diary of a church hopper, pt. 11

It might be easier to meet people if I bring a friend to church, I thought. So I took along my friend who was spending the night to the RCA megachurch.

No such luck in meeting people.

Not that we were trying.

Part of me said, "Don't put a lot of effort in if you don't see yourself getting involved." So I tried envisioning it...the easiest thing to see was myself helping teach second graders, or convincing a four year old to sit down on his carpet square and watch the flannelgraph. Or aiding parents trying to escape from their children in the nursery.

But is that in this church?

Pros

• Lots of young people
• Lots of groups
• Need for volunteers
• Small groups

Cons

• An irritating trek across the city to get there
• The unfamiliar worship music
• My skepticism toward the pastor
• Lack of elderly
• Rumors of church problems

Question 1: What is most important in looking for a church? If I liked everything, everything except the pastor, would that be grounds to move on?

Question 2: Is my skepticism toward the pastor warranted? "Wearing a mask" is the best way to describe my thoughts about him. But, is that just my past experience with pastors showing through?

Question 3: Couldn't a worship team be placed so that one could not see them, so that they would not be a focus of attention, maybe even we wouldn't know who they were?

Question 4: If one chooses a church according to where they see God at work, what is the evidence of his presence? This winds back to how God speaks, I think.