Bill, I love our church. We have a great small group and our previous small group was wonderful as well - we will have lifelong friends from both groups for sure. There is great outreach within our community and the world. Our pastor and staff are top notch. The Gospel is preached in word and deed. I look forward to being there every weekend and I enjoy serving in the ministry areas where God has gifted me (worship team, communion server, food prep for special events).

Is there anything good going on in your church?
We are trying some different things during sermon times (for example, in October, we will be going through a whole book of the Bible instead of going topical ... this is a big deal to me, at least). The church is also growing numerically in a town that is almost completely Catholic in history and culture. So, I think there's a real hunger here.

Are you blessed when you're there?
Yes.

Do you hear from God when you're there?
Yes.

Is it doing good things in your community, or in the wider world?
We recently had a free Summer Carnival as a way to give back to the community. Everything was free (though it was pretty expensive) and many remarked they couldn't believe we would just give things away. We are also looking at taking a percentage of whatever our new building project will cost and using that percentage to donate something to the community (whether it be helping parks or fire depts. or whatever, we haven't decided yet). Our church is also building an orphanage in Haiti (several teams have been down there, some during the riots recently). Additionally, a team just got back from New Orleans to help rebuild (our third trip).

Are you growing because you attend?
I'm growing more because I serve, I think. But, I think I know what you mean.

Are you in a place of service there, and is that a joy?
Yes. I love leading music worship and using what skills I have to help the church in any way I can.

Have you made genuine friendships there?
It's the main reason we still live here.

Are you active in Christian community?
Yes.

By the standards of the church world, our church (Element) is unsuccessful, but good things are happening here.

What's interesting is that by focusing on God-centered worship and gospel-centered teaching and regular community service, we are attracting and growing the people the "hip" churches in our area aim to reach: seekers and people who have been burned by their church experiences.

We've got a good mix of theology nerds, blue collar roughnecks, politically liberal art lovers, and conservative Republicans, etc etc

Last week at our small group, we gathered around to lay hands on and pray for an Iranian immigrant who's been a Christian for 6 months and is fearing for her life from her father and the abusive husband she is divorcing -- right in the middle of the cafe of Whole Foods Market.

I've made more friends here in the last year than in my last ten years in Nashville.

Yes, I'm growing. Yes, when I'm not too tired to feel it, it is a joy.

That's awesome Jared. It's been great "watching" Element from afar. Wish I could be there.

Our church renewed its commitment to discipleship a year or two ago. So there's been a lot more attention on the sunday morning Bible studies. In addition, our teaching pastor preaches expositorally [sic] through books of the Bible, and he is not afraid of delving deep. For the first time in a long time, I walk out every Sunday feeling like I've learned something new, or been reminded afresh of something I definitely need to know.

Our church is also very committed to world missions, and supports missionaries and mission efforts all over the world. We have an active mission focus and mission teams are sent for short-term mission trips multiple times a year.

One of our janitors got saved several years ago. He has started a spanish-speaking church plant nearby that our church is helping support. He was ordained last week. I think that's an awesome story.

We're are in community with other Christians at our church, but I don't think I've got enough emphasis on this in my own life.

And we are in service, working with the young singles and college. It can be a joy, but I've been feeling pretty ineffective in this role too. I'm not sure what to do about that. Maybe it's just a hard age.

We're a far from perfect church. But I'm very blessed to be there.

I love our church, too. We live in a small town and our church has been around for a very long time, but it's growing and reaching people who have never been part of a church before. Our pastors are both excellent preachers who focus on the gospel and how we live that out. Many members of our church are involved in community activities that cross denominational lines to help people in need. We're committed to missions and are building relationships with a church in Nicaragua and one in Mexico.

I've served in various ways -- on worship teams, in choir, and been involved in women's ministry, among other things. My husband has led the mission team for a number of years. This is a church where we've grown in a lot of ways. It's one of the reasons we stay where we are. It's just so neat to see what happens when a church is willing to become what God wants it to be, even if that is very different from how it looked 30 or 50 or 100 years ago.

The news of my pending divorce has hit the church, something I was a bit apprehensive about. Divorce is hard on several levels and in several ways and having those at your church know why with the rumors now resinating through the halls made me less than wanting to walk in to that building. Wednesday night I walked into a room with two of my favorite men and acted as if nothing were wrong. I tried hard to hide my fear and pain. My minister is one of those men he escorted me out of the room and spoke softly of the divorce, he let me know that he and his wife are there for me I explained my reasons, I have scriptural reasons for my divorce. His wife later came into the room that I work in to talk to me. I told her that I’m doing ok and she told me she wasn’t that it was hurting her to know that we were in pain. My church mom and dad are hanging on to me and have let me know that they love me. My church brothers and sisters are praying for me and the kids. One wonderful lady called and the things I told her were no surprise. I thought my mask was a clever disguise. She’s known for a long time about the things he’s done to me. It is a good story because those folks are with me and they continue to show me God’s love.

I love our church. I don't have time to get into all the things I love about it right now, but I just wanted to say that it's amazing.