Featured Churches:
Valrico
Want to post your church? Just submit a comment with the following info:
Name of church
City
Website
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?)
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?)
What's the childcare like?
What's your favorite thing?
What would you change?
Can I wear jeans?
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Blog Archive
-
▼
2008
(95)
-
▼
June
(89)
- It's too hard to find a church.
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Egypt
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- India
- Japan
- Kenya
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Northern Ireland
- Norway
- Panama
- Philippines
- Scotland
- Singapore
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sudan
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom - England Specific
- United Arab Emirates
- Uruguay
- Wales
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
-
▼
June
(89)
36 comments:
Horizon Christian Church
1720 S. St Cloud Ave
Valrico
www.horizonchristianchurch.com (we're working on it)
Worship music is a blend of contemporary and fast-paced music, mostly from the past 5 years. Praise band, praise team, every now and then a choir or special solo music.
Teaching is contemporary, pastor is not afraid to ruffle feathers so long as it is biblical, very strong truths in the message. Typically thematic, with 3-5 sermons covering a common theme.
Childcare is neat, Snoodle village is painted on the walls, kids love to be there. Message, snack, kid's church, lots of love. Nursery can even handle cloth diapers!
Favorite thing is the truthiness of the message, definitely worthy of a Podcast.
I'd make it a tad bigger, need more room for classes. Oh wait, they are. New building in Jan 2009.
Not only can you wear jeans, you can wear shorts, sandals, and a Hawaiian shirt with beer bottles on it. (Or at least I do)
First Baptist Church "at the Mall"
Lakeland
www.fbclakeland.org
(but if you type in "churchatthemall.com" it will redirect you to the above site)
What's the worship music like? 3 services. Hymn-oriented, contempo, and "blended".
What's the speaking like? Biblically-based evangelistic, but culturally in-tune.
What's the childcare like? We have an amazing Children's department!
What's your favorite thing? The truth is spoken, great people, great music. A modern mega-church with traditional grounding and values.
What would you change? Nothing at all.
Can I wear jeans? Absolutely. And shorts. Or a leather jacket if you're in the Faith Riders http://www.faithriders.com/)!
Westside Chapel
4541 Shirley Ave., Suite 8 (east end of the Riverside Village Shopping Center)
Jacksonville, FL 32210
www.westsidechapeljax.com
Non-denominational, and yes, you can wear jeans. Or shorts. Or a suit and tie. Whatever you feel comfortable in.
Best thing about it is the preaching. Our pastor teaches in the expository style, which is to say he goes verse by verse in a book instead of choosing a topic and picking verses from all over to support his premise. With expository teaching you really get to know what the author intended with what he wrote, and whether and how it applies to us today. Ken, the pastor, does this so well. He gets really deep, but makes it easy for even the kids to understand. He doesn't shy away from teaching hard or possibly divisive passages. If it's in the text, he teaches it. For the seminary grads we have in the crowd, for the truck driver, for the college kids, for the stay-at-home moms, for the young marrieds like me, it's good.
The music is also fantastic. We do a pretty even mix of hymns and contemporary. Some weeks it's more of one or the other, but it pretty much evens out. The music leaders/directors are a married couple in their 40s, and most of the band are adults as well. They do very well leading gorgeous, great music that is worshipful, not like they're performing. We have lots of different instruments, including sometimes a violin, recorder and trumpet, but they add to it and don't distract.
The Sunday School for adults (or as the elders call it, "Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study") is also fantastic. Very deep. We have other classes sometimes, and there's an adult women's Sunday School class. There are home fellowship groups and other Bible studies and fellowships quite often.
For teens, we have a program that meets Sunday nights (WC doesn't have a Sunday evening service) and of course they have teen Sunday School too. They do a lot of special events like hiking and volunteering and bowling.
For children, on Sunday there's Sunday School, children's church, and nursery, so every age is covered. We have a Wednesday night Olympian club for grades K-6, which is a great program.
Things I don't like are few. I really love my church and have never attended one I liked better (and I have been to a LOT of churches, and was a pastor's kid!). Ken is in probably the top 3 best Bible teachers I've ever heard (and I've heard a LOT of Bible teachers in my life too - more than most, I would wager), and the music is the best I've heard at a church, ever.
The people are welcoming, fun, and godly people. There are people of all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, and income levels.
Oh yes, and don't let the shopping center location fool you. Inside, the church is very nice. The pastor's wife is an interior decorator.
Sadly, though, you will find no eagles or metrosexual worship leaders (he only scored a 4, if I recall correctly) or table and chair for the pastor, but you WILL find an excellent worship leader face, lots of coffee, an occasional Half-SO, and wonderful people worshiping the only God. I think it's a good trade.
