first impressions

My husband and I took some kids from our youth ministry to Nashville last weekend for a big prayer meeting. The meeting was on Saturday, so we planned to get breakfast, go to church, and drive home on Sunday. In preparation, I had done an internet search for non-denominational churches in the small Tennessee town where we were staying. There were three, all along the same stretch of road. This is a story of the first impressions I got from their facilities.

Church #1
First Impression #1: There was no sign near the road. The building wasn't far from the road, but I saw the address number before I saw the name of the church on the building.

First Impression #2: Service started at 10 am. It' was 9:50 and there were zero cars in the parking lot.

We drove right by that one. I noticed as we sped up again that there was a sign on the door, but we didn't have time to pull up and read it. I'm guessing the unchurched in their community who perhaps tried to get to church one morning wouldn't have been interested either.

Church #2
First Impression #1: We saw the sign by the road, but drove by it because the building was so far back, and behind a line of trees, that we weren't sure where to turn.

First Impression #2: The church facility was a warehouse next to a very nice home. I'm not one of those that needs a traditional church building, but this warehouse was in someone's back yard.

First Impression #3: As we did a U-turn in the gravel parking lot, a man emerged from the house on his way to the church building. He was bald, but sporting a thick goatee, and wearing shorts with knee-high black socks.

I'm sure it was a good, fun ministry, but they did not seem prepared for visitors at all. I didn't feel like being stared at all morning.

Church #3
Never found it.

We put on a sermon CD and drove home. On the way I started to think about having a similar experience as an unchurched family in that town.

Church #1: I might have been more inclined to stop and read the sign on the door if I lived in that town. Maybe they moved their service to a different location; if so, I might still go. Maybe they cancelled their service for that morning for whatever reason. Would I come back next week? I couldn't say.

Church #2: Getting me into that church on a Sunday morning would take a relationship with someone there. I like small churches, and I like industrial settings - I think it's cool. I don't, however, like feeling like the oddball.

Church #3: If someone happened to tell me where it was, I might have gone the following week to check it out. I probably wouldn't seek out the information, though. If they wanted me to come, they wouldn't hide their building.