This past weekend, I spoke at Freedom Church in Gallatin, TN. As I like to do, I thought I would give a rundown of the service and share some of my observations.

First, a little about the church. The church was planted by Terrell Sommerville about seven years ago. Although it has a "non-denominational feel," the church is pretty upfront about their affiliation. They are part of a group called "The General Baptist Association of General Baptist Churches." In other words, they like the "general" nature of the atonement so much it is in their name twice! So, they are Arminian Baptists, a sister fellowship to groups like Free Will Baptists. (If you are interested, I have written about them on the blog last year.)

I met Terrell when I was preaching for their denominational annual meeting-- which I will do again this summer. Terrell is president for the GBAGBC.

Anyway, on to my observations.

One of the things I immediately noticed about the church was its focus on the unchurched. Though no one used the term, I think it would be fair to say that this was a seeker-focused church. And, the congregation was passionate about reaching people far from God.

Over 500 people attend the church each week in three services-- one Saturday night and two on Sunday morning. (Their goal is to have over 800 people attend this weekend-- with the majority of guests being unchurched people.)

I first attended the volunteer meeting before the Sunday night service. Lance Johnson led the meeting and exhorted everyone to serve with excellence and welcome newcomers. And, my favorite line was at the end when he said, "Alright, let's man our 'battle stations.'" And, they did.

There were volunteers everywhere and they were focused on connecting people to Christ and his church.

When you drive in, they are there. And, there is a "volunteer parking" section away from the main building so that the close-up parking is for new guests.

People are serving coffee and greeting one another in a small foyer-- 5 people shake your hands before you get very far:

And you can't go far without seeing their core values:

Volunteers are registering and serving children:

And, one of my personal favorite "little things" is that they use "movie theater" style ropes to block off the back rows. The back 5 rows were blocked off and then "first impressions director" (the guy in the picture) moves back the ropes on row at a time so that people fill in the front first. If you ask him why, he explains, "because guests come in late" and they don't want to embarrass them by having them walk to the front.

They are in a series right now called "Groovy," about "getting into the groove." Since I am about as cool as a 42-year-old with braces, I did not groove much, but instead preached my "Compelled by Love" message to help support their "Bring a Friend" weekend.

You can spot the "groovy" on the top of the stage:

I left reminded that there are some churches that really care about the unchurched. This is one of them.

Some of these churches are raw and gritty. Several people at Freedom told me how they just came to Christ. And, one man gave his testimony-- live. He had just become a Christ-follower and he got up and explained that this church was just edgy enough that he wanted to see more. He came to Sunday morning and then trusted Christ.

Here is a video from Terrell inviting folks to church.

One final (and long) thought. Freedom Church reminded me of a poem by Sam Shoemaker called, "I Stand by the Door." Freedom Church, and other churches like it, are passionate to reach the unchurched and "stand by the door."

You (and I) might not do everything like Freedom Church, but I think every church can learn much from their passion to reach those far from God and to plan so much of what they do to reach people in need of the gospel.

As Sam Shoemaker said, they stand by the door:

I stand by the door.

I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out,
The door is the most important door in the world-
It is the door through which people walk when they find God.
There's no use my going way inside, and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where a door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind people,
With outstretched, groping hands.
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it ...
So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for people to find that door--the door to God.
The most important thing any person can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands,
And put it on the latch--the latch that only clicks
And opens to the person's own touch.
People die outside that door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter--
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live, on the other side of it--live because they have not found it.
Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him ...
So I stand by the door.

Go in, great saints, go all the way in--
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics--
It is a vast roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms.
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in,
Sometimes venture in a little farther;
But my place seems closer to the opening ...
So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them
For God is so very great, and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia,
And want to get out. "Let me out!" they cry,
And the people way inside only terrify, them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled
For the old life, they have seen too much:
Once taste God, and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving--preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door,
But would like to run away. So for them, too,
I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not, yet even found the door,
Or the people who want to run away again from God,
You can go in too deeply, and stay in too long,
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him, and know He is there,
But not so far from people as not to hear them,
And remember they are there, too.
Where? Outside the door--
Thousands of them, millions of them.
But--more important for me--
One of them, two of them, ten of them,
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.
"I had rather be a door-keeper ..."
So I stand by the door.