Name: RidgePoint Church
City: Winter Haven, FL
Website:
http://jeanswelcome.com or http://ridgepointchurch.org
Music:
Contemporary - we like to think it's geared for men more than women (lots of electric guitars and drums)
Speaking:
Conversational, always based around drawing principles out of the Scripture
Childcare:
Clean, safe; we use 252basics material to teach things like the virtues (older kids) and irreducible minimums (God loves me, God knows me, Jesus wants to be my friend forever) to the younger kids.
Favorite thing:
Chocolate covered pretzels. Oh, you meant at church - the Sunday morning package; our services have a definite flow to them, and seem very cohesive.
Change:
Our facility. It's somewhat crowded. But we're working on it.
Can I wear jeans:
http://jeanswelcome.com - that's all you need to know!
First Baptist Church of Orange Park
Orange Park, FL
www.opfirst.org
Worship music is a mix of hymns and contemporary - with a choir and orchestra. That's at the main campus. The satellite campus has a comtemporary praise band.
The speaking - definitely relevant, I'd say. The Pastor loves movie clips, and manages to tie one in to almost every message.
The childcare: Superb. The children's pastor is awesome! I have three kids, and they all love to go to church. I don't know much about the youth ministry for teens, because my kids are little still, but there are alot of teens at church, so it must be okay.
My favorite thing? Hard to say. I like that the church reaches out in the community. I grew up in a hyper-separated church, so for me a church that reaches out and gets involved with the community (even with the sinners!)is pretty spectacular.
What would I change? Maybe the over-dependence on Lifeway for the Sunday School curriculum.
Can you wear jeans? Absolutely! (Unless it's Sunday morning and you sing in the choir.)
NAME: Faith Assembly of God
CITY: North Fort Myers
WEBSITE: www.faithnfm.com
What's the WORSHIP MUSIC like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?): One hymn per morning service, but also with Chris Tomlin and Hillsong. Not terribly adventurous or loud.
What's the SPEAKING like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?): Relevant enough, usually in a series, ALWAYS with a theme (all the points starting with the letter "a", for instance).
What's the CHILDCARE like? Pretty good. The older kids have a rockin' playground upstairs (two levels)while the little kids have their own playroon downstairs seperate from the story room and the snack room.
What's your FAVORITE THING? The people. They're wacky but sweet.
What would you CHANGE? We could be cooler.
Can I wear JEANS? Definitely. Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, whenever. People dress up on Sunday mornings, but some still wear jeans.
Celebration Church
10302 Deerwood Park Blvd
Jacksonville, FL
www.celebration.org
Worship is contemporary. Hillsong inspired with some original songs written by our amazing music team!
What's the speaking like? RELEVANT and REAL and hilarious! Pastor Stovall is great!
The nursery is very and loving and professional.kdg-5 grade, there is their own service with music and a lesson. Middle schoolers have their own service after they enjoy worship in the main sanctuary.
I have so many favorite things. . .one of my favorite thing is the unconditional love of Jesus Christ that is taught and shown as you walk through the door-or drive on campus!!!!!
hmmm, what would I change. . .
Can I wear jeans? ABSOLUTELY!! I am gonna wear them today!
The Pursuit Christian Church
Pembroke Pines (South Broward)
http://www.thepursuit.cc
MUSIC:
Get a sneak peek in Little Havana. The Pursuit's ultra talented musicians play there on the weekend, then Celebration Services on Sunday. Despite their talent, after a few verses of the first song, you forget them and totally focus on worshipping God, cause they're more excited about Him than their skilz. They lead songs in English and Spanish.
SPEAKING:
Comfortable and very applicable to life. You will spend time in your Bible and be challenged to go home and figure out more for yourself. Don't have a Bible? No problem. We'll have one waiting for you. Spanish translation is available.
CHILDCARE:
Kids City - Newborn through 5th grade. Parents: safe, volunteers that love them, and they'll learn to be better kids (cause they'll learn to be like Jesus). Kids: it rocks!
FAVORITE:
Looks like South Florida. The Pursuit reflects the diversity of the area, with people representing places and speaking languages from all over the world.
CHANGE:
Wish the city would let us have more signs out leading people to find us. Call us for directions!
JEANS:
Sure. Or shorts. White belts welcome too.
ACCESS CHURCH
Jacksonville, FL
www.accesschurch.org
What's the worship music like?
We get that question alot. I could probably try to describe the music and the description would sound very familiar to others that you might have heard before. The best way to get an idea is to visit the website. There is a music player right on the front page that'll give you an idea.
What's the speaking like?
