Ever since moving home to Dayton, I have been searching for a church to become a part of. It’s been more difficult than I expected it to be. I tried out my old church, Southwest, but since I went there before college, it’s changed, and I hardly know anyone there. My friend Patrick came up to me the other day, wanting to get back involved with church and to rekindle a lost communion with God. The two of us have been church-hopping over the last couple weeks. The first church we checked out was Apex, one of the biggest and most successful churches in the area. One could consider it a megachurch: the church itself is the hub of a network of house churches spread all over the Dayton area. This week (err, today) we went to Miamisburg Christian Church. One of the old worship leaders from Southwest plays there (Adam Young), and some of our high school friends (Chris and Hank, along with his wife Ashlie), as well as Ron and Aisa, a couple we knew, attend there. So we checked it out today and then went out to eat with Pat and Ashlie—“China Cottage,” a long-time favorite—and as Patrick drove me back to the house, we decided to go back to Miamisburg Christian.
And I’ve been thinking about the nature of “church-hopping.” Basically it’s about trying to find a church that you like. A church that caters to your needs. Some people like the method of one place, others like the method of another. In all honesty, I prefer simplicity: a few hymns (revised contemporary), a sermon, some good ol’ fellowship. When it comes to church services, that’s what I like the most. Problem is, it’s hard to find. Outdated. M.C.C. is a lot like Southwest, the similarities are actually astounding. And maybe the familiarity of it—along with the friendships already forged there—make it a good choice.
While in Cincinnati, for a year I was part of a church called Seven Hills. I tend to be Arminian in my theological convictions, and Seven Hills was pretty fundamentally calvinistic (not to be confused with hyper-calvinistic). Amidst such basic doctrinal disagreements, we experienced a great community of evangelism, encouragement, rebuke, challenge, and exhortation. We modeled, insofar as we could, the New Testament testimony of the framework of the New Testament church. I grew and was nurtured and challenged and was forced to rethink and rebuild my life in many ways around God and His kingdom. In my pursuits of a church to belong to, I tend to compare everything to that. But the reality is that such networks are hard to find these days. The one I participated in disbanded and half the members flocked to Bloomington, Indiana. But M.C.C., if Patrick and I decide to stay there, will be a good place to foster community and continue my pursuit of God and His kingdom.
And I’ve been thinking about the nature of “church-hopping.” Basically it’s about trying to find a church that you like. A church that caters to your needs. Some people like the method of one place, others like the method of another. In all honesty, I prefer simplicity: a few hymns (revised contemporary), a sermon, some good ol’ fellowship. When it comes to church services, that’s what I like the most. Problem is, it’s hard to find. Outdated. M.C.C. is a lot like Southwest, the similarities are actually astounding. And maybe the familiarity of it—along with the friendships already forged there—make it a good choice.
While in Cincinnati, for a year I was part of a church called Seven Hills. I tend to be Arminian in my theological convictions, and Seven Hills was pretty fundamentally calvinistic (not to be confused with hyper-calvinistic). Amidst such basic doctrinal disagreements, we experienced a great community of evangelism, encouragement, rebuke, challenge, and exhortation. We modeled, insofar as we could, the New Testament testimony of the framework of the New Testament church. I grew and was nurtured and challenged and was forced to rethink and rebuild my life in many ways around God and His kingdom. In my pursuits of a church to belong to, I tend to compare everything to that. But the reality is that such networks are hard to find these days. The one I participated in disbanded and half the members flocked to Bloomington, Indiana. But M.C.C., if Patrick and I decide to stay there, will be a good place to foster community and continue my pursuit of God and His kingdom.
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