Do you remember that show “myth busters”?  They would take a common belief that we hold and dispel it with the actual truth. Well last Monday, as Dave and I hosted a dessert gathering for the most recent new members of our church, I had a few myths busted.

Myth: Young people don’t go to church anymore. They are too busy and they don’t care.

Actually, two thirds of our new members were “young people,” between the ages of 25 and 35. They were young professionals, some married and some single who love our church.

Myth: Young people don’t like old fashioned church. They want screens, not hymnals.

Actually, they love the tradition they find inside our gothic style architecture and the sacred reverence they find in our traditional formal worship. “I look at screens all day at work,” remarked one gentleman and another said, “our old church went away from hymnals and it just wasn’t the same.”  They  described the joy and solitude they find inside our sanctuary.

Myth: Contemporary folks are all about themselves.

Actually, the new members are eager to serve others. They wanted to join small groups, serve on committees and go on mission trips to empower the economically disadvantaged.

Myth: We are stuffy and elitist.

Actually, the new members all gushed about how warm and friendly they find you to be. They were delighted that folks shook their hand at the door, invited them for coffee and added their name to an email list for future special events.

THANK YOU for your warmth and kindness to visitors and guests.  YOU are the ones who make the gospel real when folks come to church.  The new members were also extremely grateful for the words they have heard in worship from Mike, Glen, Joe, Monica, me and from the elders prayers.  They said over and over again that they come for the “message” that they hear in this place.  In some ways the “message” and the friendly warm welcome are the same thing.  We are saying to all “God welcomes you.”  What could be more important in this world today?

THANK YOU for busting myths and making God’s love real!

With grace and peace,

Carla