Doing Church Differently

Leaving Seoul International Baptist Church in December 2019, I didn’t have a clue what God had planned for my future ministry. However, there was one thing that I was absolutely certain of; I was never going back to a traditional, typical, “business as usual” church. SIBC was not for those of you who don’t know.

In the Fall of 2019, I began Church on the Edge. Since that time, I have written weekday posts, recorded four seasons of podcasts, and published three books. Covid sidelined Sherri and me from church for a while, but in time, we found our way to Bellview Methodist Church, about ten minutes from our home in Pensacola. Hearing Pastor Nancy’s sermons each week was a blessing, and it didn’t take long for me to get involved in the Wednesday IGLO, which I can only describe as a weekly VBS for kids.

I felt certain that I would serve as pastor of a church again, but like I said, I was not even remotely interested in anything other than a church on the edge.

And Embrace Church in High Point, North Carolina, fits that bill to a tee.

In this week’s posts, I want to share with you about our little church and how I believe God is going to take this mustard-seed ministry and use it for His glory. I’ll also be giving updates on some things I’ve been asking you to pray about in previous posts.

Maybe the most unique thing (among many) about our church is that we do not have members. At least, not officially. We have regular attendees, and we have men and women serving in positions of leadership, but there is no official membership role in Embrace.

There’s nothing wrong with church membership, and I am not advocating for other churches to “be like us.” No, each church is unique, and distinct and serves a role in the body of Christ.

But our vision at Embrace is to build a multicultural church with people from all backgrounds, and official membership can be a barrier to that vision.

I recently shared about a Filipino woman whose boyfriend passed away. I prayed for him before he died, and I spent time with family and friends, almost all of whom were Roman Catholic. That woman is now attending our church along with several other Filipino Roman Catholics, who also attend a weekly Bible study in our home.

And you would be amazed at the salvation testimonies and experiences with Christ we’ve heard from many of these folks - Jesus appearing in a dream to heal a young woman of a high fever. Through that experience, she became a disciple. A young girl devastated by her father’s abandonment and finding God’s comfort and the presence of Jesus in a local church that she regularly visited, finding solitude and silence, and most important, Jesus.

And for those of you who have been praying for the husband with an alcohol addiction, guess what? He was in our church service last week. The timing was perfect. I shared from my book, Masterpiece in the Making, about the three years I struggled with the suffering and death of my mother, father, and brother. The chapter “The Birth of Hope” describes my battles with doubt and loneliness. He was visibly moved and hugged me after the message, telling his wife, “I’m going to bring some of my rehab friends to this church!” Last night, he participated in our Trunk or Treat. The pic appearing with this post is of Sherri and me at that event.

And while I’m at it, let me say a word about our Trunk or Treat. One of the ladies in Embrace asked me if it was okay for her to dress up as a witch. I’ve served churches in the past where, as pastor, I would have had to tell her “no.” And I’ll be the first to say that for those Christians and churches who feel these kinds of “spooky” costumes are inappropriate, they should be avoided. Scripture is clear concerning these matters and the conscience of individual believers. But I know our church. And I know that there is a freedom and acceptance among our people that not only allows for individual expression but encourages it.

Stay tuned tomorrow for another Trunk or Treat pic.

I’m going to stop here. But tomorrow, I will continue to share how not having official membership at Embrace removes barriers keeping people from seeking a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus.

And I know LGBTQ is a cultural flashpoint that is absolutely anathema to many Christians and churches, but we need to get over demonizing people. Jesus was a friend of sinners. Why should we be any different?

In Christ,

Dan

Check out my podcasts from Church on the Edge and my books on Kindle.

You can listen to my weekly messages at Embrace Church, High Point.