marines, struggled to settle into civilian life, and eventually ended up in jail. While in jail he became acquainted with the pastor of HC and began his journey back to faith. Upon being discharged from jail he enrolled at Northwest University in Salem OR. Shortly after completing his studies he joined HC part-time on staff.

More than just a great story of a torturous journey of faith, Jeremy's story exemplifies what appears to be at the heart of the mission and ministry of Heritage Church. Meeting people where they are and walking with them on the path into a life of faith. 

To close out the service people were invited to come forward for prayer or encouragement. Having sat through many an extended altar call it was greatly appreciated when people were also invited to leave and fellowship rather than wait. Not something we had encountered before but certainly made sense.

Did we mention, visitors get a mug? 
The collection grows.