Church Visits- Montclair Community Church, Montclair, NJ

Montclair Community Church, Montclair, NJ
Website- www.montclaircommunitychurch.com

We visited this church with our whole family- what a wonderful experience- Sue and me, Rachel & Paul, Sarah, Eric & Little Jon, Grandma, the Brohm family and the DiQuattro family all together worshipping in the same place. This is the home church of Rachel's in-laws (Mark & Loretta DiQuattro) and Sarah's future in-laws (Niel & Sharyn Brohm) Niel is an elder in that church, and Mark is an elder in training. Parking was a bit difficult, but we found a place on the street up the block. The worship setting was very comfortable and informal- stage type setting, movie theater type chairs (I liked the "create your own space" feel of theater type seating). The worship was well done- well thought out, professional quality, well-rehearsed, heartfelt. The Senior Pastor is "Pastor Ed" Banghardt. He is a gentle spirit, easy to be around, easy to talk to, a deep thinker and a good expositor of the scriptures. His message that day was on the one of the miracles of Jesus, the healing of the demon possessed man (Matthew 8). He spoke of Jesus who had just calmed the storm (the storm without) now calmed another type of storm (the storm within). It was a relevant message- I took lots of notes- on spiritual warfare and healing.
After the worship service, they had coffee and bagels downstairs. Many people stayed for this fellowship time. It was obvious that they liked to gather together with each other. But, we did not find it to be an "exclusive club". It was easy to talk with people- many people there were very open to us, and welcoming toward us.
This church has recently completed a building project, right in the heart of Montclair. I believe that they have a lot of momentum in their ministry, a great leadership team, and a lot of resources at their disposal. They make maximum use of their resources, and seem to run things pretty smoothly. They also have a GREAT website. You can even download "Pastor Ed's" messages online. Check it out at www.monclaircommunitychurch.com.

Church Visits-Hope Presbyterian Church, Randolph

Hope Presbyterian Church, Randolph, NJ
http://www.realhope.org

I got to know the pastor of Hope Presbyterian Church from "day one". He came into this area about 7 years ago, and had some great ideas for church planting. Our visit there was very interesting. They have pretty much a "roll-out church" concept. All the equipment- signage, sound systems, SS material, toys for the nursery, coffee pots, etc., etc are in a trailor (see the picture above). They just "Rolled into" Randoph Middle School, set up for church in their 800 seat auditorium, and in the hallways, and began their worship and Sunday School hour. The key to this success of this ministry was SIGNAGE- they had signs everywhere- the truck and trailor was parked out by the street (hard to miss it!), signs were in the parking lot, out on the sidewalk, in the hallways, by the bathrooms, etc. People greeted you right there in the parking lot, so you felt welcomed right away. The pastor was there, greeters were there, ushers were there- you were greeted by at least 1/2 dozen people before you even entered the building. As you entered, things seemed to be easy to find. There was a coffee and literature table right there in the front hallway, nursery care right by the front hallway. The worship area was in the auditorium. It was a bit dark- they could have used a spotlight or two on the pastor or worship leaders. The powerpoint for worship was beautifully displayed, and worship was excellent- a blend of contemporary choruses and hymns. The pastor's message was easy to listen to and well presented. He spoke on the faith of Abraham, going to place which were unclear (a good word for a church planter to hear! It ministered to my soul). Then, they had communion, a very close, intimate "family meal" kind of atmosphere.

We attended the Bible study hour after the worship service, and it was a great "question and answer" session, with good notes. After the service, we stayed around for coffee, and had some great discussions. People from the congregation seemed comfortable "crossing the great divide", coming over to greet us. I believe that this reflects the character and manner of the pastor. He is a social, affable kind of guy.

After the "party", everything was neatly packed into its designated case, and all the equipment packed into the trailer, and this "roll out church" rolled out of the Middle School, back to its storage unit. The Church offices are located on Sussex Turnpike in Randolph, signalling to this community that this church is here to stay. This is where the pastors, staff and congregation holds their meetings during the week.

Church Visits- Holy Grounds Cafe, Allendale, NJ

February 26, 2006- Holy Grounds Cafe, Allendale, NJ
http://www.touchtheworld.org/holygrounds
This may be hard to explain, but it is worth it. Holy Grounds Cafe is a part of "Touch the World" ministries (led by my friend, Jeff Boucher). Touch the World's primary ministry is sending youth and young adults on mission trips in the USA and around the world. But, they also have a "Cafe" in Allendale, NJ (near my home town of Wyckoff!). This is like a Christian version of "Starbucks" or "Panera Bread", right in the middle of town. It is a quality place! They have coffees and lattes and espressos and pastries- a place where people can meet and talk and sip coffee. Then, on weekends, they had various Christian musical groups come in for concerts and entertainment. My brother and sister in law and I (all in our 40's & 50's) have visited there a number of times, as well my daughters and my nephews (all in their 20's), and they loved it. It is a place especially where young adults can come and meet other in a positive and uplifting environment (an alternative to the "bar scene"). They have been operating for about 5 or 6 years now.
In 2005, they decided to "launch" a new Church from this ministry- Powerhouse Christian Church. They meet now for two services on a Sunday morning (9:00 & 10:30). It was a bit crowded (with about 75 people in attendance), but all in all, it was a pleasant worship experience. The worship was very contemporary- perhaps loud for some (although I loved it), but very spirited, reverent, and well presented. They had a quality "High-tech" presentation. They also served coffee at the counter (free that morning). People could come and go at their leisure, sip coffee in between "transitions" in the service, or meet with one another in another part of the building. The message that day was given by one of the lay leaders in that congregation, a truck driver. He was a straight shooting, plain-talking man who knew his Bible, and knew how to tell a great story. His message was memorable- about being always ready to share the message of Christ when occasions and events call for it, sharing the message even when you don't feel like it (based on the story of Philip in Acts 8).
The worship was uplifting, the setting informal, the message relevant and helpful. I thought the seamless transition from the ministry of Holy Grounds Cafe to Powerhouse Christian Church was a great idea for reaching younger people in the "Post-modern" generation.

Church Visits- Summit LBC, Mt. Olive

February 19, 2006- Summit Lutheran Brethren Church, Mt. Olive, NJ
http://www.climbthesummit.com
Of course, our first visit was to our closest sister church, Summit Lutheran Brethren Church. This church, which was started by Hillside during the year of their 50th anniversary (2000), is led by my good friend, Peter Bradford. There were about 45 people in attendance at a worship service held in the Vasa Park Recreation Center building. Finding it may have been a bit difficult for some people- we didn't see signs by the road or toward the building. Sunday School was spread out in 4 corners of the rec room- Small children in one corner, grade school children in another corner, teens in another corner, and adults in another. The adult class was on "The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse"- WOW- what a class! A great (and difficult) topic- some lively discussion. After the class, there was some informal time. People seemed to intermingle not only amongst themselves, but with their visitors that day. The worship service was simple and intimate- a mix of praise choruses and traditional hymns. Pastor Bradford and Elder Curt Frustol invited our family to come up so that the church might pray for us and our new venture- a beautiful and meaningful time for us and for our family. Pastor Pete's message was impassioned and relevant, as usual. After the worship service, there was plenty of coffee and cake- almost everybody stayed and fellowshipped together for this time. They seem to be a close-knit bunch!
All in all, the worship at this church was a pleasant and enriching experience. Although we are "on assignment" to visit a lot of churches this winter and spring, we are grateful to call Summit LBC our "Home Base". Be sure to visit this wonderful church sometime in the near future!