Access is a Strategic Partnership of North Point Community Church. This means a number of different things, but as it relates to the teaching, it means that Andy Stanley is our Teaching Pastor. Now, that doesn't mean that Andy or anybody at North Point dictates which messages should be given each week, nor do they require Access to use certain elements to communicate those messages. The local staff at Access has the pulse of what is happening in our local community and chooses the series that are taught at Access. Each week, Andy's teaching is delivered via video. It can take a week or two to get used to, but after that, I realized that the teaching is not what creates a community. Its the relationships that I have with the folks that are sitting with me.
What's the childcare like?
The Family Ministry at Access is awesome. Waumba Land is the environment for birth through age 4 and UpStreet is for age 5 through grade 5. Check the website for times and what is offered at each service.
What's your favorite thing?
Not only are the environments relevant and engaging (buzz-words that I'm sure many of us are a little bored with), but Access is a place that I feel comfortable and confident in inviting my neighbors or anyone that is far from God to. Its been a while since I've felt that way about church.
What would you change?
Right now, Access meets only 2 Sundays/month... the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month. I love it so much, that I wish we met every week. Thankfully, that IS changing!!! Starting in September, Access will be meeting every week.
Can I wear jeans?
Only if they're cool jeans. :) Wear whatever is comfortable.
First Assembly of God
1739 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.
Clearwater, FL 33756
http://clearwaterag.org/
Our worship is contemporary and features a worship team and band with piano, drums, and guitars.
Our Pastor is an EXCELLENT preacher! He's passionate about God and presenting God's word.
We have a new Children's Pastor in a recently remodeled Children's area. There is also plenty of nursery space.
My favorite thing about the church is the worship and preaching.
Can I wear jeans? ABSOLUTELY! We want all to feel comfortable to come as you are.
Calvary Chapel of Sarasota
Sarasota, Fl
http://www.calvarychapelsarasota.com/
The music is contemporary, you know electric guitar, drummer in a fishbowl thang. They are awesomely awesome. The one electric guitar player sounds like santana. They sell their cd in the coffee shop. I have brought visitors who said they played too many songs, but I enjoy it.
Teachings are AWESOME. Expository relevant teachings right out of the scriptures. Often can be confused with a bible study. You learn God's word in his teachings. Pastor Carl is with the times and will often refer to popular christian podcasts and websites. You can also listen to these sermons online from home if you are sick or can't wake up.
Childcare is great. A room for every age, and a bracelet security system, also a secret code system to alert parents if their kids start crying.
My favorite thing is the teachings.
I would make the service a little shorter. It runs 90 minutes and often longer. Which makes it almost seem dragged out sometimes.
Sure. I wear jeans all the time. Not a tshirt kind of place (though i have worn tshirts on occasion) but you can certainly wear jeans.
Port Orange Christian Church
904 Taylor Road
Port Orange, FL 32127
www.PortOrangeChrstian.org
(redesigned Site coming Fall 2008)
What's the worship music like?
1st service is a traditional service for those who love to sing the old style hymns. 2nd & 3rd service is an upbeat contemporary service.
What's the speaking like?
a bible based contemporary message.
We are a Non-Denominational church. We are not only Christians, But simply Christians Only.
What's the childcare like?
Childcare is available for all ages. Our KidMO! church is a great "hip" way for your child learn about Jesus Christ and the Bible. Our youth program is growing by leaps and bounds every week and is headed up by our Youth Minister Adam who (just so happened) grew up in this church. We are a tight nit family always welcoming to new members.
What's your favorite thing?
It's a very warm and friendly church. everyone is soo willing to greet you and help you in ANY way they can.
What would you change?
We need more room. We're going so fast! Wait a minute,...We just went to three service and added an additional bible school class.
Can I wear jeans?
YES you can! I do. You can even wear sandals. The dress code is comfortable. Wear what your comfortable wearing.
Name of church
providence baptist church
City
5416 providence road, riverview fl
Website
www.mypbc.org
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?)
hymns, conservative-old school
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?)
biblical exposition
What's the childcare like?
excellent childcare for all ages
What's your favorite thing?
the preaching
What would you change?
not sure id change anything substantial... maybe a coffee stand in the lobby would be nice, and fresh pastries too...
Can I wear jeans?
can wear whatever you'd like... truthfully no one would ever say anything but you might feel a tad out of place in shorts.
Church by the Glades
Coral Springs, FL
www.cbglades.com
Music - We have 6 Services per weekend. 5 Contemporary and 1 Traditional on Sunday Mornings. As far as the music goes, the traditonal service has the orchestra and choir and hymns. Then, for the contemporary services we hide the musicstands, Bring out the light walls and guitar amps and Jam out. The Music for the Contemporary services is very ultra-contemporary and almost Rockish. Our music pretty much consists of Hillsong United and Passion stuff.
