Church Hopping: Week 5
7 February, 2005 
One month in, and it was time to sleep in. Super Bowl Sunday provided as good an excuse as any, so we hit a Saturday evening service at SouthBrook Christian Church, a growing congregation south of town. They currently hold five SRO services a weekend, and are in the process of renovating at a new campus a few miles away. Their plans are lofty (extravagant?) as evidenced by the $10 million building campaign. As has become my habit, a few comments:
Shortly after turning off the interstate we began following a new Cadallac sports sedan. Somehow I knew we’d be following this pricey car all the way to Southbrook, and I wasn’t wrong. While filtering past the cones and parking attendants (Check!) I tried to keep an open mind about yet another affluent suburban church.
One of the smiling greeters (Check!) was a black man, and my hopes for diversity rose. Alas, I think he, Kerri, and my sister-in-law were the only non-white people among the 600 or so assembled.
The children’s wing was well organized. The caregivers actually compared the numbers on both Jacob’s name-tag and my “claim check,” though the security felt like overkill in this nice, affluent, church. Jacob had a blast, and Samantha did pretty well considering this was the first week she didn’t have any of her buddies with her.
The music was, as expected, good. The sermon was, as expected, predictable. (There was a turn of phrase used at one point that I know I’ve heard or read elsewhere.) The overall experience was, you guessed it, nice.
My only complaint is that the room was packed, bordering on claustrophobic. The chairs were a standard size and every one was full. Other places we have visited use an wide stacking chair, and the extra 6“ of personal space make a big difference. Plans to better accommodate the crowd are in action, but I think I’ll postpone another visit until the new campus is opened.
A few other former Harvesters have visited. Their observation is that Southbrook is very much what Harvest was trying to be. This commentary reinforces my sense that Harvest was in many ways no longer the church I was looking for. I don’t say this as a criticism or condemnation of Harvest. Rather, it is further evidence of the changes I underwent since Harvest began.
One last thought: I surfed around the Southbrook website earlier in the week, paying a fair amount of attention to their campus development plan. On Saturday, before visiting, I read Sally Morgenthaler’s latest Preaching Plus article, for the time being reprinted at Sacramentis. The criticism of ”destination churches“ was fresh in my mind as we headed out. It also fueled some fruitful conversation between Kerri and I afterward.
Sunday morning the kids and I got up at 10:30, and I made pancakes.
Hey, Cory!
So many thoughts, so little time.
(I’ll start with an aside … I ran across your “church hopping” posts through an unrelated Google … and now it is a bit dated … so I’m not even sure you’ll see this comment … perhaps I’ll cc it to your email.)
“Full disclosure” statement: I attend - and work at - SouthBrook Christian Church.
Don’t know exactly how to start responding to your “experience” at SouthBrook, but I still felt “tugged” to reply in some fashion … I guess I just like your style!
(I like that you like soccer, too … I have always enjoyed the sport … and my younger brother would probably really hit it off with you … he has always been the real “football head” …)
I’ll continue the TMI commentary by saying some of your response to visiting SouthBrook stung a bit. I’m probably too sensitive … too defensive … I’m most certainly biased … and I’d be the first to admit that not every church is “right” for everybody …
You even said we were “nice” … OUCH! … LOLOLOL
Your experience hit home with me on a couple of points:
1) Your comments about following the Cadillac and “just knowing” it was headed to SouthBrook … this sort of thing always gives me fits. Allow me to ramble a bit on the subject …
My first thought is … well, Cadillac-owners need God, too! Isn’t it rather non-Christian to think in this fashion? What does it matter whether the parking lot is filled with old Toyotas or new Lexi? (More full disclosure: I drive a ten-year old Ford minivan.) But I also will admit that I’ve looked at the Hummers and ‘bimmers and felt a pang or two of displaced (misplaced?) guilt as well.
On the one hand … Jesus told some of those he met to “sell everything they owned” … camel-thru-a-needle’s-eye and all that … but then again there were those he met who were quite wealthy with whom he just sat down to lunch … seems like it’s got more to do with the heart than it does what we drive … but I can’t deny the potential for the “furniture” to clog things up inside the heart as well … such a confusing issue!
Once when I was visiting Willow Creek Church in Chicago, I had a similar experience. I was attending one of their excellent conferences … and was (as I always am) super-impresed with the fact that although they are without-a-doubt an “affluent suburban congregation” how much they seem “real” … and that is from top-to-bottom. I have spent time talking to senior leaders and bathroom cleaners at Willow … and many in-between. I have never been anything but impressed by “hey, these folks really get this Christianity stuff” experiences each and every time.
