Showing Life in Life Church - Essay Example

Full Showing Life in Life Church Life Church is a non-denominational church that has existed in Indianapolis for more than six years now. They are located at 9101 W. 10th Street, Indianapolis. I got interested in the church because although it is small, it seemed to me like a vibrant church that is full of life. I first checked out churches on the internet and when I came across Life Church and read that it is a non-denominational church who receives all people from different walks of life, I felt I would be welcomed. There are no rigid rules and regulations in the church about how one should dress. Since I had no connections in the church, I was thankful that I could actually go to a church without being too obvious. Therefore, I dressed up with my usual clothes and went to Life Church in November 11, 18 and 25. I arrived at the church early and so I had time to look around. I guess since the church is not as big as other churches with hundreds or even thousands of attendees, one can easily spot a newcomer. The first time I went there, a young lady approached me and welcomed me with a handshake. She must have known I was new. She introduced herself as Grace Morgan and asked a bit of information about me. She was very friendly and accommodating I found myself actually enjoying her company. She invited me in and made me sit. When she learned that I was visiting the place for the first time, she asked me how I found out about the church. I then told her about the assignment and she nodded her head with understanding. She then asked me if I understood about my beliefs and other things she considered important such as my knowledge about God, Jesus, salvation and how I perceived church. I told her my beliefs are basically based from the Bible and she articulately conversed with me about assurance of salvation. I accepted what she was trying to tell me then she asked me if she could pray with me. I said yes and she prayed a short prayer for me, blessing me with the blessing of God. After which, Miss Morgan encouraged me to visit the church again even after I am finished with my assignment. She assured me that I will enjoy being and working with them. She also encouraged me to bring my friends with me during my next visits so that they will also discover the joy of getting involved in a church like Life Church. I said I was not promising anything but that I will try what I can do. When the service (on the Roman Catholic and Episcopalian churches, it is called mass) started, I actually was surprised to see that the attendees did not dress formally. Although I have already known through my online search that there are no dress codes, I did not expect that even the leaders and the older people would dress very casually as I did. I actually expected the people who would be standing in front of the pulpit to be at least formally dressed to differentiate themselves from the attendees. However, I now understand that the church believes that one of the hindrances for people to go to church is that, they sometimes feel out of place. Therefore, no dress codes have been established. I think the technique is pretty clever because it makes newcomers feel comfortable. We started with a prayer and then proceeded with singing. As it is as contemporary in accepting whoever gets in regardless of how they dress, the church also did not engage with ceremonial practices. After the prayer, there was a short exhortation about worship and then we begun to sing. A band led the singing which was actually enjoyable. I stood up with the congregation and sang with them. With the help of projectors, the people are able to see the songs on the stage so there was no need of song books or other materials distributed during the service. The attendees cannot be said that they are emotional but as an observer, I noticed that they seemed to sing the songs with a deeper understanding as compared to other people who would just be saying the words. Most of the people closed their eyes while they sang and opened them only when they needed to look at the lyrics of the song. They all seemed to have memorized the songs because they seldom opened their eyes. Each one was concentrating on his singing that they call worship and was oblivious of what could be happening inside the church. They clapped their hands and smiled and sung as they were led by the band. The singers seemed to have deliberately chosen their songs that started with joyful ones and then slowly changed to softer melodies. I think that is an established practice because I observed the same pattern in the three Sundays I have attended church. Throughout the singing, there was jumping and clapping and rejoicing. When the music changed to the slower melodies, the people did not clap their hands anymore instead, raised them in praise of their God. A short exhortation was shared about why people should give their offerings which are often in terms or money. The musicians played and the collection bag was passed around. When the preacher, also called the pastor stood after the worship time, I observed that even he, was not dressed very formally. He actually wore jeans and shirt. The church believes that there is only one God, the one who the Bible speaks about. They are a Bible-believing church who meet together to study the word of God and encourage those who are weary, strengthen the weak through prayers, guide others through counseling and help in whatever way they can according to the needs of those who approach them with their concerns just as the early church professed their faith. They believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was born of the Virgin Mary. They believe that He cam to this earth to become the sacrificial Lamb because He was the only one worthy to die for the sins of the world. They believe that He is the only Way as it is written in John 3:16, that Jesus is the only truth and that He is the life. When His blood was she on Calvary, He carried all the sins of the world upon Himself and His Father was not able to look at Him anymore because He was full of sin. They believe that Jesus has conquered death when He resurrected to heaven and that as He commanded the disciples in the New Testament as they have been saved by the grace of God, it is also their duty to share the salvation that they received in Jesus. They believe that they cannot do anything without the Holy Spirit who is now with the people as they continue to live in the world. The Holy Spirit is believed to have been sent after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is still is with the people nowadays to strengthen them, counsel and teach them in the ways they should go. The service went on smoothly without any incident. After the service, handshakes were exchanged. There was laughter and smiles, joyful greetings and goodbyes. When I went out, some parents were holding their children and I actually wondered how quiet they have been during the service or I was too concentrated on the service that I have not noticed them at all. I soon found out that the children have a separate teaching session where they are looked after by some volunteers. I think the technique is wonderful because the parents are able to concentrate on what is being taught and so they do not have to worry about their children. I asked about security measures and Miss Morgan said that they have looked into all those concerns. The volunteers undergo rigid interviews and investigation before they are allowed to be with the children. During my conversations with Grace Morgan, I found out that there are also other activities that they engage other members in for them to build up the faith in the members. They have small groups who meet in members’ houses or a fast food, or even in picnic areas. She actually invited me to join one of their sessions but I declined saying that I have other things I need to attend to. Morgan says that the small groups give more information about the Bible because they meet on a daily basis or weekly depending on the availability of the people involved. They read the Bible during those times, pray together and even share their problems with each other. She says the activities help them to be active in applying what they are learning in church. Life church believes that they are a part of the larger picture of God’s plan for the world and that they have been planted in Indianapolis for a purpose. As such, they believe that their mission is to reach, first and foremost, the people who are near them and then they can reach other nations as well as they grow stronger and bigger in number and faith. To do that, they have created small groups that would bring the word of God in a more personal manner. During those meetings, they can discuss personal matters that they may not be able to discuss with their friends or families. Therefore, ethical values are also taught among them in order to maintain respect and trust in the church. With their vision and mission, they have affiliated themselves with Vineyard Community whose purpose is to bring the word of God to other people. Other activities that they engage themselves in are practical applications of the word of God such as food and clothing pantry where they receive donations of cash or clothing and give to people in need for free. From my research, they also offer English as a Second Language lessons to foreigners as well as childcare and preschool. I think the concentration of the church is on prayer as I observed throughout the services I attended and through the encouragements given by Miss Morgan. n.a. Life Church: A Vineyard community. Life Group Resources. 2012. Web. November 7, 2012. < http://www.lifechurchindy.com/guest-site>. Morgan, Grace. Personal interview. November 11, 2012. Read More