Teachings - Culturally Relevant and always Bible Based. (We use Series)
Childcare - Enagaging and Fun
My Favorite Thing - The Worship, Teaching and Family Feel. (I guess that would be favorite things)
What would I change - Nothing
Can I wear Jeans - Absolutely
Christian Family Chapel
10365 Old. St. Augustine Road
Jacksonville
904-262-3000
http://christianfamilychapel.com
From shorts to suits, you wear what you feel comfortable in.
CFC worship is contemporary (Tomlin, et al) and includes contemporary arrangements of traditional hymns. Instrumentation is generally guitar driven (acoustic and electric) with bass, piano, drum kit and keyboards in support. Worship leader has back up vocalists. About four times a year, the choir takes the stage and leads.
Teaching is expository, i.e., sermons based on verse by verse, section by section examination of Scripture. (BTW, I never thought I'd like that but our pastor is good and it's all relevant.)
Age focused ministries (children, Jr. High, Sr. High, etc.) are amazing. The staff if those areas are gifted, godly people. (See http://cfckidstuf.org for a peek at our kids program). Not sure about college or singles. I know we're not a Christian meet market, though.
My favorite thing is that the focus is on helping believers grow so we can reach other people.
If I could change one thing, the choir would never sing.
Heritage Baptist Church
Lakeland, FL
Worship:
Two different worship services: traditional and contemporary. Both have the same preaching as the mission is to "develop fully devoted followers of Christ". Thus the preaching is expository and VERY good. The traditional service is hymns, business casual and early. The contemporary service includes a worship band, casual environment and takes place after Sunday School.
We are a very diverse group...boardroom types and those who are tatted up...rich and poor...early in the faith and spiritual warriors.
We are a community doing life together...as is.
Our members are doing their best to live out their faith in everyday life.
Name of church: The Christians who Meet at Livingston Avenue
City: Lutz, FL
Website: www.christiansmeethere.org
What's the worship music like?
Being non-instrumental, most of the songs are contemporary, depending on who is leading the singing, but there are always a few old-school hymns thrown in now and then. The worship songs are led at a faster pace, most of the time, with a focus on the dynamics of the song, and always with relevance to the theme of that day.
What's the speaking like? Often depends on the speaker--there are 2 main evangelists and one is a bit more old-school and the other is younger with a very relevant public speaking attitude and message. You will get both and benefit from both. They will hit you to the core and also be encouraged!
What's the childcare like? No official childcare, but a roomy nursery and training room in the back where you can sit with your kids and listen to the sermons and bible classes.
What's your favorite thing? Everything the elders do have a purpose and a mission. Nothing is done without a thought or a point behind it, and everything is very cohesive. They take care of their sheep.
What would you change? Really, not a whole lot. It's a good place to worship and grow as a Christian. This year our theme is "Pressing onto Maturity" and we are going through the whole New Testament, capturing lessons from each book/chapter and it's very edifying to do something as a whole group.
Can I wear jeans? Definitely. You'll find dressed-up people (suits, nice dresses, skirts, etc.) all the way down to people in t-shirts and jeans.
UNIVERSITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH(PCA)
2562 Rouse Rd.
Orlando, FL 32817
407-384-3300
www.upc-orlando.com
WORSHIP MUSIC
During the school year we have 2 services (9:00 & 10:30). In the summer we have just one service (10:00). If you've ever heard of Indelible Grace (www.igracemusic.com), you know what our worship music is like. We sing a lot of old hymns to new arrangements, as well as contemporary praise & worship songs. Our services last 1:15 to 1:30. We try to feed the head with solid Biblical/liturgical food, warm the heart with God's grace, and incite the hands with gospel motives for godly living.
MINISTRY OF THE WORD
Our senior pastor generally preaches through books of the Bible. Sermons are 30 to 35 minutes long. His style is teaching with practical application, emphasizing grace. Every now and then there's drama or a movie clip.
CHILDCARE
We have nursery for the littlest ones, Children's Church and Sunday School for the older kids. During the summer, kids in Grades 1-5 are encouraged to stay with their parents in the service until Children's Church dismisses right before the sermon. We want our children to feel like they are members of the covenant family.
FAVORITE THING
Flexibility
WHAT WOULD I CHANGE?
We need to be more evangelistic.
JEANS?
Absolutely. Shorts too. It's Florida!
Oasis Church
We have 3 campuses in Pembroke Pines, Downtown Hollywood and North Miami.
www.visitoasis.org
The worship is very laid back with mostly contemporary music (Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, etc) with a mix of hymns. It is a full band with vocalists.
The speaking is culturally relevant. We have teaching series every 3-6 weeks or so that deal with everyday topics that people are going through and can be applied to everyday life. We have a teaching team of pastors so you won't always hear the senior pastor speak. Each teaching pastor teaches the same sermon, just a different style.
