Comments on Christian Life with Michael: Church Shopping: Guts Church/Victory Christian Cen...

i enjoy reading your posts, finding for a church w...

2009-10-12T03:31:22.074-05:00

i enjoy reading your posts, finding for a church with a good atmosphere. Hope you find your perfect home with your family.

Church supplies

Hey, if I was going to say anything I didn't want ...

2009-09-29T16:44:18.808-05:00

Hey, if I was going to say anything I didn't want someone to see, I wouldn't post it on a public blog! Ooo... I just hope nursery workers don't memorize my avatar and then recognize me when they see me coming and get nervous. For the record, anyone at Guts children's ministry who reads this: I'm not going to blog it if you, say, forget to give an unused diaper back or something. I don't want anyone to feel uptight when they see us! :)

I think your heart totally comes through in your b...

2009-09-29T16:37:13.206-05:00

I think your heart totally comes through in your blog and that's great! I'm believing you will find the best place for you and your family! And YAY for your wife! And YAY for great music! And YAY for the nice guys at the info booth! Hope you don't mind, but since a new person was just placed over the little kid's areas, I forwarded your blog to her... ;)

Definitely don't get me wrong... we LOVED Guts. In...

2009-09-29T13:07:52.945-05:00

Definitely don't get me wrong... we LOVED Guts. In fact, if things somehow don't work out with the church we're looking at now, Guts will be our next choice. And in fact, the church we think may be our final choice doesn't currently meet on Wednesdays anyway... my wife wants to go to Guts on Wednesdays. ;) I would highly recommend Guts to anyone (OK, anyone who isn't afraid of rock & roll!) And as far as the "guyish" thing is concerned, my wife probably is more enthusiastic about Guts than I am!

Thanks for the comment! And thanks for not seeing these blog posts as sniping at churches, because that's not the intention at all. In fact, you know what? I may blog something in the next few days... several years ago I ran across a school paper/project by a guy who does not consider himself a believer, but he visited several large churches in Tulsa and wrote the paper based on his experiences. One of the churches he visited was the one we were attending at the time, and it was eye-opening to see what he wrote. Although I never thought about it until now, that was probably part of the inspiration for blogging our church-searching experience.

As a member of Guts Church, I enjoyed reading your...

2009-09-29T12:57:00.248-05:00

As a member of Guts Church, I enjoyed reading your blog... it is helpful to see your church through other's eyes sometimes... We came to Guts 5 years ago and I can tell you we have never been planted in a church with such a loving, family atmosphere... you mentioned World Outreach Church and one thing I know Pastor Janet says is to attend 3 times because each service is different... I love that ... in fact, that's what we did at Guts... the first time we went, I was freezing cold and the music was too loud... the 3rd time, we knew it was where we were suppose to be... and now my daughter is a part of that "loud" music! So... wherever you go, go 3 times! Regarding doctrine... I am sure you can call the church and ask for our "statement" ... we are people who love God and want to change the world by introducing them to a real covenant relationship with the Father through His Son, Jesus! Oh, and a guy's church?! Your wife needs to come to one of our Guts Girls events!! We blow the guys out of the water! :)

enjoying reading about your journey on finding a c...

2009-09-20T14:17:29.450-05:00

enjoying reading about your journey on finding a church. i will believe with you that you will find your place in the body and a place to call home.

anon addictive blog reader (or something like that)

Seems like many churches don't see there being muc...

2009-09-19T10:02:11.053-05:00

Seems like many churches don't see there being much of a need to share their basic Theological stand on their Web sites any more. Of course, most of then have streams of messages up there already, which I supposed fills that void to some extent, but it doesn't really give you the full picture.

Something I alluded to but didn't really say outright above is that Guts has an overall feel to me of "left a little bit unfinished". The Web site, the buildings, the literature, even the stage setup. Different churches have different personalities, and this one kind of has a guy feel to it to me... and guys don't need things to be decorated with flowers on the podium. :)

Or maybe churches find that most people aren't that interested in their stand on the Cross. Or maybe they feel (probably rightfully) that most people go to a church they are invited to by someone they know anyway, so any questions can be answered by that person.

ahh, the modern, edgy, mega-church. always so enti...

2009-09-19T04:36:22.802-05:00

ahh, the modern, edgy, mega-church. always so enticing yet somehow so impersonal. i spent the last 4 years attending one such megachurch. had loadsa friends, enjoyed the rock n roll worship, generally liked the funky, humor-laden sermons. then i went through a phase where i didn't show up for months; nobody noticed. eventually i returned and after a few more months realized i was spiritually malnourished. i needed to be in a church where they preached Christ crucified, had an emphasis on solid Bible teaching over visual gimmickery; doctrine over dance routine; praise and worship over pop concert. so my wife and i moved.

the only reason i was there in the first place was because my wife attended (this was when i met her online, before we got married). i can't say it was an altogether bad experience; we certainly learned stuff and to this day have treasured relationships from the church. the leadership in the church truly love the Lord. but i've always been convinced that a church doesn't need to be gimmicky or super-edgy to be relevant. if you're a custodian of the living Word - and all true Christians are - then what we have is relevant, no matter the age.

i commend your "church shopping" - at least you're looking around and exercising discernment. i looked at the GUTS church website and yeah, it looks cool and "in touch" with this generation. but i couldn't find the gospel on the site. there was a reference to Jesus on the About page. but that's about it. what do you make of this?

i don't mean to ramble here! God bless your search bro. i believe all that matters is a Bible-believing, Christ-centered church where the gospel is high on the agenda. it doesn't hurt to be modern and dynamic - who doesn't enjoy cream cakes and icing? as long as the main course is truly fulfilling.