While I was in Chicago this past weekend I had the opportunity to worship with Community Christian Church where Dave Ferguson serves as Lead Pastor. CCC is a multi-site church with nine locations in and around Chicago. Dave invited me to lunch so we attended the Naperville "Yellow Box" site and went out after services.

I am not usually a church "attendee" as I preach most Sundays at my church. But, I was already in Chicago celebrating my anniversary and doing a TV shoot for the Assemblies of God and TLN. And, Dave and Jon are friends...

So, Donna and I rented a car and headed out to Naperville from downtown. About a long HOUR later, we arrived.

Community Christian and the Fergusons are having a growing imact. Their church is continuing to reach new people, launch new campuses, and start new congregations (though their New Thing Network). I thought I would share with you some thoughts as to why (I think) they are growing like they are-- this is not a "review" in the sense that I am listing what I like and don't like. Instead, I am just pointing out what I observed that I think contributes to their growth.

Here are four observations I made while in attendance.

1. People are excited to be there.

As we drive up the big "yellow box" (the nickname for this site) can't be missed.

When you walk in someone greets you at the door. You immediately see the coffee shop and see people mingling. (Pat Masek told me they were going to give me a free drink, but I did not stop by as we were too late!) But, clearly, there is a sense of welcome when you walk in.

Here is a pic from the lobby right before the service:

From when you walk in the door, there is a sense of excitement in all that is happening - and it is contagious.

2. Everyone is on the same page.

One of the things I noticed was that everyone "gets" their vision and purpose.

For example, this site has two venues in one building. One is a theater, the other is a gym. Dave was "live" in the gym, so we went there (even though Jon is my favorite of the two... a joke that Dave and Jon will get).

However, I went over to the theater venue to learn more about their approach. While I was walking in I met Amy, a very alert and attentive greater. She tells me everything - including the fact that though they have two venues they have the same mission, "to help people find their way to God."

When I ask the differences between the two services, Amy explains that one service is louder than the other and the other sings more hymns. You can see this in the contemporary band and feel of the service.

She tells me that the Icon theater service is more traditional, and has no drums or guitar.

Yet, she goes on to share that both venues are helping people "find their way back to God." Actually, I heard that phrase 13 times before I left - this is a shared vision in the church. And Dave later explains that "we believe Jesus makes it possible to find our way back to God."

3. CCC is very focused on reaching the unchurched.

After telling a story about Scott, an unchurched friend, Dave shares, "we are going to teach straight from the Bible... but we will explain it... I am going to start a church for my friend Scott..."

When I went to lunch with Dave, Sue, and Jon, Dave said they are not a "seeker church." However, they are certainly focused on reaching seekers regardless of what term you use.

They do that through clear and frequent reminders of the basics-- the need to follow Christ, clear repetition of their purpose, and an invitation to follow Christ.

I noted three additional things that stand out:

a) Clear communication to guests.Their signs are clear about where the main things are.

Children's registration is clear, well staffed, and secure:

b) The use of secular music and illustrations.

The church works hard to connect and they consider using secular examples and music as a part of that plan. In today's service they talk about leadership and show a video that features the Wright brothers as an example. They sing the Learning to Fly from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Most people know these examples well. They also showed a moving video testimony that you can see here.

c) The message is basic without being simplistic.

Deep Bible knowledge is not the agenda, but "one big idea" is. Today, the message (big idea) is "We are all meant to lead in helping people find their way back to God." Dave called people to find the place and/or issue (poverty, evangelism, family, addictions, etc.) that God has called you to so that you might live out that vision.

4. They focus on excellence.

In everything they do, they do their best. This doesn't mean that everything in the building and service is expensive, but that they work hard at doing their best for God, his people and their visitors.