Childcare is great at all campuses. It goes from birth to 5th grade. There are always lots of family fun activities planned throughout the year. Kids have a chance to attend a baptism class once they are believers and they get their own baptism service!
My favorite thing is our diversity. You can find people from 70+ different countries represented at our church. We hang flags in our auditorium from each country that our congregation is from. It's just their little taste of "home". Our church is truly a glimpse at south Florida. My other favorite thing is that we have services every night of the week. That's right, every night! It includes live worship and a recorded message from the previous weekend. It's more intimate and laid back and people love it. If you can't get to church on a Sunday morning, try coming on a Tuesday night! You'll love it!
I wouldn't change a thing, not that we are perfect by any means, but we know we are where God wants us and we're always willing to take a huge leap of faith to follow Him when He calls us to do something that seems outrageous (like renovating an 80-year-old church in 2 weeks to become one of our campuses!)
You can definitely wear jeans. In fact, most of the teaching pastors do. You will see people in their native African garb, to suits, to jeans, and even shorts. It's south FL, we're laid back!
GraceRiver Church
Orlando, FL
www.ridetheriver.org
What's the worship music like?
-contemporary, fast, loud, secular, christian
What's the speaking like?
-culturally relevant, experiential, live speaker
What's the childcare like?
-fun, exciting, biblical
What's your favorite thing?
-friendliness, positive christian environment
Can I wear jeans?
-YES
Vineyard christian fellowship
Leesburg
vcfleesburg.com
Worship Is contemporary, with a random hymnn, Led by a very talented team, who all love Singing to Jesus. Something for everyone
sermons are heart felt and more of a conversation, than a "preaching"
Nursery, and childrens church up til 5th grade provided. Kids church rocks!
My favorite thing is the worship and the fact that everyone is very accepting ang kind hearted
What would you change? It just needs to be bigger, and they are working on that
Can I wear jeans? Seeing as how the pastor does YES you can, or shorts, or your sunday best, what ever floats your boat.
Thomasville Road Baptist Church
3131 Thomasville Road
Tallahassee, FL 32308
www.thomasvilleroad.org
Worship is a mix...I would describe our worship leader as "Tomlin-curious." Definitely not a church with a "concert" part of the service. Can you tell that I yearn for a bit more drums and a more "metro" feel? Seriously though, we have a few hymns. But most have some Tomlin spliced in. Makes for an interesting time.
Teaching is AMAZING. Everyone "gets something out of" the sermon, from the college kids to the blue-hairs. No joke. And our pastor is almost 7 feet tall. He has a special "super-tall" podium thing. Jon, he might be willing to donate. You should visit and ask. And only rarely does the watch have to come off.
Childcare is good. Nice volunteers, we tag the kids like birds rather than whales (we moved from stickers to the harder-to-eat ankle-bracelets). We also have the infamous "number-flasher" to shame the parents of problem kids. And beepers. For the especially hard to track down parent.
We are under construction right now, so there's definitely gonna be room for "new people."
So visit. Wear whatever you want. So far in the past month, I have worn jean shorts, dresses, flip-flops, heels...on Wednesday nights the youth dress up in costumes. I help out. This week the theme is "Nerds."
Be there.
Calvary Chapel Miami
6700 SW 38 Street
Miami
www.calvarymiami.com
Worship is contemporary songs played with one guitar and sung by a couple of singers with fantastic voices. The feeling is very intimate, and the whole church sings along.
The pastor does an inductive study of the Bible (making observation, implication, then application), moving at about a chapter or two a week. It's a great Bible study.
Childcare is good - I, personally, have no kids, but CCM is a pretty family-oriented church, and I see tons of kids running around after service. They seem to have a good time on Sundays.
I love the worship the most. The songs are beautiful, and sometimes we sing them half in English half in Spanish. Also, the pastor's teaching is such a good, relevant message straight out of the Bible. He doens't sugarcoat anything or tell you how to make your life better in 5 easy points -- he just teaches the Bible.
Since leadership has changed there have been a few things missing -- I'd add home groups and more regular Bible studies (currently there is a men's and a woman's, but they only meet twice a month).
You can certainly wear jeans, and pretty much whatever you want. Sometimes I wear tight collared shirts, and sometimes t-shirts, almost always shorts and sandals.
Also, there's Spanish translation during the sermon via headphones and a translator for those in need of translation.
Name of church
Crossbridge Christian Church
City: Tallahassee, FL
Website: www.crossbridgechristian.com
What's the worship music like?
Contemporary. We have a band which usually consists of guitar, electric guitar, drums, bass guitar, and sometimes violin and/or saxophone. We sing mostly newer songs.