ANYWAY - I was at this conference … and I had a good friend at the time who lived in Chicago-land. He was a go-getting yuppie business-type … and I thought that the “excellence factor” at Willow Creek would be something that might really “connect” with him. Having known him a long time, I hoped that perhaps a solid message delievered in such a well thought-out and well-executed environment (mixed with genuine people, too) would be something that might have a chance and “disrupting” his barriers a bit … know what I mean?
WELL - he came to a service with me … and as we went to have a drink after, his comments primarily centered on all of the BMW’s in the Willow parking lot! In his mind, that pretty much said it all.
Of course, I wasn’t sure why that mattered … especially in suburban Chicago. (Arlington Heights, no less.) Still … that moment always haunted me … I was truly blind-sided by what he saw … because it never even entered my mind!
Years later, he still makes jokes about the “church full of BMW-drivers …” and although I know from experience that “he got it all wrong” about the folks at Willow … still it bothered me.
I guess in the end, it reminded me that we all see things the way we are wired to see them … sometimes that is good … sometimes bad … sometimes immaterial. Sometimes it is possible to bypass those filters … rarely we get “re-wired” altogether … but most of the time we just have to deal with it.
The real question is should we try to “factor” the wiring in what we say and how we pitch it … or should we simply “say what we say” and wiring be damned?
Let me assure you of ONE THING: we struggle with this stuff DAILY at SouthBrook.
I can promise you the following things about this church … whether or not it is a “good fit” for you & your family aside:
1) The leadership team of SouthBrook has incredible integrity … I have been around and been in many environments (work, church, social, etc) that did not approach the level of trust these folks have earned. Like Ferris, they are truly “righteous dudes” (and dudettes, since there are three women on the team.)
2) You sensed right - Southbrook has the most INCREDIBLE kids programming I have ever seen … whether the church has 150 people or 15,000. Not only are the people amazing … but the care and also the LEARNING are just … well … it’s a “God-thing”.
3) Fourteen years ago when my wife and I were “church searching” in the Dayton area, SouthBrook (then under the name “Centerville Christian Church”) had about 75 people and met in a borrowed space. But the thing that drew us in (and still keeps us there) is the same thing I hinted at earlier … the PEOPLE and the COMMUNITY. Give them a chance, and they will prove themselves “real” … along with all of the frailty and beauty that entails.
4) SouthBrook is more “diverse” than you might think … you are correct that we don’t have a 30% minority congregation … but neither are we a “lily-white” place either. There are actually a pretty large number of inter-racial couples … lots of colorful adopted kids … and a decent sprinkling of “seasoned citizens” as well. Heck, before too long I WILL BE ONE OF THOSE! (More disclosure … I am 38, have two adopted bi-racial daughters … married for 18 years.) All of this is relative … but more important than the NUMBERS are the “vibes” … I, too amd pretty “tuned-in” to that sort of thing, and I have always felt like SouthBrook is a pretty “welcoming” place for everyone.
5) SouthBrook actually operates quite “LEAN & MEAN” (if I may use that phrase) compared to many “affluent suburban churches” … sure, we aren’t meeting in a tent … but I hardly would describe any of our facilities as much more than “functional”. Regarding your “crowding” comment … I just thought I’d share that some measure of that is by design.
When we have planned our various “expansions” … we have learned that part of what makes SouthBrook “SouthBrook” is that it is sort of crowded … a place where you just might be forced to - GASP! - rub elbows with your neighbor or bump into them when you raise your hands in worship … that vibe is something we DON’T WANT to lose. You are absolutely correct that it is not everyone’s cup-o-tea … and we certainly DON’T want to be so jam-packed that people feel claustrophobic or get turned away because there are no more seats … things are much more relaxed now that we have the second campus open on Sunday mornings.
Well … I really did not intend for this to be any sort of “defense” of SouthBrook … I sincerely don’t often “go there” with folks. I just really liked the way you approached your whole search … I like the way your mind seems to work … I like the way you seem (like me) to be just “stumbling in the dark trying to get closer to the light” … I don’t feel like there are many easy answers … but certainly there are a couple of simple ones - CHRIST, for example. (Emphasis on the “simple but not EASY” principle … then again, often the simplest things are the ones that turn out with the most depth … ahhh … riddles wrapped in enigmas …)
ANYHOW - I just thought I’d share a few thoughts so now you can say you “know someone a little bit” who calls SouthBrook home. Drop me a note if you’d care for some dialogue. I certainly would welcome you back for another visit. And if you do come, I’d love to have you & your family over afterward for pizza (if it’s a Saturday) or lunch (if it’s a Sunday). I’m sure we’d all enjoy the dialogue, if nothing else.
