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I don’t like the way you do church.

• The music is too loud or too soft
• The clothes are too casual or too formal
• The preaching is too emotional or too academic
• The pastor is too unavailable or too hands-on
• The building is too ornate or too bland
• The liturgy is too old or too new
• The ethnic mix is too homogenous or too diverse
• The vibe is too corporate or too quirky
• The mission is too inward-focused or too outward-focused
• The congregation is too big or too small
• The leadership is too pastor-centric, or too congregational
• The sermons are too long or… no that’s it – they’re too long

That’s okay.

You feel the same about my church. For the same reasons.

Different Churches – One Church

There’s no style of church that everyone likes.

Over the last few years I’ve participated in so many different types of worship, and it’s reaffirmed for me that our unity in Christ is much stronger than our differences in style or method.

I’ve been with a lot of people who do church very differently than what I’m used to or comfortable with. So I’ve had to either open up to what Jesus is doing through those varied methods, or close myself down and retreat back to the stability and safety of familiarity.

Opening up to different ways of doing church is scary. And exhilarating. And sometimes I get it wrong.

Closing down to different ways of doing church is easy. And boring. And sometimes I get it wrong.

I’d rather get it wrong while trying new things than get it wrong while staying comfortable.

Different Churches – One Family

Even if I don’t like the way you do church, I will still

• Love you and your church
• Support you and your church
• Pray for you and your church
• Work with you and your church

I hope you’ll do the same for me and mine.

Sure, we’ll disagree. Sometimes we’ll even argue. Families do that.

But if you love Jesus, we are family. And that’s all that matters.

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