What's the speaking like?
We usually have series with themes like a book of the bible or similar passages like "parables." The message is very much on how the Bible applies to our daily lives. Our pastor is very good at defining any "christianese" words and always included a summary of the gospel in every message. Our church's mission is to reach out to unchurched people or people who maybe have had a bad experience in the church before. A couple of our mottos are "no perfect people allowed" and "God loves you enough to meet you right where you are but he loves you too much to let you stay there." We have about 250 people who attend our 2 (soon to be 3) services.
What's the childcare like?
I don't have kids so I don't have any firsthand experience in this area.
All of the head people who work with kids have had a background check. I don't know about the volunteer workers. We have a nursery with a sticker/check in system for security. The elementary kids have their own class during "adult" church. The middle and high school students have their own meeting during the second service and are encouraged to attend the first service I think and then stay for their meeting.
What's your favorite thing?
Our church is not very formal and is full of "real" people. People don't have the attitude that you should be perfect and don't you dare let anyone know if you have some problem. We are also a very friendly bunch.
What would you change?
Not much. The main service sometimes doesn't have the spiritual maturity or "on fire for Jesus" feel that I wish it did but we are a church full of people who are relatively new to the whole church thing and new Christians.
Can I wear jeans?
Yes. In fact you should. Ok, so the non college crowd actually wears some dressier stuff but you should not wear a suit and tie. ;-) We'll know you are new.
The Well Tallahassee
Godby High School
Tharpe Street (don't know the address)
Tallahassee
www.nomorethirst.org
We're a church plant that is celebrating its one year anniversary in a couple weeks. Music is band driven with a singer. We usually sing pretty new stuff, some originals by our leader(s).
Our motto (or "vision statement" for you purpose driven people) is Everlasting Truth in an Ever Changing Culture. The pastor is young (27) and has a great connection with the college through early 30's that make up most of our church. He's very conservative in his theology and varies between teaching topically and expositorally (is that a word?)
Childcare is a work in progress. Since we meet in a high school, the kids rooms are in the back of the stage. The volunteers are awesome. Most of our kids are two and under, but in the fall we hope to have a full-fledged children's ministry up and running.
My favorite thing is that I've seen lots of people who are disconnected from church come and be comfortable. Then they are confronted with truth in the messages and there's a lot of life change going on. God is definitely at work here.
Of course you can wear jeans. And a hat. And whatever else you fancy. We meet in a high school, for Pete's sake!
Journey Church
Meets at the Campo YMCA (3414 Culbreath Rd., Valrico, FL 33596)
www.journey7.com
Journey Church is a pretty new church. We meet every week in the basketball gym in the YMCA. Pretty cool how God makes that happen each week. Check out front page of the website to watch it all happen.
The worship at Journey is contemporary and band driven. Some songs are fast...some are slow...all are good! We use the band with a praise team...sometimes one person singing.
The teaching is culturally relevant and scriputally biblically conservative (yes, those two ideas can play together and get along). We some creative element each week to help communicate that week's teaching. You can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. Those messages are updated each week.
The things that drive us are - Loving God...Loving Each Other...Serving the World. Evertyhing we do revolves around that.
There are age appropriate environments for kids. Babies and toddlers are cared for each week in our amazing nursery ministry.
School age children have a teaching environment specifically for them called KIDMO.
Can you wear jeans? YES. People at Journey wear jean, shorts, flip-flops, whatever.
Christ Fellowship Church
Five campuses across Miami-Dade County: Redland, Homestead, Palmetto Bay, West Kendal, and Downtown.
Website: Cfmiami.org
What's the worship music like? mostly contempory, occasionly some hymns made modern, about 20minutes of worship.
What's the speaking like? culturally relevant, sometimes done by broadcast video due to the fact we have five campuses..palmetto bay has never done videos though.
What's the childcare like? its excellent, because of the church size/location, the security is very tight. i worked in childcare before, and loved it. we really care about children.
What's your favorite thing? we have services for all age groups: adults,college students, youth, children, and toddlers.
What would you change? i think sometimes all our church cares about is bringing in new members, sometimes i think its all about the numbers. and our pastors can be a little arrogant at times.
Can I wear jeans? YES!!
TIP: the palmetto bay campus, is the largest campus, what i consider to be the "main" campus.
First Baptist Church of Oviedo
45 W. Broadway St
Oviedo, FL 32765
www.fbcoviedo.org
MUSIC - There are 2 options for types of music.
1. Blended - choir & orchestra sing mostly contemporary songs with a few hymns thrown in. Much more of a traditional service.
2. Contemporary - band with 2-3 singers. Geared toward the younger generation, but some old-schoolers join in the mix.
PREACHING - Very Biblically based. Can be expository (right now he's going through Romans) or topical. Live and simulcast options are available.