We are all of us on a journey … and when we meet travelers along the way, it’s nice to share a rest stop together once in a while.
By the way … I work on-staff part-time as Director of Media Arts. My wife & I both went to Ohio State, and I received my Fine Arts degree in Film … so there’s a bit more about how I arrived where I am. My part-time role at Southbrook involves working with a team of folks in what we call (now a pretty over-used term) “Worship Arts” … and they are some of the best people I have ever had the chance to share a cup of Boston Stoker with.
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Playing on media player right now:
“Ride On Shooting Star” by The Pillows
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Last movie I watched:
“Family Man” with Nick Cage (picked-up at library and watched with my wife … VERY good “date movie” BTW)
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Current activities:
- Watching wet dandelions invade my yard
- Teaching Hannah (my 9-yr old) about prepositions
- Playing strategy games with my pre-teen nephews
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Wish you all the best in your journey.
Perhaps we’ll cross paths at some point.
I’ll say a prayer for you guys (really, I will!)
Yours in Him,
Eric Walusis
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See you, space cowboy …
Eric: Damn, I thought I was long winded…
Really, that’s a joke. I hope you don’t take offence. I enjoyed rambling thru every word. I think it’s a blast for my thoughts to become a conversation. I’m sure we will all benefit from it.
Do you know Mike Ruetschle, or is it one or your Southbrook (SB) co-workers? Either way, Mike and I play soccer together and are involved in the same house church. He told me that my post is making the rounds among SB staff. It sounds like I’ve achieved minor celebrity status for at least a couple minutes.
Please don’t think I’m critical of SB. We enjoyed our visit, (though it was a little too cramped for my pregnant wife.) We felt very safe dropping off our kids. I appreciate the use of media and arts. The message was well delivered and good. By predictable I mean that once I caught the speaker’s rhythm, I could anticipate his application points. This wasn’t necessarily bad; it just was. In retrospect, I probably came off a bit harsh. Forgive me for not being more gracious.
Here’s where I’m coming from in regards to affluence: Churches seem to be moving out of the poor areas, like our city centers neighborhoods, and into the affluent suburbs. They may go back in to the city to do ministry with the poor (which is good), but they don’t locate themselves among the poor. I don’t know motives, but these choices can appear to be motivated by money, (Perhaps this is what your BMW-obsessed friend picked up on.) as if the church is only interested in chasing wealthy tithers into the new housing developments.
I agree, the rich need God, too. But didn’t Jesus overwhelmingly affiliate with and locate himself among the poor? When he said, “You will always have the poor among you,” wasn’t he assuming that his church would continue this? What if, instead of relocating to Springboro or Miamisburg, SB relocated to downtown Dayton and renovated one of the vacent buildings there, bringing its affluent congregation into an economically depressed area? What if, instead of envisioning mission among the poor as monthly volunteerism at St. Vincent’s, it was envisioned as families moving out of the ‘burbs and into the city to live and serve incarnationally? (I don’t know what SB does, so forgive me if I’m totally off-base. I am just using a generalization to illustrate.) Do you see what I’m getting at? I have no hidden agenda or criticism here. These are just questions I’ve asked myself, and I thought I’d share them.
With regard to racial (and to large extent economic, or educational, or political, etc. also) diversity: All of our churches are mono-racial. The adult population of our house church, for example, is approximately 7% Hispanic - namely my wife - and 93% white. (Percentages look better when you’re talking small raw numbers.) A recent Christianity Today article indicates that less than 3% of America’s churches are multiracial, defined as no more than 80% of the congregation consisting of any one racial group. (Blogger djchuang has a series of posts on this) I understand the natural tendency to assocate with those like ourselves, but shouldn’t we as Christians resist that tendency and seek those who are different than ourselves in the interest of God’s Kingdom and the full reconciliation found therein?
Again, these are threads of thought from my own life, and my comments on SB just happened to be the place I expressed them. I make no inferrences or judgements. I trust and hope and, based on all evidence I have, believe the SB and its staff is pursuing God. I’m just thinking aloud.
If I haven’t totally offended you, I’d love to visit again and/or share a bite to eat, or at least a coffee. My wife is due in less than three weeks, so I don’t know when it will happen. Perhaps a weekday. Let me know.
BTW, What stragegy games are you playing?