Surprises and Random Observations

Now, on to a few things that I found surprising or just needed a random place to mention. Some of you would expect much of what I observed in a church like Community Christian, but here are a few other thoughts:

The building is, well, not fancy. The place where we met had plastic chairs, an exposed frame ceiling, and hanging basketball hoops. They are not putting their money in their facility.

They are teaching through the book of Nehemiah. The series is called "The Leader Within."

They passed out note sheets, but it was too dark for me to see, so I don't take many notes.

This is not a church of young adults. It has many, but it is really a multi-generational church. I saw many people older and younger than me.

They serve communion at the end of every service. This is unusual for a contemporary church, particularly one as focused on reaching the unchurched as CCC. However they are a part of the Restoration Movement, where weekly communion is an essential practice. Right before communion, Dave briefly explained what it meant and who should partake.

In the theatre, the bread and cups were passed down the rows. In the theatre, it had a little more of an ancient future feel as you can see:

We headed out afterward for lunch and called it a day. From left to right is Donna, Sue, Dave, and Jon.

A fascinating day with many takeaways including the importance of excellence, communication, and execution.

I have always appreciated the Fergusons because they love their church, and are growing it through multisite. Yet, they are also heavily invovled in church planting. They do "both/and" rather than "either/or."

And, Dave, thanks for buying lunch!

Terry Mattingly does his usual good job covering religion. He writes a weekly column for Scripps Howard news that is then run in papers around the world.

Terry writes:

The trend is clear. Vague talk is safer than clear action. Personal beliefs are good, but not if these doctrines lead to actions that indicate that some beliefs are right and others wrong.

Seeking is good, but finding is bad. Judging is even worse.

My personal favorite "Terry Mattingly" location is his web site, getreligion.org, an important location on my Bloglines reader. I have mentioned them twice before on the blog.

You can read his coverage of two recent research projects here.

My contribution was:

"There is a sense in our culture that is acceptable to believe in anything spiritual, as long as it makes you a better person and helps you find peace," said Ed Stetzer, leader of the LifeWay Research team. "One's faith only becomes a problem when that belief actually makes claims that contradicts the faith of others."

In an age of "I'm OK, You're OK" spirituality, he added, "American spirituality has glorified 'searching' for spiritual meaning, but de-emphasized 'finding.' In other words, it is good to be looking for spirituality, but it is intolerant to actually believe you have found a right faith. ... Intolerance is defined to mean actually believing that your faith is the correct one."

Terry always moves beyond research to analysis and I was impressed.

Here are my full answers to his questions.

On there being one way.

The change between the "higher or supreme being" question and "the God described in the Bible," would seem to say that Americans want "God," but they are not as sure they want to say God is the exclusive biblical God of Christianity.

For that matter, there is a sense in our culture that is acceptable to believe in anything spiritual, as long as it makes you a better person and helps you find peace.

One's faith only becomes a problem when that belief actually makes claims that contradicts the faith of others. Since Christianity (and other faiths) make exclusive truth claims, it becomes controversial when Christians (and others) start to actually believe and propagate the claims of their faith.

On generic faith.

As best I can tell, those who are not a regular part of a faith community still want to be "spiritual" people, but without a clear faith.

As an evangelical Christian, I would say that many fashion a tame God in their own image-- a generic god for a generic spirituality, not a God who actually intervened in the world through the death of Christ and calls us to follow and live differently.

For many, they want to get all the benefits of spirituality without any of the truth claims of a rigorous faith.

On Spirituality

I think the Oprah-ization of American spirituality has glorified "searching" for spiritual meaning but de-emphasized "finding." In other words, it is good to be looking for spirituality, but it is intolerant to actually believe you have found a right faith and want to invite others to such.

In "I'm O.K., You're O.K. Spirituality," the only sin is intolerance... and intolerance is defined to mean actually believing your faith is the correct one.

On why conservative churches grow even when the majority of Americans lean toward a universalistic faith.

Non-attendees want to ignore a generic God, but when/if they follow a faith, they want one that has robust beliefs and is worth following.

Since growing churches tend to have more defined belief systems, when people start a journey to faith, they want something they see as worth believing and giving their life to. A generic god is hardly one worth committing to.