CHILDCARE - is awesome! Starts at newborns. Individual Sunday School classes for each age group. Security is excellent with all workers screened. Must present security card to pick your child up. System in place to notify parents in service if they need to come to take care of their child. Age 4 & 5 have Sunday school and a small children's church. 1st - 5th grades go to Sunday School and to children's church. Our children's pastor is top-notch. He is Biblically sound, but relevant to where they are in life. Middle school and up attend Sunday School and then the service with their family.
FAVORITE THING - Each person in my family has a place there where they are being Biblically trained. The church members are like a second family. The Pastor is committed to preaching the gospel at each and every event that is hosted at the church and spreading it world-wide.
CHANGE - Nothing!
JEANS??? Sure. We don't judge by your clothes!
South Tampa Fellowship
Formerly Davis Island Baptist
5101 Bayshore Blvd
Tampa, FL 33511
813-251-1515
www.STFchurch.com
Contemporary rock band in one hall and more traditional hymns accompanied by winds and string in the other.
The sermons are bible based with a great deal of cultural and historical perspective. Pastor Craig usually groups messages by themes over a few weeks. He is a teacher at heart and breaks down not only what is written but also adds the historical perspective of what was happening at the time it was authored, then gives concrete (and often convicting) examples of how we can apply the teachings to our everyday Christian lives.
Fantastic childcare. Nursery for the babes, AWANA for elementary, Big House for middle and high school. I've never seen better.
What's my favorite thing?
The fellowship! The mission of the church is to get families "plugged in" to the larger church family. Sunday and Wednesday services, men's and women's bible study groups, small groups, mission groups, softball teams. There is truly something for everyone.
Can I wear jeans?
Of course. Jesus doesn't care what you're wearing and neither do we.
Name of church:
OakLeaf Christian Fellowship
City:
Jacksonville, FL
Website:
www.ocfellowship.com
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?)
Worship is pretty contemporary, fast-pased. We have a full band (drums, keyboard, bass-player, 2 electric guitars and one acoustic) and small praise team. We don't do many special music solos, but every now and again someone will sing during the offeratory.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?)
The pastor is amazing - excellent teacher of the Word, and it is incredibly biblical, to the point, and still culturally relevant. He uses a lot of media-but not to overthrow the Biblical message. It is perfect for those who struggle with understanding the Word and great for those who need to go deeper.
What's the childcare like?
Childcare is amazing - they have a wonderful children's ministry that meets during the regular morning service. Nursery services are available for children 6 months and up for those who are not in school yet.
What's your favorite thing?
The emphasis on relationships, and the people at the church, who are so caring and welcoming.
What would you change?
I work for the youth ministry, and I'd like to see more emphasis on growth of that ministry and possible development of others. But we are all actively working on growing the youth group. We have seen it go from 5 core teens to a great group of 15-20 in a matter of months!!
Can I wear jeans?
OF COURSE! Jeans, shorts, etc are more than welcome. The pastor wears jeans every week. Come as you are.
Name of church: Mandarin UMC
City: Jacksonville
Website: wwww.mumc.net
What's the worship music like?
8:30- Hymns
9:45- Shout to the Lord, Shine Jesus Shine, Days of Elijah
11:00- hymns
11:15- Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Desperation Band, Hillsong United
What's the speaking like?
All are relevant and engaging
What's the childcare like?
Absolutely amazing, wonderful facilities and staff.
What's your favorite thing?
The sense of community
What would you change?
The parking situation, but it will be better soon.
Can I wear jeans?
I do and I'm the worship leader... so I hope it is okay.
Name of church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
City: My personal building is in Tampa, but you can find one nearby here:maps.lds.org/ There are buildings all over Florida.
Website Basic Beliefs: here
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?): Mostly hymns sung by the congregation.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?): Each week (excluding the first Sunday of the month) 3 different members of the congregation are chosen to speak on an assigned topic (charity, faith, love, etc...). It's usually 15 minutes long each and related
to everyday life.
What's the childcare like?: Very well organized. There are different groups and teachers assigned to groups of children of each age. Usually children within 2 years will be in a group (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, etc...). 6 and under usually get a snack, lesson, and group activity. They have sharing time, and 20 minutes of music time, all of which focus on Christ and His teachings.
What's your favorite thing? The feeling of the Spirit is always such a strong witness. We have such a diverse group of people and personalities that are drawn to the Gospel, it's great. Also, we have a wonderful youth program with activities once a week and dances once a month.
What would you change? If you attend all 3 hours, it's a little long, but I love every minute of it.
