Churches I've Been a Member Of

OK, so, today is sort of a random post. I have attended four churches regularly during the course of my life. With the advent of the digital age, each of the churches is now offering online recordings of the sermons. I thought I'd post a little about each church, so you can discover for yourself these churches around the country that are having an impact in their neighborhoods and around the world. Please note: the commentary on the kind of churches these churches are is my opinion only, and should not be taken as official word from the churches themselves.


Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church
Denomination: Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.
City: Durham, NC
Attended: 1976 - 1995
What the church is like: Being a block from Duke University's East Campus, and about 20 minutes from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the church has a lot of members who are associated with a university or the Duke medical system. Because many people attend for several years during their studies and leave, Blacknall has its own "diaspora" of attenders who are now elsewhere in the world. Although many Presbyterian churches are considered either dead and/or quite liberal in their theology, Blacknall is a very evangelical, conservative church, whose members take their faith seriously, and which sees itself as a voice of purity in a denomination continually struggling to define itself.


Madison Square Christian Reformed Church
Denomination: Christian Reformed
City: Grand Rapids, MI
Attended: 1996 - 2002
What the church is like: Madison Square is located in a predominantly poorer, African American community in Grand Rapids. The Christian Reformed Church in North America is made up largely of descendants of Dutch immigrants. As you can imagine, those two groups of people don't necessarily have a lot in common with one another. Madison Square's predominant purpose is to foster racial reconciliation among its members and the surrounding community. This plays itself out in many ways, including the style of worship at the church, and at a deeper level, encouraging difficult but important conversations between racial groups.


Irving Bible Church
Denomination: Non-denominational
City: Irving, TX
Attended: 2002 - 2007
What the church is like: Unlike Madison Square, IBC is located in the middle of the affluent area of Irving known as Las Colinas. Like many churches in Dallas, it's a pretty typical mega-church, complete with large sanctuary and two jumbo screens. With an average attendance of about 4,000 people, there's a lot of energy at the church. At any given time, there are numerous activities and ministries going on that you can serve in, or be served by. IBC strives to be a church that welcomes people from all walks of life, preaching the Word of God boldly, but not casting condemnation on those who walk through its doors. Unlike any church I had attended up until then, I knew many people who had come to know Christ because of IBC.


Central Christian Church
Denomination: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
City: Mt. Vernon, IL
Attended: June 2007 - present
What the church is like: I have only attended the church regularly for several months now, so it's hard for me to say firmly what I feel the church is like. I do know that the church is making an effort to be culturally relevant to the people who come (which is not always the case in small towns.) In many ways it's like IBC, with its focus on slick graphics, contemporary music, and vibrant youth programs.