This morning, I went to Parkview Christian Church (not to be confused with Park Community Church from last week) which happens to be about four meters from where I grew up. Though I never really knew about it until recently. According to Outreach Magazine (May/June, 2004), it is #94 of the 100 fastest growing churches in America. It has a large budget as well and a rapidly growing membership. They are also moving into a new building in the coming weeks, so this week’s sermon dealt with how the move would impact the church’s community– in both good and bad ways. I don’t think I experienced a true “sermon” in this sense, but it did send a positive message about what the church was doing.
I was a bit curious if my attending would be any different this week, because I had mentioned I would be going to this church earlier in the week (my bad). Thankfully, I still felt like I was an outsider observing everything. The only exception to this was someone shaking my hand early in the service, as I sat near the back. We made eye contact– I assumed it was another greeter, like the others I had met when I entered the building. A few seconds later, the same man came back near me, and asked, “Are you Hemant?” (That was strange.) But he added, “I’m Pastor Tim [Harlow].” He said he was glad to see me there, and that was that. Quick, friendly, not a problem. I wondered how he knew it was me… then again, I guess it’s not that hard to spot a brown person sitting in a Christian church near the back by himself… :)
Read the rest of this news item »
I went to Park Community Church near Lincoln Park in Chicago. And on a Sunday morning! :)
PCC is a non-denominational, ethnically diverse, age diverse (Lots of babies), Christian church… which has a home at a Chicago elementary school. (I know the church pays rent to the school in exchange for the space, but that relationship freaks me out in a church-state separation sorta way…)
To summarize the service: A band played while we entered, a skit was performed leading into the sermon, the sermon was delivered, and we sang some more.
Here’s what stuck out:
Read the rest of this news item »
If you check out the Free Church Survey (see red button in right hand column) you can see the exact questions we are asking Hemant to respond to in each church.
Here are some questions a reader sent in for Hemant.
Read the rest of this news item »