The Church You Should Go To Is...

We had an incredible Easter here at Highlands Church, with many people from different backgrounds coming to our Saturday evening Easter worship service and three on Sunday morning. My favorite story of a new person attending Highlands this Easter is the following account:

A young woman just moved to Paso Robles from another city. She has been looking for a new church to attend, and so asked some of her friends about a "good" church to attend. Her friends happened to be LDS (Mormon), and asked, "What type of church are you looking for?" The girl said, "A Christian church, Bible focussed, kind, mission-oriented, non-judgmental, and normal." The friends of the girl, again, who were Mormon said, "You know, I think you should attend Highlands Church. As far as we know, they are all the things you are describing. I think they are the church you are looking for." So, the girl came, and loved it. And gave her life to Christ.

Here's what I love about this true story. The girl's friends, though they come from a faith tradition very different than their own, somehow, associated our church, Highlands Church, with a church that was "kind and non-judgmental place," Here is my question. How did her friends develop this impression?

* Was it the Samaritan financial Assistance we gave to a young man, who happened to be LDS, coming through town, who needed some help, but didn't know where to turn, about a month ago?

* Was it that the dry cleaner that Star and I use is owned by a man who serves as an LDS Bishop in town, and that we give regular business to, and have good relations every time we meet?

* Was it that we really, really strive to be a church where people actually hear the gospel and see the gospel lived out, all in the same place. That we really strive to be a place that is "Christian, Bible focussed, kind, mission-oriented, non-judgmental, and normal?

* Was it the Holy Spirit that was involved from beginning to end?

I don't know the answer to my question. I never will know the answer. I do know this. When people from a church, and religious tradition that you are not apart of, and which is very different from yours, have a positive view of your church, and recommend it to others, there must be something right about what you are doing.

All for Now,

GB

PS, yes, I did just figure out how to embed images into my blogpost, so I will do that with every blog post to come...