Katie Cialkowski- Church Visit #2

Church Name: Lawndale Community Church

Church Address: 3827 W Ogden, Chicago, IL 60623

Date Attended: March 15, 2015

Church Category: Lower socioeconomic demographic

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

The worship service was both different and similar from service which I regularly attend. It was similar in that it was structured essentially the same way- members arrive, sit down and wait for some music leaders to begin leading worship through a few songs, announcements were given, offering was collected, and then a message was delivered by the pastor. But while the general structure was similar, the various elements were a bit different. For one, the congregation is quite smaller than the church I normally attend, and the church members were mainly black. The music was much simpler than at the church I attend, only the singers were on stage, there was no special lighting, the songs were more representative of gospel music, and the stage was in the center of the congregation. While I enjoyed the worship, it was a very different context than the one I am used to and grew up in. As for the sermon, it followed a pattern fairly similar to ones I am used to, but it was more intimate due to the smaller congregation. Coach directed comments directly at parishioners, and I enjoyed the intimacy that was established within the church. The congregation members were very aware of what was going on in each other’s lives, and I loved that the church truly felt like a community. Facing each other during the service also fostered feelings of community.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

I really enjoyed Coach’s message and his preaching style. Like I mentioned above, I loved the intimacy of the smaller congregation and how Coach used personal stories within the church body within his sermon to make his points relatable. He is a great story teller, which kept me engaged, made me more invested in his message, and more likely to remember the main points of his sermon. He did a really good job of speaking truth and encouraging the congregation, while also challenging the members to pursue a Christ-like life.

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

Honestly I felt very challenged by the neighborhood the church was located in. I struggled with feeling out of place walking into church, and feeling safe while walking from the bus stop to church. I didn't feel threatened, but I realized how quickly a situation could arise where I would feel threatened. And that was hard for me. I was also challenged by the smaller congregation and the difference in music and the way it was led. It was much more subdued than the church context of singing I am used to, and I felt slightly self-conscious worshiping in a brightly lit room with other people across the room looking at me. It was also a music style I was unfamiliar with, which increased the challenge.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

The smaller setting and Coach’s style of speaking made me realize what it meant to be held accountable to being part of a community, regardless of if it is the community you want to be part of. The message was on the dynamic person who Christ is, but what stood out to me the most was the different aspects of God's love- more specifically, how Christ modeled love on Earth. His love was sacrificial, sympathetic, selfless, and forgiving. And I realized how often my love falls short of that model. Not that this message was distinctly unique from ones I have heard in the past, but hearing it from a man who was clearly practicing those difficult aspects of love increased my respect for his authority to urge the congregation on toward that type of love.