Church, Part 2

The process of looking for a church has been wearisome at the least. There were 2 churches that we were checking out when we first got here. Both of them within 5-10 minutes and both church plants meeting in school auditoriums.

In August, I visited a church by myself one Sunday morning. It had a lot of good aspects....except no one but for the greeter at the door said hello to me! I was in shock. In fact it angered me. I cry during every service of a church I visit. I slowly left the church walking by lots of people and even looking some in the eye and made it to my car without even a head nod. I got in, shut the door and started crying. Here I am a guest, longing for connection, wanting to find a church home. And NO ONE said hello! (The greeter doesn't count...he had to!) I started driving away, blurred vision from the hot tears. I got about 3 blocks away, and turned my car around. I drove back to that church, parked my car and went back in. I found the pastor's wife and pulled her aside. Crying, I told her what had happened. I told her the worship was great, the message super...but no one said hello to me! She apologized and made some excuses about it being thet 5th Sunday and they forgot to schedule more greeters. I told her that's fine...but if they want to grow as a church and reach all these people, the body has to start paying attention. Not just the greeters or the staff members...but everyone. I told her I would come visit again, but that she needed to know there was a gaping HOLE in their ministry.

I don't know if I scared her half to death or just freaked her out to no end, but I felt someone at that church needed to know. Not for me...but for the next really hurting person who walks through their door.

I called Karin that night and related the story to her. She made a very good point. She said that ministry happens from the top down. Priorities happen from the top down. Warmth and care begins with the pastors and if a church is missing that, then it is probably not super important to the leadership of that church.

Hmmm. Of course, it crossed my mind, that perhaps I was to fill this gaping hole in this church. People are my passion. Connecting people to one another and creating an atmosphere of warmth and care and personal touch is extremely important to me. But, I was not feeling that from the Holy Spirit.

A few weeks went by and no one from that church ever contacted me. The pastor's wife knew my name and my story, and yet, never made a phone call or sent a letter. It kind of confirmed that that was not the church for us. It saddened me and angered me.