What Should a Church Look Like?

What should a church look like? In the last 6 weeks I have visited 8 AG churches. Each one is distinctly different. For example, the setting varied. One met in homes, another in a rented garage, another in a rented theater, another in a rented amusement park, another in a purchased school building, and the other three in classic church buildings.

There are many different ideas about what a church should look like. Cultural preferences are an important factor. For some, dressing formally seems right and for others casual is best. In fact, over the years I have noted proponents of suits and ties have regarded casually clad worshipers as disrespectful, and the casually clad have regarded the formally attired as uninformed. Fortunately, I think this polarization is fading. In my recent church visits, attire varied from suits and ties to business casual to jeans and cowboy boots.

Music has been a big issue with regard to what a church should look like. Loretta and I attended a Christian concert recently which featured “traditional” Christian music. Because of the large crowd, the woman sitting by Loretta made the comment that the attendance indicated her preference in music was right all along. I guess she is unaware of the large crowds that gather for contemporary worship concerts.

I believe the bottom line in what a church should look like is this: it should look like Jesus. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.

Jesus entered the Jewish culture of the first century, adopting their amoral cultural norms such as attire, hair style, language, etc. In that context he effectively proclaimed the eternal, unchanging message of God’s grace and truth. May we (the church) do the same as we collectively reach into the many cultural settings of our society.