What did my church get for its move to the suburbs?
October 28, 2008
My church was going downhill little by little and many of its more affluent members and leaders said it was because of its location inside the city. After several years of trying, it was finally able to move to the suburbs where everybody seemed more homogeneous.
Last Sunday, it held its first worship services in a brand new sanctuary. We went to the early service. The K-8 day school has been holding new classes in another part of the building since September.
The move to the new location was described as an opportunity for "relocation and renewal." The hope and the prayer was that the move to a new location and a new building would raise everybody's spiritual temperature and that it would attract new members.
So what were my impressions?
At the first service, I didn't see anything different, except for a new building. My perception of the spirit or the tone and the tenor of the service wasn't any different than before. There were the same folks with the same spirit, just in a different building.
Let me be clear that I owe my denomination and my church a lot. It's where I was introduced to Jesus. It's where I was baptized. It was where my kids were baptized. It's where I met my wife and where we were married. It's where a funeral service was held for my mom.
Has a new building moved Our Savior Lutheran Church, Lansing, MI closer to renewal? I hope and pray that it has and that the sparks will turn into a fire for the Lord.
Here's a Flip video clip of the first sermon in the new building delivered by Pastor Roy Olson:
First sermon at new Our Savior, Lansing, MI from Wes Thorp on Vimeo.
Last Sunday, it held its first worship services in a brand new sanctuary. We went to the early service. The K-8 day school has been holding new classes in another part of the building since September.
The move to the new location was described as an opportunity for "relocation and renewal." The hope and the prayer was that the move to a new location and a new building would raise everybody's spiritual temperature and that it would attract new members.
So what were my impressions?
At the first service, I didn't see anything different, except for a new building. My perception of the spirit or the tone and the tenor of the service wasn't any different than before. There were the same folks with the same spirit, just in a different building.
Let me be clear that I owe my denomination and my church a lot. It's where I was introduced to Jesus. It's where I was baptized. It was where my kids were baptized. It's where I met my wife and where we were married. It's where a funeral service was held for my mom.
Has a new building moved Our Savior Lutheran Church, Lansing, MI closer to renewal? I hope and pray that it has and that the sparks will turn into a fire for the Lord.
Here's a Flip video clip of the first sermon in the new building delivered by Pastor Roy Olson:
First sermon at new Our Savior, Lansing, MI from Wes Thorp on Vimeo.