Stephanie Kirschner - Church visit #2

Church name: North Maine Community Church
Church address: Big Cinemas, Niles IL
Date attended: 3/30/14
Church category: Non-denominational

The service itself was much more similar to my own church than I expected. This is probably because the pastor of the church originally ministered at my home church in Park Ridge, but several years ago he felt called to start this new church in an under-served area. He and a small core group of people planted North Maine Community Church in Niles. The service began with worship consisting of fairly loud contemporary music, followed by announcements, and then the offering. After that, we watched a sermon on the big screen. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to see my former pastor preach, but he explained that the church watches video sermons once a month or so. The service concluded with a closing worship song. Apart from the video sermon, the service was similar to what I am used to.

Though the order of service and overall "feel" of the church was similar, I appreciated that the congregation were much more diverse than my regular context. Having grown up overseas and then having attended a diverse high school in Chicago, it was interesting and appealing to be around people from different backgrounds and cultures. The worship leader and the rest of the staff team was conscious and intentional about including everyone and making us feel welcome. There didn't seem to be any sort of social, racial, or economic divisions. Although the church doesn't have the funds to engage in large-scale missions trips, it was evident to me that the pastor values outreach and the importance of intentional and growing relationships with Christ and with others.

I think the most disorienting part about the worship service was the fact that it is held in a movie theater. I am used to attending churches that take place in various venues, like school gyms and auditoriums, but for some reason this particular setting made it difficult to focus. The bright cinema lights during worship made it a little bit challenging to focus on the songs we were singing, and, it sounds silly, but the smell of popcorn was distracting. However, as the service went on, I got used to the slightly strange setting and was able to engage more freely. Hopefully soon this church family will be able to move into their own building, but for now I am thrilled that this movie theater is available for people to meet and experience Christ.

Something that this worship service helped me perceive more clearly is the seriousness with which Scripture commands us to serve others wholeheartedly and to use our specific gifts for God's glory. Having attended a predominantly white and affluent church for the past several years, I think that I have in some ways become disillusioned and numb to what it means to truly "give" of yourself. This church understands that "giving" does not merely refer to money, but it involves our time, our energy, and the way we choose to live. It was inspiring to witness a church with a lower socioeconomic demographic that was eager to look for ways to serve and to invest in others' lives. It was obvious to me that the church staff truly believes in "Kingdom" work, and that living a Christian life is an all or nothing type of endeavor.