Can I wear jeans? Of course, you can wear whatever you want, and not be turned away. However, most people tend to wear khakis, and a button down shirt, or a simple skirt and blouse, or a summer dress. But really, anything is fine.
Doral Baptist Church
1900 NW 84 Ave
Doral, FL 33126
(786)317-4257 Pastor Lucas
www.ibdoral.com (click on the English tab to find our blogs)
Worship music is contemporary and it is done in English and Spanish. Occasionally, they'll include hymns in the worship set (usually done with a contemporary twist). Definitely one of the best parts of attending our service is the awesome time of worship.
We have two simultaneous services at 11 am on Sunday morning and we also have a live broadcast that can be viewed from the church website (just in case you are out of town one week and still want to tune in). The messages along with the sermon outlines are also posted on the church website.
The Spanish service (Iglesia Bautista Doral) is biblically based and many times the pastor will include videos in his illustrations. It can be described as culturally relevant and practical. (Church attendance siz: 60)
The English service is biblically based also but with a more interactive approach. Our pastor (which also happens to be my hubby) is a really laid back kind of guy with an extremely good sense of humor. He likes to take the biblical truths and make them to life by giving us ways in which we can apply them in our own lives. (Church attendance size: 15)
Our senior pastor's wife has a big heart for the children's ministry. She loves teaching and on a typical Sunday morning can be found leading the children's ministry class in a way that is fun and easy for them to understand. The children's bible study begins immediately after the worship. Children ranging in age from Pre-K to 5th grade enjoy a small bible study, an activity and then a snack at the end.
We also have a small nursery which welcomes babies and toddlers. Mothers are welcomed to stay with their child(ren) but we encourage them to enjoy the service.
Free breakfast (just kidding). I love the relationships/friendships that we have been able to develop at our church. I love the fact that our church is made up of so many young people with a passion to know Christ and grow in their relationship to serve him. I also love the strong, mature believers in our church that the young have to look up to. I love my church!
If I could change one thing, I would love to have our own temple. Our church was inaugurated on December 7, 2008 and we are currently meeting in a dance studio. The sound system, band, children's room, nursery and chairs have to be set up every weekend. We are praying for our own building.
YES, you can wear jeans!
After many years of working/serving in a traditional Baptist Church this is one of the things we were really looking forward to.
If you're ever in the area, check us out!
Legacy Christian Church
Lakeland, FL
www.legacychristian.com
Legacy is a church of about 350 and truly a place where everyone is family. I found it when I moved down here, and it's truly become my home away from home. I would not still be living in Florida if not for my Legacy family.
Traditional service is at 8:45, and worship music is a little toned down, with a hymn or two and something more recent. The contemporary service is at 10, and they add a few more guitars, play a little louder, and do mostly new songs.
The preaching is fantastic, drawn from lots of scripture and very relevant.
The church is growing, and much of that is due to the childrens, youth, and young adult ministries. The kids and youth have Sunday school and Kids church during the two services Sunday, as well as Wednesday night activities. The Young Adult ministry plans many events, but most impactful is Sunday night Unplugged, where a couple from the church faithfully welcomes in 20-40 college age+ in their home every week for dinner and Bible study.
My favorite thing is the authenticity of Legacy Christian Church. Two churches merged two years ago to form this, and we're still ironing out the wrinkles, but it is a safe and honest place for real people! And yes, jeans are definitely allowed!
Name of church: Bahia Vista Mennonite Church
4041 Bahia Vista Street
Sarasota, FL 34232
Website: www.bahiavistamennonite.org
What's the worship music like?
There is a traditional service at 9.30 that I have not attended, but I believe they have an acapella choir. I attend the "Innovations" service at 11am that sticks to contemporary music with a live band - electric guitars, drum kit, the works. There's also a woman who interprets in ASL to accompany the songs. It does get loud at times.
What's the speaking like?
Sometimes there's multimedia involved, but usually the pastor is pulling right from scripture throughout his sermon. Typically we'll work our way through a topical theme, and pastor Roger does a great job of pulling the scripture into light and making everything poignantly relevant. He's got this great way of making feel convicted without making you feel condemned.
What's the childcare like? I don't know, I'm sorry. I've heard no complains, and there are plenty of families whose kids I see around, so they're not avoiding it!
What's your favorite thing?
Maybe it sounds cheesy, but you can feel the spirit move when you're there. It's real and it's impassioned and it makes you want to dig deeper.
What would you change?
We're not a huge church, which I like, but sometimes that translates to a lack of people willing to serve. It's a humble church, I just wish some were giving more freely. But all churches feel that disparity between members and giving, don't they? It's a shame, though.
Can I wear jeans?
The pastor wears jeans, so I'm pretty sure you'd be okay. Maybe nice ones without holes, though.
Post a Comment